Joel's Thoughts on Movies

The Oligarch Duplicity: EP 7

2009-10-15T10:49:00.000-07:00

http://www.TMTspies.com

The Oligarch Duplicity: EP 5 & 6

2009-10-11T10:52:00.000-07:00

I saw "Zombieland"

2009-10-08T16:49:00.000-07:00

My thoughts on the comedy "Zombieland" starring Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg.
This was shot right after I viewed the movie.

TAGS: zombie horror comedy Woody Harrelson Jesse Eisenberg Zombieland film movie cinema hungry review opinion critic feedback Shaun of the Dead cameo scary thriller startle

Interview with MARTIAN CHILD's Bobby Coleman (Part Three)

2008-06-18T06:42:00.000-07:00

PART THREE OF JOEL VETSCH'S FOUR PART INTERVIEW WITH ACTOR BOBBY COLEMAN ON FEBRUARY 21, 2008.

BOBBY COLEMAN TALKS ABOUT WORKING WITH JOHN CUSACK, IMPROV ACTING, HIS ACTING ROLE MODEL, WHO HE'D REALLY LIKE TO WORK WITH, FAVORITE MOVIES, THE EXISTENCE OF MARTIANS, AND DOING HIS OWN STUNTS.

Bobby Coleman grew up on film sets watching and learning from his older sister and actress Holliston Coleman, until at age six he wanted to join the "action" himself. By age 8, he had done a dozen national commercials and some guest-star roles. Then major lead roles began to be offered to Bobby in TV and film.
Now at age 10, Bobby has played in leads opposite Minnie Driver, Angie Harmon, William H. Macy, Annie Potts, Michael Keaton, Carol Burnett, Amanda Peet, Joan Cusack, and John Cusack.
Bobby's biggest role to date is the title lead in New Line Cinema's MARTIAN CHILD, starring opposite John Cusack as an emotionally disturbed foster child who believes he is from Mars.

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Interview with MARTIAN CHILD's Bobby Coleman (Part Two)

2008-02-26T13:16:00.000-08:00

PART TWO OF JOEL VETSCH'S FOUR PART INTERVIEW WITH ACTOR BOBBY COLEMAN ON FEBRUARY 21, 2008.

BOBBY COLEMAN TALKS ABOUT HIS ROLE IN "MARTIAN CHILD", AND THE EMOTIONAL FINAL SCENE THAT WAS FILMED WITH HIS REAL LIFE DAD, BOB, WHO ALSO PROVIDES SOME INSIGHT INTO WHAT TOOK PLACE THEN WITH HIS SON BOBBY.

Bobby Coleman grew up on film sets watching and learning from his older sister and actress Holliston Coleman, until at age six he wanted to join the "action" himself. By age 8, he had done a dozen national commercials and some guest-star roles. Then major lead roles began to be offered to Bobby in TV and film.
Now at age 10, Bobby has played in leads opposite Minnie Driver, Angie Harmon, William H. Macy, Annie Potts, Michael Keaton, Carol Burnett, Amanda Peet, Joan Cusack, and John Cusack.
Bobby's biggest role to date is the title lead in New Line Cinema's MARTIAN CHILD, starring opposite John Cusack as an emotionally disturbed foster child who believes he is from Mars.

youtube.com/joelslife
youtube.com/spooly

Interview with MARTIAN CHILD's Bobby Coleman (Part One)

2008-02-25T09:45:00.000-08:00

PART ONE OF JOEL VETSCH'S FOUR PART INTERVIEW WITH ACTOR BOBBY COLEMAN ON FEBRUARY 21, 2008.

BOBBY COLEMAN TALKS ABOUT HIS ROLE IN "MARTIAN CHILD", HIS INTEREST IN SCIENCE AND SPACE, AND HIS FUTURE INVENTION THAT WILL CHANGE THE WORLD.

Bobby Coleman grew up on film sets watching and learning from his older sister and actress Holliston Coleman, until at age six he wanted to join the "action" himself. By age 8, he had done a dozen national commercials and some guest-star roles. Then major lead roles began to be offered to Bobby in TV and film.
Now at age 10, Bobby has played in leads opposite Minnie Driver, Angie Harmon, William H. Macy, Annie Potts, Michael Keaton, Carol Burnett, Amanda Peet, Joan Cusack, and John Cusack.
Bobby's biggest role to date is the title lead in New Line Cinema's MARTIAN CHILD, starring opposite John Cusack as an emotionally disturbed foster child who believes he is from Mars.

youtube.com/joelslife
youtube.com/spooly

MARTIAN CHILD's Bobby Coleman: "How Do You Cry on Film?"

2008-02-23T09:06:00.000-08:00

Bobby Coleman grew up on film sets watching and learning from his older sister and actress Holliston Coleman, until at age six he wanted to join the "action" himself. By age 8, he had done a dozen national commercials and some guest-star roles. Then major lead roles began to be offered to Bobby in TV and film.
Now at age 10, Bobby has played in leads opposite Minnie Driver, Angie Harmon, William H. Macy, Annie Potts, Michael Keaton, Carol Burnett, Amanda Peet, Joan Cusack, and John Cusack.
Bobby's biggest role to date is the title lead in New Line Cinema’s MARTIAN CHILD, starring opposite John Cusack as an emotionally disturbed foster child who believes he is from Mars.

THIS IS AN EXCERPT FROM JOEL VETSCH'S INTERVIEW WITH BOBBY COLEMAN ON FEBRUARY 21, 2008. VISIT ONE OF THE WEBSITES BELOW FOR THE FULL HALF HOUR INTERVIEW (IN TWO PARTS).

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Smokin' Aces

2007-12-05T15:57:00.000-08:00

GOOD MOVIE. GO WATCH IT.

I saw this opening weekend, and it was well worth the price of admission. some movies actually live up to the height of what you anticipate. Smokin' Aces is entertaining, funny, never boring. This is an example of a movie that will be remembered and talked about years from now. Ryan Reynolds was good, Jeremy Piven is the man, Ray Liotta is awesome of course, Common was really good, Alicia Keys was beautiful, she sure can act. Affleck, Bateman, Garcia, all great. Great lineup of characters collide in this movie to take down Buddy Israel.

Enjoy the show.

-J-

Zodiac

2007-12-05T15:31:00.000-08:00

Very long, and not as good as I had hoped. But Robert Downey Jr is excellent, and Mark Ruffalo, Chloe Sevigny are good. Some good scenes, but too drawn out, relying on dates.

The Brown Bunny

2007-12-05T15:19:00.000-08:00

"Must be one of the truest songs of roadside America that the movies have produced." - Charles Taylor, Salon.com

This film was quite good, in my opinion. I had heard so many bad things about it before viewing - the pacing, shots, pretentious filmmaker (said he was "better than Orson Welles"!), on and on. I heard from a friend of mine who was at the Cannes Film Festival premiere, in the audience at the showing, who did not like it. She said everyone thought it was laughable, and awful.

THEN I saw it myself at long last. And I LOVED IT. Call me "artsy-crazy", but I just got the film. I understood why Gallo told the story the way he did. The slow pacing, the shots, the stuff said and not spoken at all. For many people, these are tedious things in the movie's telling, but for myself this steadily built up into a profound ending that put all of the film into perspective. There is a point after all of the wait, to the wandering in the film, and it is a good point. Well worth the patience some people will have to use to watch it through to the end.

So many shots were exceptionally done: his use of sunshine, and framing is interesting, his use of sound, and the soundtrack IS INCREDIBLE. Listen to it if you get the chance, or better yet, I recommend you seek it out and buy it. John Frusciante (RHCP guitarist) did some songs exclusively for it.

So why does not everyone get it? There are not enough quick cuts, and fast scenes showing a rapidly moving plot, with a huge climactic ending!! There is a "climax" definitely at the ending, but it lends itself to the telling of the story. It is an intricate weaving of someone's emotional state, and the melancholy he feels about a tragedy he cannot get a grip on. His lonely isolation is the feeling we view. We ride along with him in the van, and view the long outstretched road ahead to California, where he is going to meet Daisy, the only woman he has ever loved...

I suggest strongly that you reserve your judgment until you see the film for yourself. There are two versions out there on DVD now: the Cannes Film Festival version (119 minutes), and the official DVD cut version (edited to 93 minutes). I have seen the Brown Bunny three times, and see more and more in it each time. I am looking forward to viewing the longer version.

THIS MOVIE IS VERY UNDERRATED. THAT LED ME TO COME HERE AND PUT IN MY TWO CENTS. OR A BIT OF SENSE - INTO ANY TALK OF 'THE BROWN BUNNY'.

Why Foreign Films Are So Good.

2007-12-05T15:13:00.000-08:00

I was watching Amélie again the other night, and I thought of yet another reason to go see a foreign film. Instead of the tired cliché, "know-what-is-going-to-happen" BS of American films of late, foreign films represent a real diversity, a true mysteriousness and freshness. Originality, and quality. Truly occupying someone else's shoes in another continent, another culture and way of life - but, I emphasize but, you relate to them, because we are all human, and no matter where you are located at we all share a common humanity that translates to film nicely.

And leave the subtitles on. It is better to hear the actors speak themselves than to know someone in a studio with a mic voiced over the original rehearsed and felt dialogue and emotions. So do not select the English language track - bear with the subtitles. A great reward awaits at the end.

So as you watch all the sequels this summer (that studios release to milk the original successful concept), contemplate renting some foreign movies. And then do that.

Some recommendations (yes, I am forgetting some - but this will at least get you started...):

- Amélie (French)
- The 400 Blows (French)
- Run Lola Run (German)
- My Life to Live (French)
- My Uncle (French)
- Grand Illusion (French)
- La Dolce Vita (Italy)
- Alphaville (French)
- My Sassy Girl (South Korean)
- Man Bites Dog (French)
- Can Dialectics Break Bricks? (French)
- 8 1/2 (Italy)
- The Motorcycle Diaries (Spanish)
- Life is Beautiful (Italy)

Once

2007-12-05T13:53:00.000-08:00

'ONCE' If you read my blog about watching a movie in Minneapolis, I saw this there at the Lagoon Cinema, and I was BLOWN AWAY. Great film.

Musicians are the lead actors - and they sing, brilliantly. Beautiful film. A modern-day musical about a busker and an immigrant and their eventful week, as they write, rehearse and record songs that tell their love story.

The Queen

2007-12-05T13:48:00.001-08:00

"Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown" -
Henry IV, Part II

All hail the Queen! Oops, I meant Helen Mirren, who won
a much deserved Oscar for Best Actress at the Academy
Awards this year!

Helen Mirren’s brave and confident portrayal of
Queen Elizabeth II in THE QUEEN is remarkable. Consider
the fact that the monarch is alive and well and Mirren
grew up under her reign in the UK. Besides the physical
traits the Queen and Mirren share (such as a slightly
down turned mouth), her portrayal of the Queen is imbued
with a real humanity, quite beyond a simple “stiff
upper lip”.

Our story is set in the year 1997, in London, during a
very tumultuous week for England and its royal family.

Tony Blair is elected Prime Minister and seeks to modernize
the old institutions of the UK. He is overwhelmingly voted
into office, and following tradition the Queen appoints
him Prime Minister. This is a terribly formal event, involving
some rather quaint formalities. Following the usual addresses
and bows, the Queen is still obligated to ask him to be
Prime Minister - he is not just assumed to have taken
on that role just yet.

On the heels of Blair’s appointment comes the sudden
death of Princess Diana in a high speed car chase in Paris.
The public reaction worldwide is far greater than the
Queen anticipates, and she takes Diana’s two children,
Prince William, 15, and his brother Harry, 12, away from
all the publicity to protect them and help them deal with
the tragic loss of their mother. They go to a country
estate far from the city.

With an old fashioned sensibility, the Queen wants a private
funeral for Diana, and the solace of the English mountains.
But as the public spectacle grows for Diana, along with
the pile of flowers in front of the Buckingham Palace
gate, the absence of the Queen is widely viewed as cold
indifference. A rift forms between the people and the
crown, fueling talk of abolishing the monarchy.

Tony Blair respectfully pleads her to come and appear,
but to no avail. In the meantime he acts as a mediator
on the Queen’s behalf; soon it is apparent however
that she must concede.

‘The Queen’ grants us a glimpse behind-the-scenes
at an enigmatic figure grasping awkwardly at the fact
that times had changed, and that she had to change with
them, or be the ruler of an unnecessary establishment.

In the shadow of Princess Diana’s passing we see
the Queen’s stoic vulnerability, her burdens, expectations,
and conflicts faced in the public eye and behind closed
doors. There is an inherent dignity which guides the Queen
in her daily decision making.

Director Stephen Frears’ most recent film ‘Mrs.
Henderson Presents’ starred Judi Dench and was outstanding.
Frears does quite well with ‘The Queen’, earning
an Oscar nomination for Best Director, along with a Best
Picture nod.

When you watch the film you cannot help but think - how
do they have any idea of what happened in private? Through
extensive interviews with many unnamed sources writer
Peter Morgan is able to give us a peek into the intimate
events the film focuses on.

The sense of realism continues with the choice to use
actual footage from that week outside of Buckingham Palace,
in Diana’s funeral, and the interviews with the
public.

Helen Mirren impressively paints a portrait of Queen Elizabeth
II without wasting effort on perfect mimicry. This film
is moving, surprising and completely fascinating.

Spider-Man 3

2007-12-05T13:42:00.000-08:00

When you venture out to see a movie in the theatre, you hope
to be engaged and have your appetite for entertainment
met. You congregate with fellow audience members in the
darkness and ideally will leave with a satisfied feeling
that only a very good movie can give.

The third installment of the Spider-Man franchise did
just that for me. The film swung into theatres on May
4th and has broken box office records, making $59.3 million
it’s opening day alone!

SPIDER-MAN 3 is something of a marvel, forcefully shaking
off the “sequel law” which dictates that each
sequel must inevitably get worse and worse, declining
in quality and really being just a cheap facsimile of
the sharp original movie. The Spiderman trilogy proves
once again (i.e. the Indiana Jones trilogy) that the sequel
rule can be broken on rare occasion.

In case you have not caught the first two Spider-Man films
or need some refreshment on the plot, the starting of
this film brings you from the beginning of the first Spider-Man
right to where the last one left off with a cool montage
of clips placed in the opening credits.

Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) and Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten
Dunst) are getting serious in their relationship. But
while Spider-Man’s popularity in the city is at
an all time high, Mary Jane has been let go from her Broadway
debut after just one critically bashed performance. Peter
is so engrossed in the people’s adulation of his
alter ego Spider-Man and fails to be a shoulder for MJ
to lean on.

Peter’s former friend, the wealthy Harry Osborn
(James Franco), is plotting his revenge for the death
of his father who he believes died at the hands of Spider-Man.

Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church) is an escaped convict
who falls into a particle accelerator while on the run,
transforming him into a shape shifting sand-man. He wreaks
havoc on the city, robbing banks and armored vehicles.

At the Daily Bugle where Peter works we have Eddie Brock
(Topher Grace), a hotshot freelance photographer who has
just been hired. In competing with Peter for the best
photos of Spider-Man he cheats by Photoshopping Spidey
into a bank break-in.

Yet still, there are more problems for Spidey: one night
black alien liquid oozes from a crashed meteorite, and
attaches itself to Peter while he sleeps. This gooey creature
uses him as a host, making him aggressive and causing
a downward spiral into arrogance and selfish behavior.

As Spider-Man/Peter Parker confronts the darkness in himself,
he must overcome the need for revenge which has consumed
him after some recent disturbing facts have come to light.
I will not give anything away, but those twists affect
core plot points as far back as the first Spider-Man movie!

Writer/director Sam Raimi weaves it all into a cohesive
and entertaining 2 hours and 20 minutes. There could be
a lot of conflict in such a loaded storyline, but it is
handled deftly by Sam Raimi, and he leaves you at the
end wanting more. He makes us feel empathy for the Sandman
who is out getting money for his sick daughter, and Harry
who lost his father.

The first Spider-Man was extremely “comic-book”,
really just a visual thrill ride, while the second one
made an effort at having deeper character development
in its villains and good guys. The third one leaps astronomically
far ahead of the previous two on all levels, making it
a strong early contender for the summer’s best blockbuster.

There is a brief cameo by the co-creator of Spider-man
Stan Lee as well, midway through the movie, so watch for
that.

This movie is the most expensive film ever made in history,
costing $258 million dollars! So watch a rare product
in today’s Hollywood: an enormously budgeted movie
that has thrilling special effects paired with a compelling
and thought provoking storyline.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

2007-12-05T13:37:00.000-08:00

KISS KISS BANG BANG is
a highly original dark comedy brought to you from the
writer of the Lethal Weapon films.

This is Shane Black’s utterly impressive directorial
debut starring Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer and co-starring
Michelle Monaghan.

Harry Lockhart (Robert Downey Jr.) is a thief who is running
from the police immediately after a botched store break-in,
stumbling into a film audition unexpectedly. Harry is
the film’s anti-hero and narrator.

Harry wows them with his intense “method acting”
brought out (unknowingly to the directors) by the script
thrust into his hands upon entering the room. Just like
the written dialogue he reads from the pages, his partner
was also shot in a break in that had just went horribly
wrong.

While Harry is worked up and kneeling in front of the
directors, a cop hot on Harry’s tail bursts into
the room. The policeman mistakes him for an actor, wishes
him luck and then departs.

The previous scene lets you in on what you can expect
with the viewing of ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’;
and that is that you do not really know what to expect.
Therein lies the real magic of this film.

As a narrator, Harry freezes the reel of the film a couple
times to poke fun at the film and to critique his performance
as a narrator.

As a thief, disguised as an actor, Harry gets tips from
Private Eye Consultant, Gay Perry (Val Kilmer), on how
to act the part for the film. Harry tells various girls
he meets in the L.A. bars that he is a private eye, receiving
a lackluster reaction. No doubt they all wished he was
a director.

By pure chance Harry runs into Harmony (Michelle Monaghan),
a girl he was in love with in the small Indiana town where
they grew up together. She was 16 when she took a bus
to California to be a star. At age 34, she has not yet
accomplished that dream, besides a small spot in a beer
commercial.

Harmony is suspicious of her sister’s sudden suicide,
and beseeches Harry to help her find out the truth. We
are along for the twists and turns of the case that Harry,
Gay Perry, and Harmony are officially not supposed to
be involved in.

Downey and Kilmer are a dynamite comedic duo! Their performances
will stick you to your seat with laughter, in 103 minutes
of exceptionally sharp writing by director Shane Black.

To say Shane Black shows promise his first time out as
director, is an understatement. It’s like stating
that Orson Welles made a modest debut as director with
his iconic film classic ‘Citizen Kane’. Many
movies in film history have had great writing, but with
poor direction, the potential is lost in the filmmaking
process. Under Black’s direction, this independent
noir comedy achieves its potential as a laugh-out-loud
original work.

Through some online research I discovered that the term
"Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" was first coined in the
1960s by the Japanese press as a nickname for James Bond.
Writer/Director Shane Black loved the term and chose it
as the movie's title because, "it so clearly represented
what this film is."

From the opening of ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’
until the end, you are in store for an original gold nugget
of cinema.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

2007-12-05T13:28:00.000-08:00

All the characters are back for another chance to “Arghh”
on the high seas in PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S
END - Elizabeth Swann (Kiera Knightley), Will Turner (Orlando
Bloom), Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), Davy Jones (Bill Nighy),
'Bootstrap' Bill Turner (Stellan Skarsgård), and
the real standout of all three films, Captain Jack Sparrow
(Johnny Depp). We are introduced to another unsavory character
in Singapore Pirate Captain, Sao Feng (Chow Yun-Fat). This is
the final part in the trilogy that has made
swashbuckling pirates big screen box office gold
once again after many years adrift in VHS Ocean.

Lord Cutler Beckett is hunting down and executing anyone
who is or has associated with a convicted pirate. There
is a rousing rendition of "Hoist the Colours"
initiated by a ten year old boy, gathered with his nefarious
peers about to be hanged on some brutally effective gallows.
This cutthroat war that Beckett and the East India Trading
Company is waging on pirates everywhere prompts a call
to action and a meeting of the nine Pirate Lords from
the four corners of the globe convenes at Shipwreck Cove.
Will, Elizabeth, and Captain Barbossa have to rescue Captain
Jack Sparrow from the land of the dead, Davy Jones’
Locker. He is stranded there in a vast desert with the
grounded Black Pearl and plenty of hallucinations to keep
him company.

Lord Beckett has possession of Davy Jones’ heart
and unites with squid-like Jones to conquer the seas,
and the pirates in them.

The Pirate Lords want to release Calypso, goddess of the
sea, who is revealed to be among them in human form. They
unite bringing the nine pieces necessary to unbind her
and set her free, in hopes that she will aid them in their
fight.

Will and Elizabeth are soon to marry and have to work
through relationship issues amidst all the action, such
as Will’s deception on his quest to free his father
from the Flying Dutchman.

A lot of watery twists and turns occur, as the film builds
towards a tremendous climax between the pirates and the
amphibious crew of the Flying Dutchman, teamed with the
British Royal Navy’s fleet of ships led by Lord
Beckett. Beckett’s ship, The Endeavour, appears
to have cannons protruding from every orifice!

There is a lot of plot to sift through leading up to a
climax that will take your breath away. The visual effects
at the end are magnificent, setting a high precedent as
Hollywood films get more and more dazzling.

It is no secret that Johnny Depp’s offbeat performance
as mascara’ed Captain Jack Sparrow was inspired
by Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards. Richard’s
cameo as Jack’s father Captain Teague is one of
the film’s great surprises. Depp approached him
about the part, and through scheduling it worked out.
Depp and Richards have been real life friends for over
a decade now.

Johnny Depp’s acting career has always been fearless
and unpredictable. His brilliant, comedic turn as Jack
Sparrow will be remembered.

As for a fourth Pirates movie, Producer Jerry Bruckheimer
said he will wait a bit on that. Johnny Depp and Geoffrey
Rush however are both open to a reprise of their pirate
characters.

Each film in the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’
trilogy has been getting longer and longer, ‘At
World’s End’ clocks in at 168 minutes –
25 minutes in length over the first ‘Pirates’
which came out four years ago. It is a very long plank
to walk at 168 minutes, but dive in if you have ever taken
the Disneyland ride or just want to enjoy a lengthy piece
of summer “escape fare”. I distinctly remember
the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland I rode
in the 80’s as a child, and while staying true to
the ride’s theme set forth long ago, at some points
the plot was waterlogged. But if you liked the first two,
you will most likely revel in the thrills this film offers.

Oh, and be sure to stay through the end credits for the
final clip shown. Without giving it away, I will just
say it is worth the wait.

“Aye, I’ll have some popcorn with lots of
butter and sea salt. Thanks matey.”

300

2007-12-05T13:19:00.000-08:00

The phenomenally successful
worldwide box office smash ‘300’
earned almost as much globally as it did domestically,
bringing in a whopping total of $323 million dollars so
far in it's first month of release!

‘300’ is based on Frank Miller’s graphic
novel of the same name, and while taking some artistic
license, the story is based on the Battle of Thermopylae
in 480 B.C. in Greece, between the Spartans and the Persians.
Many of you (myself included) are probably not involved
in the graphic novel world, but may recognize Frank Miller
as the one who wrote the graphic novel Sin City, which
was made into a hit film in 2005.

As a massive army of Persians, led by the megalomaniacal
Xerxes, nears Sparta, Xerxes sends an emissary asking
for the submission of the city-state to his will. Xerxes
is a self-declared god and wants to conquer the world.
In a show of defiance, the Spartan King Leonidas (Gerard
Butler) kills the messenger, inciting the anger of the
so-called “divine leader”, Xerxes.

In preparation for defense of the country, King Leonidas
consults the Greek council, which has been infected with
political opportunism. They do not want to fight but instead
negotiate. To make matters worse, the local oracle, which
he is forced to seek permission from, consists of a young
drugged woman, held by corrupt priests that do not allow
the release of the full army to battle the Persians.

King Leonidas, a true Spartan, cannot take this assault
lying down and rallies together 300 Spartans to take on
the impossible task of putting themselves at odds with
250,000 plus of the Persian army. It is interesting to
note the definition of the word Spartan in the dictionary
states that they are “rigorously self-disciplined…
courageous in the face of pain, danger, or adversity.”

King Leonidas takes his army of 300 professional soldiers,
to fight off the advancing Persian army, choosing a strategically
advantageous position in a narrow mountain canyon 12 meters
wide, a corridor set in the steep cliffs off the Aegean
Sea that the Persians would have to pass through. This
place is referenced in the movie as “the Hot Gates”
(the literal translation of "Thermopylae"),
where the large army trained to fight on Asia’s
open plains, cannot take advantage of their full numbers,
giving an advantage to the Spartans. The hope for reinforcements
is always there, but they stand their ground with no certainty
of any relief, until death if need be. These Spartans
possess courage, practice self sacrifice, and have camaraderie,
so they are not fighting as an individual but as a unit
for a common purpose – their country.

Back home King Leonidas’ equally strong wife, Queen
Gorgo (Lena Headey), navigates the home front perils of
crooked politicians and backstabbing. This story is decently
wedged in, giving females in the audience more of a reason
to see this film (besides the shirtless men with muscular
superhuman abs on display throughout most of the film).
As the Queen’s husband fights the foreign invaders,
she struggles to get the backing at home to send the entire
army and keep Greece free. The scene in the film’s
beginning when the King and her part ways is fascinating,
with the Queen handling his leaving to almost certain
death with a real stoic strength and resilience. She knows
to spend a moment on sorrow would be a tax on her energy
which she must save for the fight ahead.

The famed Battle of Thermopylae, the focus of this film,
is said to have inspired all of Greece to band together
against the Persians, and help usher in the world's first
democracy.

"It's a place where great and glorious things happened,"
Frank Miller describes. "We are talking about the
crucible, the epicenter of the battle for everything that
we have, for everything that is Western civilization.
There's a reason why we are as free as we are, and a lot
of it begins with the story of 300 young men holding a
very narrow pass long enough to inspire the rest of Greece."

The texture of the film is not meant to create the reality
of the historical event, but to make the bare essentials
of the story explode on screen in an entertaining fashion.
This is not history verbatim, rather an artist’s
interpretation on those actual events. So you have fiendish
monsters, and tinted landscapes that are so beautifully
designed with CGI your jaw drops as if seeing a large
painting suddenly come to life right before your eyes.

‘300’ does stay away from being campy, because
of the display of real grit and conviction in each actor.
The glory of Greek stories such as The Iliad, which seem
far fetched, is suddenly mounted up on the wall of your
local cinema screen on a glorious widescreen canvas! This
is the stuff of legends, one of the most famous rallying
stories in history, of a stubborn group of fierce warriors
who engage a massive army, at the expense of their lives.

You are so effectively thrown into this world Frank Miller
created, that you almost want to reach for your shield
as a spear flies through the air, pick up a fallen comrade,
and bare your own sword against the oncoming enemy. The
fast and slow motion camera effects warp reality, adding
an enjoyable twist to the film.

The film was shot in 60 days on three small sets. Ten
visual effects vendors contributed to the film spread
over three continents. The script demanded that most of
the male cast spend the majority of their screen time
bare-chested, so in order to adequately present themselves
as the most well-trained and marshaled fighting force
of the time, the entire principal cast underwent a rigorous
and varied training regime for 6 weeks prior to shooting.
If you watch the behind the scenes of the film, you can
see that the exaggerated physically fit physiques of the
actors playing the Spartans were not digitally enhanced
– that is all real.

‘300’ is the most thrilling visual cinematic
experience of the year, do not miss this one.

Little Miss Sunshine

2007-12-05T13:14:00.000-08:00

Follow a dysfunctional
family made up of six vastly different individuals in
a bright yellow VW bus on a hurried chaotic road trip,
and experience one of the brightest filmic gems of recent
memory, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE.

A Sundance favorite, ‘Little Miss Sunshine’
has emerged as a mainstream hit receiving four Oscar nominations
this year, including Best Picture.

The wonderfully penned debut by writer Michael Arndt earned
him an Academy Award, and provided the filmmakers with
ample material to shape and craft into the memorable film
that resulted.

The opening of the film quickly establishes the idiosyncrasies
of our main characters.

Richard (Greg Kinnear) is determined to become a self-help
guru with his “Refuse to Lose” system that
is far from taking off. His wife Sheryl (Toni Collette)
is supportive, but her patience is waning. Sheryl’s
brother Steve (Steve Carell) is a suicidal Proust scholar,
put in the family’s care temporarily until he gets
better in the head. Richard and Sheryl’s two kids
are as different as night and day. Their teenage son Dwayne
is in the midst of a vow of silence until he gets into
the Air Force and becomes a fighter pilot. Dwayne keeps
a book by Friedrich Nietzsche cracked open and claims
to have been inspired by the German philosopher to stay
mute. Olive (Abigail Breslin) is their fragile 7 year
old daughter, obsessed with the validation of winning
a beauty pageant someday. And finally, we have the grandfather
(Alan Arkin), teaching Olive a dance routine for the beauty
pageant, meanwhile having a closet heroin addiction.

We are introduced to the quirky parts of this imperfect
family machine and the story takes off.

Olive has the chance to compete in a beauty pageant in
Redondo Beach, California, and the entire family is forced
to embark on a road trip full of calamity and comedy.

Leaving from their home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, they
each are forced to get to know and appreciate each other,
whether they want to or not, in the cramped space of the
VW bus.

It is really not all that implausible that the vast assortment
of these characters can indeed exist in any single American
family, making it easily relatable to virtually anyone.
Most of us can see a piece of ourselves in either the
youthful angst, or the older adult crises.

As the VW bus nears its destination, each of the family
members are tested, with perceptions and beliefs challenged.
The pageant now represents a rallying point for them all,
not just a contest for Olive to compete in. Despite setbacks
and road adventures, they push on to California to make
it on time, and have Olive be their symbolic champion.
When all is said and done they see that the outcome does
not matter. The fake and polished veneer of the pageant
is abhorrent, and they see that awkward little Olive cannot
fit in this world, and does not belong there. For in Olive,
as in all of them, lies an individual that is important
just as they are.

‘Little Miss Sunshine’ is both heartfelt and
tragic, with an important message - life is not about
the destination, but about the journey. The plot does
not surround the pageant really, but the experiences the
family shares on the way there.

This ensemble cast works so well because nobody is trying
to “steal the show”; they act together with
a subtlety that is a treat to watch.

This film is a wonderful comedic surprise, and certainly
one of my favorites from the last year. This family puts
the “fun” in dysfunctional – sit back
and enjoy the ride!

The Ultimate Gift

2007-12-04T23:09:00.000-08:00

‘The Ultimate Gift’ is an uplifting film. I truly
believe it is the "feel good" film of 2007. This is the fourth film
from Fox Faith, a division of Twentieth Century Fox, created
to provide audiences with quality inspirational features,
something of a recently opened Hollywood niche, due to
the overwhelming success of ‘The Passion of the
Christ’.

An important thing to keep in mind though is that these
films from Fox Faith are for the most part not “preachy”,
thankfully choosing instead to keep their content balanced,
with solid storylines delving into each character’s
mental and spiritual health and well being. The plots
circulate around discoveries in people’s lives we
can easily relate to, leading us to reflect on what values
we hold dear. These films straddle the line tastefully,
without overdoing pivotal moments in the story. They do
a fine job of avoiding the pitfall that would make them
sappy.

This brand new release from Fox Faith deals with an ever
present quest that people in our society face: the problem
of finding real happiness. In today’s world, the
pursuit of happiness for many is the chase for wealth
and fortune, yet many rich people are seeking happiness
constantly, to no avail in their daily lives.

‘The Ultimate Gift’ stars James Garner, Brian
Dennehy, Drew Fuller, Ali Hillis, and Oscar nominee Abigail
Breslin who recently starred in ‘Little Miss Sunshine’,
which was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards
this year.

Red Stevens (Garner) is a billionaire who dies suddenly
in a crash. Disturbingly, all of his descendants seem
to be only concerned with what they inherit from him,
and as the will’s wishes are carried out they barely
receive anything from his estate.

Along comes his grandson Jason (Fuller), a spoiled trust
fund baby who hopes to cash in on some inheritance. But
Jason’s grandfather has other ideas planned for
him.

Jason is brought into the board room where a lone box
rests on the table. Inside the box is a DVD with a special
message from his grandfather. He has set up for him a
series of 12 gifts, leading up to the ultimate gift at
the end.

Jason’s grandfather has set up a chain of events
that will stretch him to his limits. Starting with digging
holes for fence posts down on a large ranch in Texas,
his journey takes him as far away as Ecuador, teaching
him the value of work, real friends, family, true love,
laughter, dreams, gratitude, giving, and the importance
of using each day to it’s fullest. These are things
which Red Stevens could not teach his grandson in life,
but hopes to impart to Jason in his passing, giving him
the chance at inheriting the wealthiest of treasures,
the sense of what really matters in life far beyond monetary
gain.

Many surprises wait along the way in this tender story,
with solid, heartfelt performances. It is touching to
see this self centered boy start to rearrange his priorities,
and connect not only with other people, but himself.

This film is a rewarding treat that everyone should see.

My Top Twelve Films for Valentine's Day

2007-12-04T23:01:00.000-08:00

If you are still in the romantic mood after Valentine’s
Day, here are a dozen films that you should not miss:

1. Moulin Rouge! (2001) Ewan McGregor,
Nicole Kidman

2. The Notebook (2004) Ryan Gosling,
Rachel McAdams, James Garner, Gena Rowlands

3. The Princess Bride (1987) Cary Elwes,
Robin Wright Penn

4. Casablanca (1942) Humphrey Bogart,
Ingrid Bergman

5. Doctor Zhivago (1965) Omar Sharif,
Julie Christie

6. Sleepless in Seattle (1993) Tom Hanks,
Meg Ryan

7. Little Manhattan (2005) Bradley Whitford

8. A&E’s Pride and Prejudice
(1995) Colin Firth

9. About a Boy (2002) Hugh Grant, Rachel
Weisz

10. Before Sunrise (1995) Julie Delpy,
Ethan Hawke

11. Before Sunset (2004) Julie Delpy,
Ethan Hawke

12. Love Story (1970) Ali MacGraw, Ryan
O’Neal

CLICK

2007-12-04T22:58:00.000-08:00

Adam Sandler reunites
with his friend, director Frank Coraci, in the movie CLICK.
They both went to NYU together, and have collaborated
on such comedies as ‘The Waterboy’ and ‘Wedding
Singer’.

Joining Sandler in ‘Click’ are comic heavyweights
Christopher Walken and Henry Winkler, with Kate Beckinsale
(Underworld), David Hasselhoff, Sean Astin (50 First Dates,
Lord of the Rings), and Rachel Dratch (Saturday Night
Live).

Michael Newman (Adam Sandler) is an overworked architect,
with a lovely wife (Kate Beckinsale), and two young children
– Ben and Samantha.

Michael’s boss, Mr. Ammer (David Hasselhoff), is
a womanizing, inconsiderate jerk who works Michael way
too hard. With the opportunity for promotion always dangled
in front of him, Michael feels he has no choice, but to
sacrifice the occasional camping trip with his two kids
or game of catch, rather than sacrifice his career by
letting his boss down. He simply has no time.

When he gets home and kicks back on the couch, he grabs
the nearest remote and turns on the ceiling fan, the stereo,
or something else besides the TV. So one night, completely
frustrated, he goes to Bed Bath & Beyond for a universal
remote to operate everything simply.

In his pursuit of the remote, he stumbles upon an out-of-the-way
door in the store with a sign positioned above it that
reads “Way Beyond”. He proceeds through the
door, and down a long dark corridor, until he sees a crazy
looking techie, mad scientist of sorts, named Morty (Christopher
Walken). With a crazy glint in his eye, Morty hands Michael
a special remote that will allow him to control everything
in his life, and that means everything.

So what does he do with these new found powers? With the
Menu on this remote he has options like “The Making
Of” (his conception), “Language Options”
(ever seen David Hasselhoff speak Spanish?), “Rewind”,
“Forward”, and “Skip Chapter”.
He uses the latter options liberally to skip the unpleasant
moments that arise in his daily life, such as sickness,
exhausting work projects and arguments with his wife.
Sounds good on paper, but as the remote memorizes his
skipping habits, life speeds by around him, completely
out of his control.

He realizes that those small moments he is missing is
what life is all about, and he does not want to lose any
of them, but as the years go by increasingly faster, is
it too late?

Imagine Adam Sandler doing a film in the classic tradition
of ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’, except in
this telling you have a sandwich of meaty morals, placed
between two thick slices of Sandler-esque bread. There
are some sincerely tender moments where Sandler turns
in serious “Oscar” acting, followed by silly
moments that cause you to laugh out loud.

All in all ‘Click’ is a good comedy, with
great lessons to take away with you after viewing. You
should treasure the mundane things in life; cherish them,
because you only get to experience them once. There is
no rewind button.

Jestem (I Am)

2007-12-04T22:34:00.000-08:00

On a chilly night, across the world in Warsaw, Poland, I had the privilege of attending the closing gala of the Warsaw International Film Festival. It was a red carpet event, with the director and stars there, and a great opportunity to mingle with them.

The film was called 'Jestem' (in English it means 'I am'), and it was a Polish film directed by Dorota Kedzierzawska. It starred Piotr Jagielski and Agnieszka Nagórzycka, with Pawel Wilczak.

Before watching the movie, we heard a summary of the successful festival from the directors of the festival and a brief statement from the film's director herself, in front.

The lights dimmed, and the movie began.

The film is the story of a boy searching for his place in life, his identity. After running away from an orphanage and being rejected by his mother, the resolute 11-year-old finds a "home" on a deserted old barge. I think it came out well. I enjoyed the film, and thought the young actor in the main role did a fine job.

Worth seeing in my opinion.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

2007-12-04T22:24:00.000-08:00

This movie ranks up there with Dumb & Dumber as a very memorable comedy. Something just worked in this movie. The writing. The acting. It just all plays out so well. There are so many quotable lines in this film.

I cannot say that I cared for Talladega Nights that much, although Ferrell is good in Stranger Than Fiction. He has far more talent than the naysayers will give him credit for. I think with Stranger Than Fiction, he has made something which proves that point. Just as Jim Carrey went through that stage, proving his acting chops in more dramatic roles, Will has done the same. Also Winter Passing is a good drama with Will.

I am a highbrow movie snob. A published film critic. An elitist that loves to watch foreign and art-house movies. I chew on deep Kafka-esquire films, where intelligence reigns supreme, and questions are implied, not spelled out. Films with meaning, and subtleties under the surface...

... and I LOVE THIS MOVIE. It just clicks. Behold the comic masterpiece 'Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy'.

(raises Scotch) "To Ron Burgundy."

Adam & Eve

2007-12-04T22:13:00.000-08:00

The moral of the story, and the main plot point between the two main leads, playing Adam & Eve - told very well, and acted out well. The rest of it? I don't know. Guess it is National Lampoon drivel.

So watch the movie for the interplay going on and the well written story about waiting for the right one to have sex with first, and when you hold off, the complications that arise in the male partner. I have been there before myself. And I know what he is feeling. Except now I can handle it with more of a level of maturity. So that is why you should watch this. It is a realistic portrayal of that kind of happening, in many relationships today. Albeit less than a few decades ago, but it is still happening around us...

I connected and cared for these two main characters, Adam & Eve, but the rest? Who cares.

Thank You For Smoking

2007-12-04T20:53:00.000-08:00

THANK YOU FOR SMOKING:
starring Aaron Eckhart, Maria Bello, Sam Elliott, Rob
Lowe, William H. Macy, Katie Holmes, David Koechner, and
Robert Duvall.

Warning: This film may cause side splitting laugh attacks,
and introspective thought provoked by politically incorrect
humor. Pregnant women can safely view the following.

‘Thank You for Smoking’ is based on the Christopher
Buckley novel, and is directed by Jason Reitman, the son
of famed Ghostbusters director Ivan Reitman.

This satirical take on “spin” in today’s
America centers on Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart), the tobacco
industry’s main lobbyist in Washington, DC, and
spokesman for the “Academy of Tobacco Studies”.
He is the quintessential anti-hero, fronting an organization
that has legally killed many millions of people. He advocates
personal freedom for the many that choose to light up
and smoke, nimbly surviving landmine questions in his
public dealings, with answers that twist the questions
onto the accuser.

Nick Naylor’s only two real friends are representatives
of organizations that also get cast a lot of blame for
society’s ills – the alcohol industry’s
Polly Bailey (Maria Bello), head of the Moderation Council,
and the firearm industry’s Bobby Jay Bliss (David
Koechner), who heads the gun advisory group Safety. At
their frequent dinner meetings they compare fatality stats
from their own respective products like an ESPN announcer:
30 daily firearm related deaths, 270 daily alcohol related
deaths, and tobacco, the overwhelming champion with 1,200
daily deaths. Together the three lobbyists are known as
the Merchants of Death.

Nick Naylor is in the center of the bulls-eye as Vermont
Senator Ortolan K. Finistirre (William H. Macy) pursues
a bill that would make it mandatory for a skull and crossbones
to be put on the sides of all packs of cigarettes.

Jeff Magell (Rob Lowe) is the Hollywood super agent that
Nick goes to about the product placement of cigarettes
in films, because (as he points out), the majority of
people who smoke in films today are Russians, Arabs, or
villains.

Nick has joint custody of his son Joey with his wife Jill,
and as the film progresses, he makes an effort to reach
out to him, answering frank questions about how he can
do such a morally questionable job that causes him to
be despised, hated, and the object of death threats and
scorn.

In his dealings across the country, he has to placate
the ex-Marlboro Man (Sam Elliott), who now has cancer,
fend off zealous reporter Heather Holloway (Katie Holmes),
and report to the “captain” of the tobacco
industry Doak Boykin (Robert Duvall).

The thing about this film which is utterly fascinating
is that not one cigarette is smoked, and there is not
a clear bias as to which side you should belong to, or
which beliefs you should subscribe to. Whatever your feelings
are, you will be forced to examine them after watching
this movie. ‘Thank You for Smoking’ takes
an objective look at a taboo subject, and gives you the
unfiltered truth - a behind the scenes peek at how “spin”
impacts and shapes our culture.

The moral of this story is to examine the “talk”
that we are in the midst of on a daily basis, whether
we know it or not, and to take responsibility for your
choices, and not to be duped by spin tactics. Every side
pushes their own agenda, with many of us caught unwittingly
in the middle.

Because of its raw visage, this is not a completely easy
film to watch, but it is a satire after all, so do not
take everything “as is”.

The M.P.A.A. has deemed it necessary to label this film
rated R.

Scoop

2007-12-04T20:44:00.000-08:00

After his critically acclaimed film ‘Match Point,’
Woody Allen is back with a light-hearted comedy that is
unassuming and very accessible.

SCOOP is Allen’s second film set in London starring
the lovely Scarlett Johansson. Joining her this time is
Hugh Jackmen, and Allen himself.

In London visiting some family friends, nerdish American
journalism student Sondra Pransky (Johansson) is given
a possible lead on a hot story by recently deceased reporter
Joe Strombel, who manages to slip away from the afterlife
long enough to let her in on the possible secret. Prostitutes
are being murdered all around London, and the killer is
still on the loose, with the police turning up with dead
ends - pun intended. Who is this mysterious killer who
stalks women in the night?

The tip Sondra receives points to the aristocratic and
highly respectable Peter Lyman (Jackman). Joining her
in the pursuit of clues is the aging, travelling stage
magician Sidney Waterman (Allen), whose stage name is

The Great Splendini. His cheap tricks and funny one-liners,
matched with Sondra's awkward behavior around their charming
suspect, milk the laughter to it's utmost.

Scarlett Johansson tones down her sex appeal for this
film, and plays her role as an awkward, bookish student
convincingly. She has obviously beguiled Woody Allen,
being in his last two films, including this one.

Woody does not cast himself as the romantic lead, which
is appropriate since Scarlett is old enough to be his
daughter or granddaughter. Allen never misses a beat in
his comic delivery, showing that his chops are as sharp
as ever.

Hugh Jackman is the "straight man" in the picture,
to Allen and Scarlett's comedic duo, and his portrayal
of Peter Lyman is affable - causing it to be even more
laughable.

A Woody Allen film is not compared to other films, but
to the greatest of Woody Allen films as they each are
released. That could be a great burden to bear for any
other filmmaker, but Woody's worst critic is himself.
Each time out, he envisions a 'Citizen Kane' kind of masterpiece,
and for the most part is hard on his final product. He
has to live up to the high expectations not only of himself,
but of the audience with every film. A lot of artists
understand that they all can be their own worst critics
and praisers in turn.

This film has been dubbed "Woody-Lite", and
so that is why I make a point about the wide appeal that
it holds for the masses out there, whether you are a real
Woody Allen fan, or not. Truly memorable.

Woody Allen is a frenetic workaholic, releasing close
to one film a year in his nearly 40 years of directing
films! His writing ability, and limitless reach, has brought
us some truly remarkable dramatic films, and a whole lot
of classic comedies. ‘Scoop’ brings to mind
some of his funnest films, and is completely entertaining.
96 minutes of laugh out loud hysterics worth taking a
look at.

Inside Man

2007-12-04T20:36:00.000-08:00

Not one to shy away from controversy, director Spike Lee
takes a shot at making a heist film, doing an exceptional
job with INSIDE MAN.

This is the fourth film that Denzel Washington and Spike
Lee have made together, alongside ‘He Got Game’
(1998), ‘Malcolm X’ (1992), and ‘Mo'
Better Blues’ (1990). Under Lee’s direction,
Washington embodied the controversial and influential
Black Nationalist leader, Malcolm X, earning him an
Oscar nomination that year for Best Actor.

So after 8 years Lee and Washington rejoin to make a
very irregular heist film, alongside Hollywood heavy
hitters Jodie Foster, Clive Owen, Willem Dafoe, and
veteran actor Christopher Plummer.

The film revolves around the attempted heist of a branch
of the Manhattan Trust Bank, and the ensuing hostage
crisis that follows.

Detective Keith Frazier (Washington) is put on the case,
and wants to rectify his stained reputation after being
accused of stealing $140,000 that mysteriously disappeared
in a prior, unrelated case.

The bank’s CEO, Arthur Case (Plummer), sends a
mysterious woman, Madeline White (Foster), to look after
his “interests” that lie in a safety deposit
box, deep inside the bank. Madeline’s Ivy League
condescension rubs Detective Frazier the wrong way,
putting them at odds, as they each try to work their
own agenda in resolving the bank situation.

The masked leader of the group of robbers, Dalton Russell
(Owen), is exceedingly calm in matching wits with Detective
Frazier as they both try to stay one step ahead of each
other.

Leading right up to the climax, you are left wandering
how this ambiguous thriller will end, and exactly where
the twists and turns will lead you.

In nearly three decades of directing, Spike Lee has
made many memorable films, a fair amount of them controversial.
But leave your prejudgments at the door when you go
see this film, because it is a different type of “Spike
Lee Joint.” He had the clout of the studio backing
him on this one, and it definitely shows in the scope
of the film.

I have anticipated watching this film ever since I was
aware of it’s existence some time ago, and so
the question is, after seeing it, did it live up to
it’s promise? In one word – yes! I am thoroughly
impressed with this tour de force from Spike Lee.

In a genre filled with copycats and atypical holdup
flicks, this one pays homage to some of the classic
heist films, such as ‘Dog Day Afternoon,’
resulting in a cool, captivating, and engaging thrill
ride.

If you would like to catch some other great movies featuring
the stars of ‘Inside Man,’ I recommend the
following: Denzel Washington in ‘The Manchurian
Candidate’ (2004), Clive Owen in ‘I'll Sleep
When I'm Dead’ (2003), Jodie Foster (only speaking
French!) in ‘A Very Long Engagement’ (2004),
Christopher Plummer in ‘The Insider’ (1999),
and Willem Dafoe in ‘Auto Focus’ (2002).

The Lake House

2007-12-04T20:33:00.000-08:00

Keanu Reeves and Sandra
Bullock are back with their dynamic chemistry in THE
LAKE HOUSE. The film revolves around a rather unusual
glass house built on stilts set in a lake outside of
Chicago, Illinois. Kate Forster (Bullock) moves out
of the house in the spring of 2006, into an apartment
in Chicago, where she is starting her career as a doctor.
Before she leaves, she drops an envelope with a forwarding
address to whoever will occupy the house next. The mailbox
is located right out in front of the path to the bridge,
which leads to the house’s door. She checks back
sometime later to see if she has any mail, and finds
a letter from a man, Alex Wyler (Reeves), who claims
he is living in the house at that very moment! The date
he writes on his letter to her says 2004, and Kate leaves
a snide reply note mentioning (among other things) the
wrong date. Through their odd correspondence, sent and
received from this same mailbox nearby the lake house,
it comes out that Alex is living in the year 2004, exactly
2 years to the day back from when Kate is living!

They both have their own reasons for being lonely and
through this mailbox, in ways unexplained, they are
able to reach out and feel that special connection with
another person, that is so needed and lacking in their
own lives.

Alex is an architect, who has a true passion for the
warmth of a home’s design, rather than just its
functionality or original design. Alex’s father,
Simon Wyler (Christopher Plummer), is proud and defiant
as his health wanes, and as his son tries to get closer
to him in these final days of his own life. Christopher
Plummer gives a very noteworthy performance as the brash,
arrogant “Architect of the Year” award recipient,
who belittles Alex’s views on architectural development,
while hiding from him the fact that he envies his ability
to create a home, rather than just a house, in his building
senses.

Kate enjoys helping people, in her role as doctor, and
after her last failed relationship has kept quite a
distance from men.

Alex and Kate forge a strong bond, but have to find
a way to bridge this gap between them, before it is
too late and their love is lost forever!

Keanu acts very well in this film, and complimented
by Sandra, they give solid depth and breadth to their
characters, enabling you to accept the implausible storyline,
with refreshingly sincere acting from both of them.

Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock first starred together
in a movie about a speeding bus wired with a bomb that
would not allow it to drop below 50 mph. Of course that
was ‘Speed,’ and it’s hard to believe
that was released over a decade ago, back in 1994. The
blockbuster film was not only a critical success, but
impressed audiences with its thrilling plot and tangible
chemistry shared by the two stars. The film’s
sequel ‘Speed 2: Cruise Control’ bombed,
due for the most part to the lack of Keanu Reeves being
in the film. Reeves and Bullock have an incredible,
almost magic presence that they create together on screen.

David Auburn pens a terrific screenplay that is both
far fetched, but beautifully believable in how the lovers
from different times are cleverly intertwined. Auburn
also wrote the terrific play ‘Proof’, which
he adapted for the film version that starred Gwyneth
Paltrow and Anthony Hopkins.

While Keanu Reeves has starred with many fine female
leads, including Cameron Diaz, Carrie-Anne Moss, Charlize
Theron and Winona Ryder, none of those pairings can
compare to the explosively memorable pairing he had
with Sandra Bullock in ‘Speed’ and that
we are fortunate enough to witness again in ‘The
Lake House.’ I truly feel they are one of modern
cinemas most enigmatic on screen male-female couples.

This is the most unique and affecting romantic drama
to come out in a very long time, in a class all its
own.

The Matador

2007-12-04T20:29:00.000-08:00

A globetrotting hitman,
and a floundering salesman from Denver, walk into a bar
in Mexico City, and befriend each other over some martinis.
The scene is set for the most likable dark comedy I have
seen this year.

Greg Kinnear and Pierce Brosnan team up in THE MATADOR,
a slick film from first time writer/director Richard Shepard.

Danny Wright (Kinnear) is a square businessman, happily
married to his high school sweetheart Carolyn (Hope Davis),
and they reside in Denver. Danny travels to Mexico City,
Mexico for a job interview, with a lot riding on the acquisition
of this job after a string of recent bad luck.

Meanwhile, Julian Noble (Brosnan), is an aging hitman,
crusty around the edges, who has a couple hits to ‘facilitate’
in Mexico City. He has no address, no home, and no true
friends.

Julian and Danny have a chance meeting at a hotel bar,
and over the next couple days, while Danny awaits the
results from his interview, they forge a truly unlikely
friendship. While they take in a bullfight, Danny learns
Julian’s “trade,” but feels some empathy
for the lonely Julian, who is in the midst of a breakdown.
Julian feels he can learn something from Danny about life,
he sure does, with laughs (for us) in abundance.

Four years after his last James Bond film, Pierce Brosnan
shows his range in this film, departing from the suave
British spy persona. Instead he adopts the personality
of Julian, an over-the-hill hitman, who is tough, but
vulnerable, unsavory, yet charming. Pierce fleshes out
his character quite remarkably, and is the standout here,
earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor as Julian
Noble.

Greg Kinnear continues his winning streak, with another
memorable comic role as Danny Wright. His impeccable timing
in the film ‘Auto Focus’ still makes my brother
and I pause for a laugh at the recollection of a scene!
Recently, he starred in the awesome breakout indie hit
‘Little Miss Sunshine’.

The chemistry between Brosnan and Kinnear is evident,
making this a satisfying, well done comedy/action film
with heart. A thoughtful look at life, love, luck, and
friendship, with plenty of side-splitting, tongue-in-cheek
humor.

Cinematographer David Tattersall, who worked with Pierce
Brosnan in ‘Die Another Day,’ and also on
the new Star Wars Trilogy, does a magnificent job, adding
a depth, and scope to ‘The Matador‘.

Pierce Brosnan certainly shows his relevant place in Hollywood
in the post-Bond season of his career, overcoming any
stereotypes you may have of him after playing in the last
four Bond films, beginning in 1995! This film has a feeling
of fresh originality, and that can be attributed to the
sharp writing and fantastic performance by Brosnan.

Winter Passing

2007-12-04T20:26:00.000-08:00

In the offbeat film WINTER
PASSING, writer/director Adam Rapp
brings an edgy and
beautiful piece to the screen.

The film stars Zooey Deschanel (Elf), Will Ferrell (Stranger
Than Fiction), Ed Harris (A History of Violence), and
Amelia Warner (Quills), who each in turn deliver a strong
performance.

Reese Holden (Deschanel) is the emotionally detached daughter
of the brilliant and famous reclusive novelist Don Holden
(Harris), whom she has not had contact with in a long
time.

One cold winter evening she is offered a large sum of
money by a book editor, who is seeking to publish the
love letters written by her father to her mother many
years ago. Reese has inherited the letters after her mother’s
recent death from suicide, the only catch being they are
at her father’s home.

Reese hesitantly decides to make the bus trip from NYC,
where she is an aspiring actress working at a bar, to
the long forgotten home where she grew up, nestled in
a quiet wooded area far away.

Upon arrival, Reese is greeted at the door by a tall gruff
musician named Corbit (Ferrell), a former rhythm guitarist
in the Christian rock band Punchin’ Pilate.

Also inhabiting the house is a former grad student of
her father’s, Shelly (Warner), a girl from England
who has had some health problems and is staying there
for a while.

Don is the patriarch of this strange family of sorts,
and he resides in the garage. He drinks a lot, and has
trouble squeezing even a paragraph of writing out of his
beleaguered mind. Don’s long white hair is usually
in a slight tangle around his head.

Reese shamelessly speaks her mind. She is skeptical, and
closed, all the memories and feelings rushing back to
her, from her childhood, which was devoid of affection
from her workaholic parents.

In the house everyone relies on each other; Shelly cooks
and does the laundry, Corbit is the handyman, and Don
is the caregiver to them both. In his own quiet way he
is reaching out to his daughter Reese to establish a closeness
they have never shared.

What we get to view is a poignant defining chapter of
this young woman’s life, in this satisfying, richly
textured film of substance.

Zooey Deschanel last paired up with Will Ferrell in the
holiday film ‘Elf,’ and they share a real
chemistry in both films. Will Ferrell has a definite range,
not only shown by his role in this film, but also in the
superbly done ‘Stranger Than Fiction,’ alongside
Emma Thompson. In ‘Winter Passing,’ Zooey
Deschanel turns in a maturely layered performance. If
you do not know who she is yet, you certainly will in
the years to come, as she will be starring in ‘The
Assassination of Jesse James’ with Brad Pitt, and
playing Janis Joplin herself in the upcoming biopic, ‘Gospel
According to Janis.’

This film is a diamond in the rough, and is worth taking
the time to watch.

V For Vendetta

2007-12-04T18:11:00.000-08:00

In 1999 the Wachowski Brothers brought us the first groundbreaking
Matrix film, filled with cutting edge special effect techniques
and an action film with no boundaries.

On the heels of the Matrix Trilogy, the always mysterious
creative duo bring us another veritable action extravaganza,
V FOR VENDETTA.

Behind the mask of the caped lead is actor Hugo Weaving,
who played Agent Smith in The Matrix films.

Based on Alan Moore’s graphic novel published by
Vertigo/DC Comics, the film is set in London, in the not
too distant future. The formerly great United States is
now apparently a leper colony, and Britain is ruled by
an oppressive, authoritarian government where freedom
is looked at as a liability in the effort to control the
people.

The stunned, complacent masses are kept in the dark from
the truth of daily events by the government controlled
media which manipulates them through propaganda and censorship.

Along comes the caped freedom fighter ‘V’
(Weaving) who stirs things up for the ruling Chancellor
and his forces with a show of explosives accompanied by
a little Tchaikovsky music piped in simultaneously as
the soundtrack. He conducts this “performance”
from a nearby rooftop with Evey Hammond (Natalie Portman),
a young woman he rescued from a group of men in the streets
earlier that night after she was out past the enforced
curfew time. He politely forces her to view the massive
spectacle alongside himself, the perpetrator.

‘V’ later takes Evey hostage to protect himself
from being betrayed and caught.

The ultimate objective of this charismatic madman is to
blow up the Parliament building, giving the power back
to the people and getting vengeance for events which led
to his being burned and horribly scarred during some government
endorsed experiments that went wrong.

‘V’ is uncompromising in his quest for revenge,
and the government uses that to promote an atmosphere
of fear, gaining an effective tool of control.

The government is for the people, and if it is not, then
upheaval must occur. The idea of freedom is eternal, and
must be a guiding light for governments and the people
ruled by those governments.

Intentionally or not, the film does have some overtones
of present social and political happenings, certainly
here in the United States. But it is fiction, and fascinating
at that.

This film is quite ambitious, with some visuals that brought
me back to Terry Gilliam’s 1985 film Brazil.

The Matrix creators have done it again with a stunning
visceral feast for the senses.

V for Vendetta is a moving, triumphantly electric, powerful
political action thriller.

Hugo Weaving does a good job behind the cover of his mask,
a daunting task surely, and Natalie Portman flexes her
acting muscles in the distressed, yet strong, role of
the heroine.

Also starring in the movie are Stephen Rea, playing the
detective tracking ’V’ down and John Hurt
playing the tyrannical Chancellor Adam Sutler.

Is ‘V’ a terrorist or a freedom fighter? You
decide.

Four Brothers

2007-12-04T18:06:00.000-08:00

John Singleton, the director of such acclaimed films as
Rosewood and Boyz
n the Hood, brings us FOUR BROTHERS.

Four men, from different races and backgrounds, are raised
under one roof by a very strong and determined foster
mother who cares for them and gives them a real home.

On a cold, dark wintry night in Detroit she stops by a
small convenience store to pick up a few things, and is
murdered when it is held up by two armed men, wearing
masks.

The four men, having developed a bond as tight as true
brothers growing up, come back home to lay their mother
to rest.

In the house, the memories come back. After the police
seem to be getting nowhere with the case, the brothers
take it into their own hands to avenge the death of the
woman they knew as mother.

The four brothers are played by Mark Wahlberg, Tyrese
Gibson, André Benjamin (from musical group Outkast),
and Garrett Hedlund. Terrence Howard plays the detective
intent on bringing justice to the victim in this case,
but also not wanting any interference from the men.

But the more the four brothers dig, the fishier their
mother’s murder gets, and there is no turning back.

Filled with explosive action scenes, from icy car chases
to raw emotion and street justice, this film is powerful
in-your-face, wham-bam male drama at its best! Thrilling
and funny - an action film with heart and a great story.

I really loved this movie. I sat down to watch it with
a cup of coffee, and I barely could take two sips. I was
drawn in that much.

Everyone can rally around these brothers that are ‘gonna
work it out.’

To cap off the appeal of this movie is the awesome Motown
soundtrack featuring Marvin Gaye and the Temptations,
among others.

Four Brothers is a winner all around.

The Great Raid

2007-12-04T18:02:00.000-08:00

In January of 1945 a group of 120 men staged the most triumphant
and successful rescue mission in U.S. Military history.
This is their story.

In the epic tradition of Saving Private Ryan and The
Thin Red Line, THE GREAT RAID tells a grand story, inspired
by true events, filled with both drama and plenty of
action.

After Japan had attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7,
1941, the US was drawn into World War II. The next year,
after the Battle of Bataan, our forces were in the Philippines
fighting the Japanese. Our men were overwhelmed there,
and 70,000 were taken prisoner. It was the largest American
army in history to surrender (besides the Civil War).
The Japanese led their prisoners on a forced march out
of Bataan. Before the “Bataan Death March"
was over, those who survived would march more than 60
miles through intense heat with almost no water or food.
15,000 men died in the march alone.

The Japanese captors were brutal, abusing their prisoners
in an effort to annihilate these men, who they disrespected
for surrendering. Some are burned alive in group executions,
and others die from the diseases which are running rampant
in the camps.

Five hundred survivors of the march are transferred
to Camp Cabanatuan, and the POWs wait over the next
three years, holding onto the faith that their country
would not abandon them and allow them all to die in
a foreign prison camp.

Some try to escape – and are caught and executed.
Others wait with the unwavering hope that it will end,
and they will see their loved ones again.

This movie takes place over five days in January of
1945, and tells the story of the daring rescue of those
POWs from impending death in the Japanese prison camp,
by a group of men with little or no combat experience.

We get to see three different points of view as the
story progresses - the prisoners rallying all their
strength and fortitude to survive, the Filipino underground
movement smuggling medicine and food into the camp,
and finally the US Army Rangers who attempt the daring
rescue.

The Great Raid showcases true idealistic heroism, making
it a truly moving and satisfying war story.

With great historical accuracy, director John Dahl brings
this great and often forgotten piece of military history
to the screen. With all the war movie staples, but adding
one thing: a strong female lead in the action, the nurse
in the Philippines risking her life by smuggling supplies
in to save the lives of these American GIs.

To bring authenticity to this project, the filmmakers
enlisted the aid of 22 year Marine Corp veteran, Capt.
Dale Dye, as military advisor.

He took all the actors out into the isolated jungle
and conducted intensive training, starting out with
an early morning jog each day for 5-8 miles. With no
showers, not that much sleep, and tactical exercise
drills, these men went from merely being actors, to
being fully competent to portray the real emotions that
these characters felt in the movie.

As an added bonus on the DVD, real WWII veterans recount
the difficult times they personally experienced in the
camp during their prolonged stay.

Starring Benjamin Bratt (Law & Order), James Franco
(Tristan + Isolde), Connie Nielsen (Gladiator) and Joseph
Fiennes (Shakespeare in Love).

Breakfast on Pluto

2007-12-04T16:29:00.000-08:00

BREAKFAST ON PLUTO stars Cillian Murphy in a role that is a complete
180 degree turn from his villainous part in last year’s
Red Eye.

Starring alongside Murphy is: Liam Neeson, Stephen Rea,
and Brendan Gleeson (28 Days Later, Braveheart, Troy,
Cold Mountain).

The backdrop is Ireland, in the 1970’s; a period
of unrest, with bombings and riots, guns and revolution.

Patrick “Kitten” Braden (Cillian Murphy) is
a guy who was raised in a foster home and does not know
who his original parents are.

He connected with the idea of who his mother was in a
strong way, and so he is a rather flamboyant and effeminate
fellow who wants to belong and find a purpose in life.
So he goes out in search of his mother, but with not much
to go off, the journey takes him all over Ireland and
Britain, in the possibly vain attempt to find her.

Patrick possesses a charming naivety, and does not want
to be “serious,” as the land around him is
erupting in chaos and uncertainty.

Representing the vitality of those times and lead by an
extremely different character, this film is entertaining.

Cillian Murphy gives Patrick a great personality and screen
presence. Liam Neeson plays Father Liam (ironically),
and lends his solid acting to the cast.

This is a very unique and unusual Irish film, directed
by Neil Jordan, who also did The Crying Game back in 1992.

Some of the harder to swallow parts of that film are not
overtly included in this one, much to my relief.

This film is fun and thoroughly enjoyable.

Asylum

2007-12-04T16:26:00.000-08:00

The romantic thriller ASYLUM stars Ian McKellen, Natasha Richardson,
and Marton Csokas. McKellen, of course, played Gandalf
in all three Lord of the Rings films, but also was a scene-stealer
in the Da Vinci Code alongside Tom Hanks. Csokas played
in this year’s film version of MTV’s Aeon
Flux and also was seen in last year’s medieval epic
Kingdom of Heaven.

Our story begins when Max Raphael takes a position at
a mental hospital and his wife Stella (Richardson) and
son Charlie have to get accustomed to life in this asylum.
Max competes with another psychiatrist, Peter Cleave (McKellen),
in trying to get the director spot at the hospital, while
Charlie befriends an inmate, Edgar Stark (Csokas), a former
sculptor who killed his wife years before.

Max and Stella’s marriage is stale, and Stella sees
in Edgar’s eyes something she desperately needs.
So as she begins to meet with Edgar Stark secretly, a
dangerous obsession is ignited.

Ian McKellen is an outstanding actor, and again does a
superb job in the role of Dr. Peter Cleaves. Cleaves senses
that something is developing between his patient, Edgar
Starks and Max’s wife Stella, and is morbidly fascinated
by the turn of events.

Edgar’s passion and Stella’s obsession are
the catalyst of this story, about a complex and tragic
love affair, in which everyone involved, must lose.

I found this psychological film intriguing and dark, definitely
worth watching.

Wallace & Gromit

2007-12-04T16:22:00.000-08:00

In 1989 the animated duo, Wallace & Gromit
debuted to instant success.
The short films “The Wrong Trousers” and “A
Close Shave” earned creator Nick Park an Academy
Award in 1993 and 1995!

This year, their first feature film hit the big screen,
WALLACE & GROMIT: THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT.

When the town’s vegetables are being mysteriously
devoured in the night, inventor Wallace, and his canine
partner Gromit, come to the rescue. Their ‘Anti-Pesto
SWAT Team’ is on the case and on the trail of this
enormous beastly rabbit that is terrifying the town’s
inhabitants!

The love interest in the movie, Lady Campanula Tottington,
is voiced by Helena Bonham Carter, and Wallace’s
arch nemesis, Victor Quartermaine, is voiced by none other
than actor Ralph Fiennes. Carter was the voice of Johnny
Depp’s bride in Tim Burton’s animated film
Corpse Bride that came out last year.

The gadgets and gizmos that Wallace and Gromit use are
imaginative and ingenious. From their daily life, to the
mechanisms they use in attempting to catch the fluffy
monster, you are in for a wild ride with these two endearing
characters!

The rest of the film is packed with memorable characters
as well, with zany voices and facial expressions that
combine to be laugh out loud funny!

The creators of this Wallace & Gromit feature, also
created the successful hit Chicken Run, which was released
back in 2000. This new film is just as memorable, with
an equally entertaining story that adults and kids can
enjoy.

The claymation is astoundingly good, and in these days
of computer animated features, its refreshing to see something
real and fleshed out in clay moving before your eyes.
The manpower that went into creating this 85-minute film
was great, with progress slow and work tedious. Many comparable
films are created on a computer grid, with keystrokes
and mapping, but this was created the old fashioned way
- with sets and pieces being manipulated manually through
countless hours of physical labor!

The final product is visually impressive, and will keep
you smiling and laughing the whole way through.

This vegetarian horror film is alongside Disney’s
CARS as one of my favorite animated films of 2006.

Laughter is the best medicine, so be sure to put this
on your list of antidotes.

Munich

2007-12-04T16:18:00.000-08:00

Director Steven Spielberg has wowed us with many outstanding films
over the past three decades, including: Catch Me If You
Can, The Terminal, Jaws, Schindler’s List, E.T.,
Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Saving Private Ryan,
The Indiana Jones Trilogy, Jurassic Park, Color Purple,
War of the Worlds, Amistad, Minority Report, and Always.

Something he has proven time and time again is ability
in diversity, creativity, and infusing that with great
storytelling and compelling filmmaking.

Spielberg has always had a passion and respect for the
medium of film, and his latest film MUNICH is a shining
example of what he can create, surely one of my favorite
Spielberg films of all time.

Based on the George Jones book ‘Vengeance,’
this film is historically inspired and Spielberg researched
this story thoroughly before bringing it to the screen.

Before dawn at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany,
the Israeli wrestling team was taken hostage at gunpoint
and killed by a group of Palestinians.

This movie tells the story of what happened next: the
covert operation to track down all the people involved
in the killing of the Israelis, and the pros and cons
associated with that violent retribution.

Five men with different skills ranging from bomb making,
to forging, hunt the assassins down one-by-one. Avner
(Eric Bana), the leader, has a wife and a newborn child,
and takes his commissioned job which leads him around
the world, with a solemn duty. The line is blurred as
they get deeper into the operation, the trail leading
them to various locales, where they have to watch their
step as they soon too become hunted. They must constantly
look over their shoulders for the CIA, KGB, PLO, among
others.

I will note that Daniel Craig, the new James Bond, plays
Steve, one of the four men in the operation, and Craig
does a great job in this film as the trigger-man.

Spielberg is one of the greatest directors working today.
Many who receive that moniker do not truly deserve the
esteemed repute, but Spielberg earns it again and again.
This versatile director is not overrated, but genuinely
one of the best.

In presenting the subject matter Spielberg does it with
much conviction. Not aligning with one side or the other,
but looking at it in an unsettlingly mesmerizing and unflinching
way. I admire him for doing that. It may have been far
easier for a lesser director to side with one position,
and paint a certain stance, but then that would taint
the reality of this film, watering down the power that
results in this film, because of Spielberg. He shows great
empathy towards these human characters that we follow
and care about.

“I wanted to highlight the issues – not answer
them, but open them for discussion,” said Spielberg.

Munich is a rare gem, and I would characterize it as a
masterpiece. Many moments I sat perched on the edge of
my seat in suspense at what would happen next! Pulse-racing
scenes where nothing is contrived.

John Williams scores the music, as he has so many other
Spielberg films, such as Indiana Jones, E.T., Schindler’s
List, just to name a few. Williams brings real emotion
and edge to the music that backs this amazing film.

Eric Bana embodies his character, making him completely
relatable and human. I notice he is getting much deserved
notice as an actor now, thanks in part to his role in
Munich.

This film was nominated for 5 Oscars, including Best Director
(Spielberg), and Best Picture of the Year.

Munich also stars Geoffrey Rush (Shine, Pirates of the
Caribbean).

Casanova

2007-12-04T16:13:00.000-08:00

CASANOVA tells the story of well, Casanova, the fabled romancer of scores of
beautiful women all over Europe.

Heath Ledger plays the lead role of the legendary lover,
and Sienna Miller plays Francesca Bruni, the witty,
hard-to-get beauty who Casanova pines after initially
partly because she could care less for him and his wily
charms.

Jeremy Irons plays Cardinal Pucci, the man the Catholic
Church has set up in charge of the Inquisition, to rid
the city of Venice from the threats of heresy, with
Casanova right in the center of the cross hairs. There
is some real fun in watching Casanova romance Francesca,
all the while on the run, from one turn to the next.

Francesca’s mother Andrea, played by Lena Olin,
wants her to settle down with a rich Genoan lard merchant,
Paprizzio, played by Oliver Platt. Oliver Platt steals
the scenes he is in as Francesca’s vain, rotund
fiancé, with his fantastic accent and flamboyant
mannerisms.

The setting itself is quite possibly one good reason
to watch this film. The filmmakers took the modern city
of Venice back in time, to that period, through outstanding
costumes and seamless effects.

This film was directed by Lasse Hallström, who
delivered us such films as Chocolat and An Unfinished
Life.

This film is a light romantic comedy, mixed in with
some subtle drama. With moments that will make both
sexes crack up and laugh at the opposite sex.

Definitely not a historical account of the “life
and times” of Casanova, so if you want that realistically
portrayed, skip this movie.

But for pure entertainment, this is the right stop.

Hostel

2007-12-04T16:10:00.000-08:00

HOSTEL is inspired by many impossible-but-true stories, resulting
from the evil side of human nature, and is written &
directed by Eli Roth (Cabin Fever) and Presented by
Quentin Tarantino.

Two American college friends, Paxton and Josh, decide
to do a European backpack trip, befriending an Icelander
named Oli along the way.

In Amsterdam they hear about a hostel in Slovakia that
is a paradise, full of lovely girls that adore young
American guys.

So immediately they trek across Europe to Bratislava,
Slovakia where they meet two attractive women named
Natalya and Svetlana in the out-of-the-way hostel.

One day Oli disappears suspiciously, and the plot thickens
as the two friends try to trace his whereabouts and
discover what happened to their travel partner.

As the horror film progresses, the twists and turns
envelope our characters, with jaw-dropping surprises
awaiting them around every corner.

They encounter dark individuals, with sinister intentions,
can they escape?

I was literally on the edge of my seat during my viewing
of this film, definitely the most fun I have had watching
a horror film in a long time!

Far better than I expected, and after highly anticipating
it for many months, it blew me away.

Hostel is a well done thrill ride, and in my opinion
an instant horror classic.

I loved this movie.

The Family Stone

2007-12-04T16:07:00.000-08:00

Based on the previews for THE FAMILY STONE, I thought that I might enjoy it
moderately, at best. But The Family Stone is an ensemble
film with real chemistry. The long list of leads include:
Luke Wilson, Craig T. Nelson, Diane Keaton, Sarah Jessica
Parker, Rachel McAdams, Dermot Mulroney, and Claire
Danes.

To put all of these actors and actresses into a shared
piece of drama was the job of director Thomas Bezucha,
who handled the enormous task gracefully.

While making this film, the actors ate on the set together,
spent lots of time together while shooting and not shooting,
developing as a family on set, so that when Bezucha
yelled “Action” that transcended onto the
finished film.

Set during the Christmas holidays, our story begins
when Everett Stone (Mulroney) takes his girlfriend,
Meredith Morton (Parker), home with him to meet his
family.

From the onset, it seems painfully apparent that the
family dislikes her, and does not relate to her as she
awkwardly tries to reach out to them all.

Everett intends to propose to Meredith, but the Stone
clan struggles with the thought of her being an “in-law”.

Sarah Jessica Parker does a terrific job in the role
as Meredith, falling flat on her face in the attempt
at seeking acceptance from Everett’s family. Parker
was nominated deservedly at this year’s Golden
Globes for best actress for her role in this film.

The plotline is not completely unusual, leading some
of you to think maybe you have “seen it before.”
With the proper doses of humor, emotion, and dialogue,
the story raises itself above that confinement. We are
treated to such a complex range of interactions, and
relationships that it turns out both real and extremely
entertaining to view.

This film celebrates family, and life’s laughter
and sadness shared by each member respectively and collectively
in a family unit. I was impressed with this film’s
scope and how it brought out a tremendously balanced
story filled with unforgettable characters. The sincere
empathy with which these actors play their parts, make
you feel – for at least one hour and 43 minutes
- that you are peeking into an extraordinary family’s
Christmas-Gone-Wild.

Hysterically funny, well cast, and sharply written,
The Family Stone is a rare piece of cinematic magic.
An ensemble film that does not get bogged down by the
amount of famous actors in the movie, but takes them
and adds many satisfying layers to its presentation
and enjoyment. A truly rare exception to the rule that
the more stars there are in a film tend to overwhelm
you, and sink the ship.

The Ice Harvest

2007-12-03T18:55:00.000-08:00

What better place to set an edgy, dark comedy than on an
icy, rainy Christmas Eve in Wichita, Kansas?

THE ICE HARVEST features a nice comedic ensemble cast:
John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, Randy Quaid, Oliver
Platt, and Connie Nielsen (Gladiator).

Plus it is directed by the great Harold Ramis (Groundhog
Day, Analyze This, Multiplicity, Caddyshack, Ghostbusters).

On this cloudy, cold, drizzly Christmas Eve, Charlie
(Cusack) and Vic (Thornton), steal $2 million from Charlie's
boss Bill Guerrard (Quaid). Charlie is a mob lawyer,
who is the brains behind the theft. Vic owns a nudie
bar called Tease'O'Rama, and he is the guts behind the
operation.

They plan on leaving early Christmas morning for Kansas
City, where they will fly off to someplace warm and
divide the money.

They think they have pulled off the perfect crime until
Roy, one of Bill's henchmen, starts lurking around searching
for Charlie.

Mix in Renata (Nielsen), a femme fatale with questionable
motives, who Charlie has a thing for.

Vic and Charlie have to wait out the night, lay low,
and pretend that everything is normal, while concealing
their crime, and dodging various characters, from the
police, to the people looking for them and the stolen
money.

The most blatant comedy relief comes from Oliver Platt's
character, Pete Van Heuten, who is married to Charlie's
ex-wife. His drunk bumbling lightens up the film a lot.

This is most definitely a retro film noir, with seedy
bars, dark alleys, and things going wrong at every turn.
Not to mention the issues of trust between the main
characters, a noir staple. With a crime that appears
to have gone perfectly and the unraveling that follows.

I loved the gray atmospheric tone and the entrapping
freezing rain.

Not for the faint-of-heart.

Stay

2007-12-03T18:53:00.000-08:00

The movie STAY is full of many twists and turns that keep
your head spinning. The film stars Ewan McGregor and
Naomi Watts, with Ryan Gosling, a blind Bob Hoskins,
and a nutty bleached blond Janeane Garofalo.

Sam Foster (McGregor) is a psychiatrist who temporarily
takes the case of Henry Letham (Gosling) from a sick
colleague. Henry is depressed and suicidal, announcing
to Sam that he is going to kill himself Saturday at
midnight, when he turns 21. Henry is an art student
who admires a painter who had committed suicide infamously
on his 21st birthday a long time ago.

As Sam gets into Henry's world in an attempt to save
him, he gets drawn into a place which takes his rational
world and turns it upside down.

Sam's girlfriend, and former suicidal patient Lila Culpepper
(Watts), has overcome a lot and bears witness to his
growing instability, in turn trying to save Henry's
life, and help Sam in his state of confusion.

What is real? What is not? Who is the crazy one?

This dark, stylish psychological thriller is set in
New York City, and is full of solid performances from
all three lead actors. Ryan Gosling (The Notebook) is
fantastic as the disturbed Henry Letham.

I must point out that you have to think a bit. But be
patient, sit back, relax, and enjoy yourself. All is
explained at the end, and a very good reward awaits
you.

Makes you think about your own mortality and the fine
line between life and death.

Directed by Marc Forster (Monster's Ball, Finding Neverland).

An Unfinished Life

2007-12-03T18:50:00.000-08:00

Lasse Hallström (Chocolat, Cider House Rules, Shipping
News, What's Eating Gilbert Grape) directs Robert Redford,
Jennifer Lopez, Morgan Freeman, and Josh Lucas in AN
UNFINISHED LIFE.

Jean (Lopez) leaves an abusive relationship in Iowa,
taking her daughter, and seeking the help of her ex-father-in-law,
Einar (Redford). They head off, on the bus, to his place
in a small, rural town in Wyoming. She asks if they
can stay there for a month, until she gets back on her
feet. Very reluctantly Einar agrees, letting them have
a room in the basement.

Mitch (Freeman) is bedridden after a bear attack left
him scarred and in frequent pain. He takes injections
each day to numb the pain. Mitch is Einar's sole best
friend, and they have a very strong relationship, the
bond formed over many years. Mitch has his own cabin
on the property, and Einar takes care of his recuperation,
managing everything on the ranch.

Jean was married to Einar's son, Griffin, who died in
1997, at the age of 26, in a car accident. Etched on
his tombstone, on a tree-filled hill on the property,
is "An Unfinished Life." He is the catalyst
in the story, but yet he is not ever physically featured
in the movie. The only image of Griffin comes when you
see his picture, set on a shelf.

Einar is bitter about his son's death at a young age,
and blames Jean for it. The unforgiveness has eaten
his very daily existence, so over the course of her
stay it is the "elephant-in-the-room," whenever
they're together. Jean's daughter Griff, Einar's granddaughter,
resembles his dead son, and he awkwardly forms a relationship
with his son's only living seed.

This film deals with forgiveness, and recovering from
loss. Being able to let go of guilt, during the healing
process, when someone you love dies.

A moving drama, with stellar acting from Redford, Freeman,
and Lopez. Taking you along for an emotional journey
into the very hearts of their characters.

The Weather Man

2007-12-03T18:46:00.000-08:00

Nicolas Cage has chosen so many risky characters of late to
play. From a gunrunner in Lord of War, to a NYC firefighter
in the upcoming movie World Trade Center - his roles
have been quite varied.

The quirky comedy/drama THE WEATHER MAN is directed
by Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean, The Ring),
and stars Nicolas Cage, Michael Caine and Hope Davis
(Proof, American Splendor, About Schmidt).

Nicolas Cage plays David Spritz, a Chicago weather man
in the middle of an existential crisis. His father,
Robert King Spritzel (Caine), is a famous Pulitzer prize
winning author, whose accomplishments are overwhelming
for David to live up to. Robert has been diagnosed with
Lymphoma.

David changed his name to Spritz for professional reasons,
because it's more "refreshing." He seeks validation
from his father, while trying to connect to his son
and daughter, even his estranged ex-wife Noreen (Davis).

David's teenage son Mike is in drug rehab, and is seeking
acceptance. Mike's drug counselor crosses the line preying
on his vulnerability.

Meanwhile, his younger, overweight daughter Shelly,
is smoking cigarettes on the sly and trying out different
hobbies with her dad's involvement. These include archery
and ice skating.

The moral of this movie is that life, similar to the
weather, is unpredictable and will variate and surprise
you. David finds this frustrating in the predictions
of the weather, done by qualified meteorologists, that
he reads off to the public on TV. Spritz's forecasting
often gets him pelted with Frosties, Big Gulps, KFC
chicken and a taco among other fast food items. Those
forecasts are affected by the random unpredictability
of wind direction and change.

My forecast says that it will be partly cloudy some
days, and partly sunny on others. You will like this
movie, because it's full of many great moments. Caine
and Cage's performances are fantastic, with wonderful
chemistry as father and son. You will laugh, think,
feel, and examine your place in this "fast food
culture" we all live in.

Fun With Dick and Jane (2005)

2007-12-03T18:43:00.000-08:00

The movie FUN WITH DICK AND JANE is a remake of the
1977 movie of the same name, that starred George Segal
and Jane Fonda. This time, Jim Carrey and Téa
Leoni play Dick and Jane. Alec Baldwin (no doubt the
most talented actor of the Baldwin acting clan) is well
cast as the corrupt corporate CEO Jack McCallister.

In the post-Enron America we live in now, this skeptical
and satirical plot line is applicable, and suitably
timed. I found it disappointing that it did not do better
at the box office in its theatrical run. I only hope
that it will find its well-deserved audience in the
DVD market. I will say that a possible reason was the
awful trailer for Fun with Dick and Jane, which did
not do the movie any justice.

Dick Harper (Carrey) is promoted to VP of Communications
for the Globodyne Corporation. On the way up the elevator
to that meeting on the mythical "51st Floor"
Dick sings a hilarious rendition of R Kelly's "I
Believe I Can Fly", along with the cheesily composed
elevator-music version.

Dick accepts the VP position, and is immediately thrust
onto a TV show called MoneyLife to announce Globodyne's
quarterly projections. The company folds, while CEO
Jack McCallister unloads his stocks and gets away scott-free.
Dick is left out there to take the embarrassment, while
all the employees are now unemployed, with no pension
fund to speak of.

Jane has already quit her thankless job as a travel
agent, assured of her husband's terrific new spot in
the company, so now they are both jobless.

In the comedy madness that ensues, Dick and Jane have
to try to make ends meet any way they can! Their lawn
is repossessed; they have to shower using the lawn sprinklers,
and pay their nanny in appliances from their kitchen!
Dick loses his wallet in a crowd of illegal immigrants
waiting for work, and gets rounded up in the bunch by
the INS. He is forced to make a run across the border
back into the USA at night, in a hysterically funny
scene! Jane is there to pick him up across the border,
but her face is swelled after a paid cosmetics test
that went wrong!

Then they try some nefarious ways at bringing home an
income, until they decide to go after Jack McCallister
himself, who has put this whole thing comfortably behind
him, with all his many millions of net worth.

A Jim Carrey film is always enjoyable. This one is especially
fun, and you will be pleasantly surprised at how good
it truly is. Lots of laugh-out-loud moments, with an
enjoyably twisty, energetic plotline. Téa Leoni
keeps up with Jim Carrey's comic timing, the chemistry
between them truly tangible.

If you have enjoyed any of Jim Carrey's comedies in
the past, you will most surely enjoy this one!

The Dark

2007-12-03T18:40:00.000-08:00

THE DARK is a horror/thriller
that stars Maria Bello (A History of Violence, Secret
Window) and Sean Bean (Lord of the Rings, National Treasure).

James (Bean) and Adèle (Bello) have lost their
daughter Sarah in a tragic drowning accident along the
rocky shore of Wales.

While James is out frantically looking for Sarah, Adèle
spots a girl near the house that looks like Sarah, but
it is not her. The girl runs and hides in the abattoir
- the place where they slaughter sheep. She turns out
to be Ebrill, the daughter of a former resident of the
house a long time ago.

They do not find Sarah, and while James is struggling
to come to terms with the loss of their daughter, Adèle
is convinced she is alive somewhere, and they can save
her.

Adèle visits the library and finds out that Ebrill
is a girl who has been dead for 50+ years! She is the
daughter of "The Shepherd", a mad, selfish
minister, who convinced his entire congregation to jump
off the cliff nearby in a mass suicide to bring his
daughter, Ebrill, back from the dead.

Adèle digs deeper into this Welsh mythology,
in an effort to bridge the gap between the living and
the dead, to save her precious Sarah, and put the family
back together.

Part psychological thriller, and with some horror tactics
up its sleeve, The Dark is a different kind of film.
I was pleasantly surprised by it's ending, and even
though some moments you think you know what will happen,
you do not know what the outcome will truly be.

Sean Bean and Maria Bello are a solid acting duo, treading
some truly original territory in this story.

Wolf Creek

2007-12-03T18:36:00.000-08:00

WOLF CREEK is a very well done horror movie. I was very impressed.

Southern Australia is the setting for this terrifying
tale of three college age backpackers who purchase a
$1,500 car and go off on a camping trip to Wolf Creek,
far from any hint of civilization. Along the way they
hike up to the edge of a large crater, and the weather
turns bad. Upon arriving back to their car, they discover
that the battery is dead.

The landscape is barren, ruggedly beautiful, and menacing.
The isolation is nerve-racking; they are truly alone
out there.

In the middle of the night, a stranger happens upon
them, as they huddle up in their car. His name is Mick,
and he is the quintessential outback type, sort of a
Croc Dundee, with the “G’day Mate”
and huge knife.

Mick is willing to tow them to his place, and fix their
car by morning. Since they really have no option, they
accept the ride.

Hours go by as they travel further and further in the
pitch black darkness, towed by Mick's large truck. They
start to suspect that they are in trouble as they get
closer to Mick’s place.

This movie has a very real tone to it, almost “Blair
Witch” like, in its documentary film approach.
The hand-held camera style is voyeuristic and terrifying.

They did a great job establishing the characters, and
the pacing of the horror increases the suspense and
scares.

I promise that you will remember the horror villain
on Wolf Creek far into the future, one of the best things
about the film. Add to that the sheer horror attributed
to the size of the land around them, while facing this
monster and the squeamish backdrop is set.

Thrills, chills await you.

Lord of War

2007-12-03T17:43:00.000-08:00

I can compare LORD OF WAR in a sense to another movie based on actual events,
the movie ‘Blow’ with Johnny Depp. Showing
a person in a "hero" role, doing some illegal
moving of products for profit/thrill, and then the downside
of that trade.

This movie concentrates on the characters behind arms
dealing. The redeeming quality of the movie is the mostly
inner turmoil shown in the lead character played by Nicolas
Cage. Look into those descriptive eyes of his as he sells
a load of weapons and you see a myriad of emotions portrayed.
I have actually spoken with people who do not like Cage
as an actor, who liked this movie a lot.

The opening credits show a bullet being made, and its
point of view down the manufacturing line and into a box
shipped to some far off land, and then its final destination:
some victim in a firing squad in Africa. War is a very
big and lucrative business. For every bullet fired, money
goes into someone's pocket, and that someone needs war
for the paycheck. That is satirically shown in one scene
when a man fires an AK-47 along with a cash register ring
timed with every shot.

Cage plays Yuri Orlov, who grew up in a Ukrainian family
in Little Odessa, New York. Instead of opting to go into
the restaurant business, he becomes an arms dealer. He
talks his brother Vitaly (wonderfully played by Jared
Leto), into helping him in this new career venture. Yuri
turns out to be especially gifted in this chosen profession,
and excels at every turn, gaining larger and larger clientele
and business in the competitive world of dealing arms.

Interpol agent Jack Valentine (Ethan Hawke) is hot on
Yuri and Vitaly's trail as they negotiate deals in everything
from guns to tanks with some of the world's dictators
and aggressors. Yuri stuffs any scruples he might have
about the nature of the trade.

But as the business gets bigger, the stakes get higher.
Yuri marries his beautiful fantasy woman, model Ava Fontaine
(Bridget Moynahan), and has a son, setting up a very nice
apartment in Manhattan for them all. His wife is virtually
in the dark, wanting to know what her husband Yuri does,
but choosing instead to be trusting and optimistic.

This movie traces the years in the beginning (1980s),
up to the present. The Cold War and countless dictatorships
are just "dates on the calendar" for Yuri, as
he minimizes the human tragedy of it all.

This movie explores the moral implications of the trade,
but does not tell you how to feel per se. You will laugh
at some things which you should not laugh at, come face
to face with the world's wars in a different way, and
appreciate the gravity of the human conflicts occurring
constantly all around the world. This movie is very entertaining,
and very well done. I really enjoyed the great edgy visual
style, with wonderful narration by Cage, who is on fire
and leaps off the screen in this role. Jared Leto plays
the coked out brother who wrestles with what they are
doing. Ethan Hawke is the idealistic agent who wants to
get out there and catch the bad guy. Nobody is perfect.
That is the reality of life.

Melinda and Melinda

2007-12-03T17:39:00.000-08:00

Life can be a comedy or a tragedy, it all depends on how you
look at it - life is in the eye of the beholder.

In the Woody Allen film MELINDA AND MELINDA, this concept
is explored when two New York playwrights (one writes
comedy, the other tragedy) sit in a Manhattan café
and discuss their views on a basic storyline: a woman
arrives unannounced at a dinner party. They expound on
their own versions. One takes the comedic route, the other
tragic, and thus the film takes off in two different directions.
The two stories are weaved through clever editing and
overlapping takes on how they differ on the shared storyline.

The comedy side has Amanda Peet and Will Ferrell as the
couple whose dinner party the unannounced woman, Melinda,
interrupts. The tragedy side has Chloë Sevigny and
Johnny Lee Miller as the couple.

The flawed real characters and the random unpredictability
of life mixing comedy with drama is reality squared. How
many times have you experienced something devastating
and laughed? Or what about seriousness in the face of
something funny? That is life. This movie illustrates
that beautifully.

Woody mixes the witty dialogue up so effortlessly, and
this movie is a joy to watch.

Rent this one if you feel in the mood to laugh and cry,
it's a terrific film.

Just Friends

2007-12-03T17:36:00.000-08:00

Ryan Reynolds and Amy Smart star in the enjoyable comedy
flick JUST FRIENDS. Full of laugh out loud moments,
it is a great coming of age storyline that we all can
relate to.

Chris Brander (Reynolds) is a rather "portly"
fellow and is in love with his best friend Jamie Palamino
(Smart), in this small New Jersey town. Chris decides
at their 1995 high school post-graduation party to confess
to Jamie his undying love. Well, things go awry, and
he is laughed out of the party. He rides off on his
bike quoting from Bruce Springsteen's song "Thunder
Road": "It's a town full of losers, and I'm
pulling out of here to win!"

Flash forward 10 years, and Chris Brander is a slimmed
down record company executive in California, who has
no shortage of beautiful women at his beckon call. He
has kept quite a distance between him and his Jersey
hometown. On the way to Paris with an awfully untalented
pop star, Samantha James (Scary Movie's Anna Faris),
they have to make an unscheduled landing due to a freak
accident, ending up not too far from Chris’ hometown
in New Jersey. Chris takes Samantha back to his hometown,
while they are stranded, where he runs into old friend
and past love interest Jamie Palamino. Comedy ensues
as Chris faces the woman he had feelings for who kept
him in the "just-friends zone" back in high
school. His feelings are re-awakened, and he tries once
again to take it to the next level, out of the dreaded
"friend zone." He still has to overcome his
past insecurity which still haunts him, providing the
humorous contrast of a guy who seemingly has it all,
but wants something maybe out of reach, which still
makes him nervous, all these years later.

Ryan Reynolds is very funny (as usual) both without
and inside the convincingly real "fatsuit."

I recommend this movie for anyone looking for light-hearted
fare.

Broken Flowers

2007-12-03T17:31:00.000-08:00

BROKEN FLOWERS stars Bill Murray in a film written and directed
by Jim Jarmusch (Coffee and Cigarettes). Well deserving
winner of the Grand Prize Jury Award at the Cannes Film
Festival, this movie also features Jeffrey Wright, Jessica
Lange, Julie Delpy, and Sharon Stone in terrific roles.

On the morning Don (Murray) has just been dumped by his
latest girlfriend Sherry (Delpy), a pink envelope arrives
containing a type-written letter informing him that he
is the father of a 19 year old son. The snag is that there
is no return address, the letter is not signed, and the
postmark is blurry and too hard to make out. He shows
the letter and envelope to his friend Winston (Wright),
and lets him take a look. Winston is an aspiring sleuth
in his spare time, and enjoys the chance to track down
the mystery writer of the letter.

You see, Don is a sort of "Don Juan" - an eternal
bachelor, and fairly aimless. This fact is pointed out
that morning, at the door by Sherry on her way out.

Winston is a family man with a lovely wife, five kids,
three jobs, and an established life.

Winston asks Don to write down his girlfriends from that
time, and give him the list. He tracks down where they
all live, and gives Don an itinerary that will take him
via plane and car rental, to each of the four women listed.
The fifth one has died.

Winston urges Don to take this trip. He speculates, "Bring
me that typewriter, and then I can forensically match
the type... to the letter." (Laugh) He should bring
them each pink flowers, as a possibly suggestive ice breaker
to the potential writer of the letter, whoever it is,
who he has not seen or spoken with in many years.

Don apprehensively goes, along the way he finds that he
needs and desires the direction that finding his son would
bring into his life. He reflects on this along the trip
whenever he spots a male 19-ish, at the airport, bus,
or on the street.

Along the way he meets Lolita, redneck brutes, an animal
communicator, and much more.

Who wrote the letter? Was the letter a joke, does he indeed
have a son? Along with finding his son, he wants to find
himself too.

Filled with poignant moments, and very understated acting
from Bill Murray, Broken Flowers is thoroughly enjoyable,
and thoughtful. Murray is an actor who can show so much
dramatic and comedic emotion in a single expression, in
both what he says and doesn't.

I first saw this movie in 2005, when I was last in Europe
(Warsaw), and I could sense how Murray’s acting
and dead-on comic timing touched every moviegoer I was
sharing the cinema with. He is not only a funny guy who
plays funny roles, but he does it with his own personal
investment into the character. That is why he is one of
our greatest living comedic actors around.

If you enjoyed Lost in Translation, you will enjoy this
one as well.

Not an in-your-face comedic slapstick romp, but rather
a drama with comedy roots or anotherwards a “dramedy.”

{Proof}

2007-12-03T17:27:00.000-08:00

In the film PROOF, Gwyneth Paltrow plays Catherine, the
daughter of a brilliant mathematician who has just passed
away. Her father Robert is played by none other than
Sir Anthony Hopkins.

Catherine has been solely taking care of her father
the last few years of his life, as his once genius brain
degenerates into insanity. She abandons her schooling
to take care of him, revolving her life around him,
and at his death she does not know what path to take.

At age 26 her father started to show signs of mental
illness, and as she herself turns 26, the fear consumes
her that she will fall into the mental hole that destroyed
her father's mental faculties.

At the funeral of her father she is bitter and almost
relieved that it is over. But she is rather detached,
showing no real signs of optimism about her future.
Paltrow plays the character wonderfully, with such devotion.
Catherine is distraught, lonely, disoriented and obsessive.

Add to the equation Hal, a former math student of her
father's, played by Jake Gyllenhaal. He is a current
student in mathematics, who is writing a proof, hoping
to make his own mark in the mathematical field. He roams
through the stacks of notebooks Robert scribbled in
his last few years alive, in the hope of finding a brilliant
revelation.

Her newly married sister Claire, played by Hope Davis,
comes over from New York for the funeral and arrangements.
She attempts to persuade Catherine to come back with
her to New York and set up a new life there.

Catherine's own genius and mental stability is called
into question, as she grapples with what her role is
in the world, and also with Hal as they become fond
of each other, falling in love.

Director John Madden, who made Shakespeare in Love (also
with Paltrow), directed Gwyneth Paltrow in London a
few years back, in the original stage version of Proof,
which the movie is based upon. The stage play is a Tony
and Pulitzer Prize winner, and Gwyneth lends her usual
in-depth acting to the role that is the focal point
of this movie. She received a Golden Globe nomination
for her performance as Catherine and this is proof that
some stage plays can be adapted rather well for the
screen. I look forward to seeing the play myself, wishing
I was in the audience when Paltrow played the part on
the rotating stage they used for the London performances
she was in.

I like the way the story is told in a non-linear, unusual
way. It lends itself very useful to the mood of this
play, and the storytelling is magnificent.

Watch this movie, and experience an intelligent "stage
play" in the comfort of your own living room.

Junebug

2007-12-03T17:24:00.000-08:00

The off-beat film JUNEBUG is definitely different. And that’s
a good thing.

Starring Alessandro Nivola (Nicolas Cage's brother in
Face/Off), Embeth Davidtz (Bridget Jones's Diary), and
the exceptional Amy Adams (Catch Me If You Can), who
earned a best supporting Oscar nod this year for her
role.

George (Nivola) and Madeleine (Davidtz) are a recently
married couple living in Chicago. Madeleine is an art
dealer with a gallery trying to get the next hot artist.
She competes with a gallery in New York for an up and
coming artist in a remote community in North Carolina,
and is urged to go and visit the artist to seal the
deal to represent him. George is from the area, and
takes the opportunity to introduce her to his family,
whom he has not seen in three years. That is the setup
for this refreshingly original and quaint drama.

At home are George's resentful brother Johnny who despises
him, judgmental mother Peg, and soft spoken dad Eugene.
Along with his family, his brother Johnny's very pregnant
wife Ashley lives at the house also.

Amy Adams has received so much well deserved praise
this year for her role as the innocent, naive, and pregnant
Ashley. She is wide-eyed, vibrant, optimistic, and really
"expecting", with a fantastic glow and aura
about her.

The dad is encouraging and does not want to ruffle any
feathers. Madeleine is getting to know a different side
of her new husband George. And his brother Johnny is
angry and detached from his wife's pregnancy in a rather
disconcerting way. The mother does not trust Madeleine,
and says she is too pretty. Ashley's rollercoaster of
emotions is evident and Amy Adams has definitely come
into her own as an actress in this film.

Low-key and as genuine as can be with great characters
and an easy pace, Junebug is a slice of reality that's
a thrill to watch. The middle-class houses with their
lawns, the church potluck in the basement, a baby shower
and small town attitudes and interactions, these are
experiences which most of us are very accustomed to.
They are all played out so surprisingly realistic on
film, the small details are there.

With original music for the film by Yo La Tengo.

Shopgirl

2007-12-03T16:58:00.000-08:00

Steve Martin, Claire Danes, and Jason Schwartzman star in
SHOPGIRL, based on Steve Martin’s novel of the
same name.

Mirabelle Buttersfield (Danes) works behind the counter
in the glove department at Saks Fifth Avenue in Los
Angeles.

Mirabelle lives alone with her cat, in a very average,
small apartment not far from her job.

She is waiting for something to happen, someone to notice
her, to pick her out of this dense L.A. population,
and show her that she is someone special.

During the course of the movie, we see two men shine
their spotlights on her.

Jeremy (Schwartzman), the younger of the two, meets
Mirabelle in a laundromat one quiet evening. Jeremy
is not good with women, fairly aimless, always short
of cash, and working for a failing guitar amp company.

Ray Porter (Martin) is a white haired, divorced millionaire
in his 50s. He likes Mirabelle’s youth, but also
does not take her very seriously, for that very reason.

During the course of the film, we see both Mirabelle
and Jeremy mature; with even Ray learning a bit more
about himself.

Having written the story, Steve Martin knows the character
of Ray so well, and turns in a terrifically understated
performance.

Jason Schwartzman is hysterical as the zany, goofy and
awkward Jeremy.

Claire Danes tenderly portrays the emotional journey
that her character takes with great depth.

This is a graceful and melodic movie about human intimacy.

Match Point

2007-12-03T16:55:00.000-08:00

Woody Allen’s latest opus, MATCH POINT, poses an interesting
philosophical question: how much of life is determined
by chance or just plain luck?

Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Rhys Meyers star in this
romantic thriller set in London.

Originally from Ireland, Chris Wilton (Meyers) is hired
on as a tennis pro in an upscale country club.

He befriends one of his wealthy pupils, Tom Hewitt, and
pursues Tom’s sister Chloe, all the while getting
drawn into this upper-class world of estates, nice clothes,
fancy cars and the box seats at the opera.

Chris is integrated into the Hewitt family, an apparent
future son-in-law. That is when he meets Tom’s alluring
American fiancée, Nola Rice (Johansson), who catches
Chris’s eye.

Illustrating a basic male trait, of being able to separate
thoughts into “sections,” he chases Nola covertly,
while marrying Chloe and trying to have a child with her.

Chris is given a great office job in the Hewitt company,
and is being groomed for future leadership and considerably
more wealth.

His obsession however with Nola is always present, and
he juggles both his boring stable home life, and his torrid
affair with Nola.

Previous Woody Allen films have handled such infidelity
with a bit of comedy and wit. Match Point proceeds into
darker territory, with many twists and thrilling turns.

Woody Allen transitions into an operatic tone, free of
shtick, trading his beloved Manhattan, for London. Woody
treats us with the same loving eye for location and storytelling,
and surprises you with thick suspense and rich drama.

This is Allen’s most acclaimed film in years, and
marks a return to his masterful filmmaking form.

I greatly anticipated this film, and it did not disappoint.

Tristan & Isolde

2007-12-03T16:52:00.000-08:00

TRISTAN & ISOLDE stars James Franco (Spiderman), Rufus Sewell
(Legend of Zorro), and Sophia Myles (Underworld).

This movie is a screen adaptation of a Celtic legend
passed down through the ages.

Tristan (Franco) was orphaned at a young age in England,
and grew up with his adopted father Lord Marke (Sewell).
Tristan is a great military leader in the English tribes’
fight against the onslaught of the Irish forces from
across the sea.

Isolde (Myles) is an Irish princess, and it is her father’s
plan to use her as a pawn in his sly scheme to conquer
the Britons.

After Tristan and Isolde fall in love, she is betrothed
to Lord Marke in a marriage set to temporarily unify
the Irish and English in peace.

While the Irish conspire, Tristan and Isolde wrestle
with issues such as loyalty, their duty, and their deep
love for each other.

Set in the dark ages, this medieval tale of doomed lovers
is romantic, full of action, intrigue, and treachery.
This sweeping epic is a cross between ‘King Arthur’
and ‘Romeo and Juliet.’

Flight 93

2007-12-03T16:50:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, September 11, 2001: clear blue skies, sun is shining,
weather is mild. Just an ordinary day, with extraordinary
events, that shook the entire world to its core.

We all will forever remember where we were when we heard
the news of the planes hitting the World Trade Center,
the Pentagon, and that field in Pennsylvania, on 9/11.

It was after four pm in Poland, when I first saw the
attacks on CNN. In a time zone seven hours earlier than
the one I was in, planes were hitting targets, and the
question was up in the air: how many more hijacked planes
are there?

I vividly remember the way that the world reacted to
that day. I traveled across Europe to Paris, France
just a week after the attacks, and I viewed firsthand
the shared emotions of stunned silence, mourning, and
endless sympathy by all around me. For this was not
an attack against Americans alone, but an affront to
humanity as a whole.

The film FLIGHT 93 tells the story of one of the four
ill-fated flights that took off that day. Departing
from Newark Airport at 8:42 am, bound for San Francisco,
United Flight 93 was just a routine flight among thousands
taking off that day all over the world – not especially
unique.

It is what happened onboard that plane that is seared
into all of our minds. The passenger’s display
of courage in the face of such an unexpected assault
is inspiring.

When it might have been easier to shut their mouth,
and wait out the “hijacking,” these people
took action.

The film depicts the entire sequence of events (on the
flight and off) faithfully and accurately, with great
respect for the victims and their families.

These average Americans valiantly prevented these terrorists
from accomplishing their mission of hitting the White
House or Capitol Building.

While heart wrenching, this movie is sensitively told,
and ends up having a therapeutically reflective effect.
This film is a memorial to the heroes on that flight,
such as Todd Beamer, who uttered the now famous words,
“Let’s roll,” before engaging the
hijackers with a group of other passengers.

Unknown actors play the roles of these real life people,
so you can instantly relate to the characters even more
so.

As in the movie ‘Titanic,’ the story of
Flight 93 ends with the inevitable conclusion of the
crash in the Pennsylvanian field. But the story itself
is one that you should see unfold for yourself.

Hoodwinked

2007-12-03T16:47:00.000-08:00

HOODWINKED is an irreverent animated version of the Little Red
Riding Hood children’s tale.

Red goes to visit her grandma who lives in the woods,
and inside a wolf is disguised as her grandmother. Out
of the closet falls granny, all tied up. Then in through
the window busts a large woodsman, swinging his axe
madly!

So after the crime-scene tape goes up, the investigator,
a frog named Nicky Flippers, manages to get an account
from each of the four involved.

Someone unknown, nicknamed the “Goodie Bandit,”
has been stealing recipes from all the shops, forcing
everyone to close their doors. Only little Red’s
granny has not been hit yet by the thief.

The chase is on to find out who is the culprit, as we
get to know each of the four main characters. Everything
is not as it seems.

With kooky animation, great songs, goofy voices, and
a hilariously clever plotline, Hoodwinked is a load
of fun for both children and older people.

Adding their vocal talents to this film were Glenn Close,
Anne Hathaway, Jim Belushi, Patrick Warburton (Elaine’s
boyfriend on Seinfeld), Xzibit, and Andy Dick.

Definitely the most fun animated movie since Shrek,
it will make you smile.

The New World

2007-12-03T16:42:00.000-08:00

THE NEW WORLD stars Colin Farrell as Captain John Smith
and lovely newcomer Q'Orianka Kilcher as Pocahontas.

In 1607 the English land on the shore of Virginia, and
begin the difficult task of setting up a colony called
Jamestown.

Captain John Smith is sent upriver to find a great king
for the settlers to trade with, and is taken captive.
After some initial curiosity at the trinkets he has
in his pockets, the natives plan to kill him.

In the moment before his impending death, the chief
of the tribe’s favorite daughter, Pocahontas,
throws herself on Smith to save him.

During his stay in the Indian village, Smith and Pocahontas
grow infatuated with each other, and fall in love.

Smith is eventually let go on one condition: the settlers
all must leave. Well, they do not leave, and instead
plant their roots deeper.

Terrence Malick (The Thin Red Line, Badlands) wrote
and directed this epic and majestic film that transports
you back to that place so long ago.

The introspective narration of Captain Smith and Pocahontas
give you a peak into their very souls as the film progresses.

Slower paced, but never boring, this is a love story
set in then uncharted land, brimming with intrigue,
wonder, and stunningly beautiful scenic splendor!

This was truly not a ‘new world,’ but an
established land with a long history of cultures and
people. To these English explorers however, this was
a new beginning far from their homeland.

Therein is the source of conflict.

The New World also stars Christopher Plummer and Christian
Bale.

King Kong (2005)

2007-12-02T13:54:00.000-08:00

Who could put together a third remake of KING KONG, and
inject it with more action, jaw-dropping adventure and
yet put in an emotional edge into the big ape? Lord
of the Ring’s Peter Jackson is up to the task.

From New York City, circa 1933, a frustrated film director,
Carl Denham (Jack Black), takes a down-on-her-luck theatre
actress, Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts), and his screenwriter,
Jack Driscoll (Adrien Brody), on a trip under false
pretenses to a remote filming locale, Skull Island,
to make a movie.

The problem is that Ann is kidnapped by natives and
put up as a sacrifice for the reclusive 25 foot high
Kong. Well, they form an unlikely bond, and the savage
beast protects her from the many predators of the island.
Separated from Ann, the rest of the group attempts to
rescue her. They have to fend off all sorts of nasty,
vicious creatures, including gigantic man-eating slugs,
and dinosaurs! The adventure takes them back to New
York City for the enormous final act.

Andy Serkis (Gollum in Lord of the Rings) is inside
the “digital motion capture suit” portraying
Kong’s motions and emotions fabulously. Serkis
inhabits the space that Kong later occupies, giving
Watts an actual actor to play the scenes with, further
enhancing her performance.

Naomi Watts is the perfect heroine, with strength and
a certain fragility.

Peter Jackson not only stays true to the original 1933
classic, but adds many dazzling effects and a grandeur
to the entire story.

All in all, a massive good time.

Memoirs of a Geisha

2007-12-02T13:49:00.000-08:00

Some months back my girlfriend and I were going to see a
movie in the cinema. We scanned the titles on the marquee.
There was one movie she wanted to see, but after seeing
the previews a few times prior, I had a strong feeling
that I would not like it. It just happened to be the
only movie starting anytime soon, so reluctantly I agreed
to watch it.

About 15 minutes into the film I look over to Basia
and say how interesting the movie is. And after a half
an hour I had to pinch myself to be reminded that this
was not a dream, and I was fully enjoying MEMOIRS OF
A GEISHA.

From my auspicious entry up to our exit from the film,
I was quite honestly blown away. The highly successful
book by Arthur Golden translates into a richly textured
and thoroughly engaging story on screen. You cannot
help but enjoy it far beyond your wildest expectations.
I can personally say that’s true.

Watching the film again on DVD only adds to my high
regard for this movie. The magic transcends the screen,
taking you away to a different time and place far from
our own.

In 1929, nine year old Chiyo (Newcomer Suzuka Ohgo)
is taken from her home in a fishing village, and sold
by her impoverished parents to a geisha house in Kyoto's
Gion District.

The film covers Chiyo’s rise from a slave in the
house, to her position later as Sayuri, the most renowned
geisha in Japan. Add the onslaught of World War II,
and the place in society for the geisha is changed forever.

Ziyi Zhang (House of Flying Daggers, Hero) stars as
the older Sayuri, along with Ken Watanabe (Batman Begins,
The Last Samurai).

I am sincere in saying that, if you enjoy a good story,
with exquisite characters, and well done drama, you
will enjoy this film. Whether you are male or female,
trust me.

Bee Season

2007-12-02T13:46:00.000-08:00

The film BEE SEASON is a gem starring Richard Gere and Juliette
Binoche.

Eliza, the youngest child in the Naumann family and
focal point of the movie, is a wiz with words, possessing
quite a knack for spelling. She wins the local spelling
bee, and goes on to win more and more on the road to
the national spelling bee.

Her father, Saul (Gere), is a professor who values the
written word, taking Eliza to the competitions.

Her mother, Miriam (Binoche), is a klepto-maniac with
OCD and has recurring flashbacks of her parents in a
car accident when she was young.

Her older brother, Aaron, is rebellious, at one point
going off to join a Buddhist cult.

The controlling father isolates himself from his wife
and son in an obsessive mission to take his daughter
to a mystical usage and understanding of words, above
his own powers possibly.

This film deals with human relationships, feelings of
separation, family connections, and putting together
the pieces. Showing the delicate inner workings of these
characters on their search for identity.

Casting a spell on you, this film does for words what
Sideways did for wine.

Fascinating, do not miss.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe

2007-12-02T13:42:00.000-08:00

I have many fond memories growing up of reading the seven
books that make up the “Chronicles of Narnia”
series. So when I heard that they were making the first
book into a film, I greatly anticipated its release.

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE
WARDROBE is the first of C.S Lewis’s beloved books
to be released on the big screen.

With a great deal of reverence, and a very large budget,
Disney and Walden Media magnificently bring the classic
novel to life.

The enchanting story opens with the four Pevensie siblings
– Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy – being
sent from London during the bombing raids by the Nazis
during World War II, to a country estate to stay with
an old professor, safe from the war.

On a boring, rainy day they play a game of hide-and-seek
in which Lucy (the youngest child) stumbles onto an
old wardrobe she chooses to hide in. Backing deeper
and deeper into it, much to her surprise, between the
furry coats, she hits snow covered pine needles!

Wandering out of the wardrobe, she discovers a lamp
post aflame in the midst of these wintry woods. She
meets there a faun, Mr. Tumnus, who explains to her
a bit about this world called Narnia.

Narnia is ruled by the cruel White Witch, and has been
in a 100 year winter, with no Christmas.

Eventually, all four children venture into the wardrobe
doorway to Narnia, and Edmund is taken hostage by the
self-entitled “Queen of Narnia”, the White
Witch. Her plan is to kill all four kids, because of
the prophecy which tells that sons of Adam and daughters
of Eve (humans) will arrive to challenge and end her
reign.

Pursued by her army, the children are aided by a couple
of kindly beavers, who can talk of course.

The four siblings are to take their rightful place on
the throne to rule Narnia. So they go to meet the lion
Aslan, the real King of Narnia, and assemble a large
army to fight the White Witch and her grotesque minions.

Great morals are in this film, such as courage, loyalty,
and sacrifice.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was Oscar nominated
three times this year, including Best Visual Effects.

You will be excited to hear they are making the second
book, Prince Caspian, into a full-length feature, due
out in 2007.

This perfect adventure movie for both adults and children.

*Note: read the books too!

The Greatest Game Ever Played

2007-12-02T13:39:00.000-08:00

In my humble opinion, THE GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED is
one of the greatest sports films ever made.

Director Bill Paxton, and Walt Disney Pictures bring
you the true story surrounding the legendary 1913 U.S.
Open face-off, between 20 year old, Francis Ouimet,
and reigning British champion Harry Vardon.

Early in the 20th century, golf was a game for gentleman,
and reserved for the snobby upper-class.

Francis has been caddying for years, and is urged by
his peers to play in a qualifying match.

Francis’ working-class dad discourages any ambitions
his son has in the game of golf, seeing it as not his
son’s place in the world, out of his class, with
those people.

This movie tells the timeless underdog tale of a young
amateur, qualifying for the 1913 US Open and not letting
the pressure stifle him from accomplishing his dreams.
Leading up to the rousing finale where he faces off
against (then only 3 time) British Open winner Harry
Vardon in an epic battle in the pouring rain.

The fairways and greens are the battlefield. The wooden
clubs are the weapons. Who will be the victor: experience
or youth?

What makes this movie a masterpiece, surprising you
on every level, is the issues it examines. From the
class system, and how that dominated the game of golf
early on, to the stunning visuals, like the camera riding
the golf ball literally, as it flies toward the flag
at the other end of the grass.

This movie is heartwarming, keeping you in suspense
throughout, sort of a “Seabiscuit” tale
on a golf course.

Little Manhattan

2007-12-02T13:37:00.000-08:00

I want to shine the spotlight on a nice, little movie
that might slip under your radar, and it shouldn’t.

LITTLE MANHATTAN is about a young boy in NYC, named
Gabe, and his first crush on a girl, ever.

Quite an awkward transition, considering girls have
cooties, and are gross horrible creatures to a boy of
ten.

Our hero though is growing up. Presently Gabe is 10
¾ years old and the girl of his affection, is
11 year old Rosemary, who is quite a match in the karate
class they both attend.

Quite suddenly this strange change occurs and there
Rosemary is. The same girl he had grown up with in school,
and went to kindergarten with, but now it is different.
He actually notices her.

Where did this nervousness come from that springs up
every time he is in her presence? What does it mean?

It does not help matters any that his parent’s
are in the middle of a prolonged divorce, where they
have to cohabitate the same apartment until the paperwork
goes through.

Oh, the insecurity! This thing called “love”
is sure accompanied by a fair share of highs and lows.

We were all there (or will be), what an age. I certainly
am glad that you only have to go through that part of
growing up, only once.

The film captures the age & subject matter perfectly.
All the questions, inner dialogue, and those puzzling
things we notice about the opposite sex (and continue
to notice as we grow up, I might add).

That treacherous area we tread between youth and adolescence,
fraught with a childlike confusion at this new territory.

The two young actors playing Gabe and Rosemary hit the
right chords. The filmmakers capture their viewpoint
wonderfully, splashing it onto the screen.

It is a great joy to watch this awkward stage played
out so well, on film, in this love story for all ages.
Don’t let this one slip away.

Little Fish

2007-12-02T13:35:00.000-08:00

The Australian film LITTLE FISH stars Cate Blanchett, Sam
Neill, and Hugo Weaving (Agent Smith in the Matrix Trilogy).

Tracy (Blanchett) is a 32 year old recovering heroin
addict, who has straightened her life out, putting her
past behind her.

Her father Lionel (Weaving), is an ex-soccer star, and
has been using drugs for 15-20 years.

Tracy’s brother, Ray, lost his leg in a car accident
years before, due to drug-use. Even after rehab, he
still struggles to get out of that lifestyle.

This film presents an interesting glimpse into someone’s
life not often shown on film: a person who has reformed
their life, after drugs, trying to get their life back
on track.

Tracy struggles to accomplish her dreams, and recapture
the innocent optimism she felt as a little girl, on
a beach, where she swam with her father, before drugs
entered the picture.

Cate Blanchett delivers a heartbreaking performance,
in this involving human drama.

Mrs. Henderson Presents

2007-12-02T13:30:00.000-08:00

MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS received two Oscar nominations this
year - one for Judi Dench as Best Actress, and also
for Best Costume Design.

Inspired by true events, this delightful movie is set
in the late 1930s and early 1940s, in London, England.

In the title role of Mrs. Laura Henderson, Dench, shines
playing a newly widowed English woman of some social
and financial standing.

Upon her husband’s death, she seeks a hobby, something
to occupy her newly vacated time. Her friend tells her
about crocheting, serving on charity committees, and
the usual blasé things she fills her time with.

The affable Mrs. Henderson, is bored with all of that,
and accidentally stumbles upon an old theatre for sale,
but in need of much renovation.

She instantly sees a way for her to spend some of her
vast fortune, and have an amusing hobby to spend her
time pursuing.

Clueless about the stage and its operations, she looks
into hiring a theatre manager. The thick-skinned Vivian
Van Damm (Bob Hoskins) makes Mrs. Henderson promise
that, if she hires him, she will let him be in charge
of the theatre’s operations.

Much of the movie’s fun is in watching these two
strong-headed characters bicker, and fight over the
way its run, the types of shows they’ll do, etc.
As so often happens though, they cannot help but come
to respect and like each other.

The Windmill Theatre opens successfully, doing 5 shows
a day, back-to-back, selling out their seats. Then they
start to lose money after all the other stages in town
rip off their innovative idea.

Well, Mrs. Henderson has a very risqué idea:
they will feature nude women on stage in their acts
from then on, to compete and stand out from other theatres.
She approaches the Lord Cromer (Christopher Guest) for
his legal approval.

Through a loophole they can put on the performances:
the girls have to stand still while nude, as classic
art, baring all. This is tasteful, and not tawdry, a
proper celebration of nature.

It certainly gives the men in uniform a reprieve, as
they face off against the Nazi’s in the onslaught
of the Second World War.

Judi Dench is mischievous, and playful in the lead role,
with Bob Hoskins as the cigar smoking, protective, manager.
They are both marvelous, and there are many laugh-out-loud
moments in the film.

High Tension (Haute tension)

2007-12-02T13:18:00.000-08:00

Alexa and Marie are two college friends who visit Alexa's parent's country home on holiday in the film HIGH TENSION. An old rusted truck pulls up in the middle of the night, after everyone is in bed. The headlights of the truck blare on the front of the house as the mysterious man breaks in, and kills everyone inside, but Alexa and Marie. Alexa is gagged and taken away in his truck, a future victim in his growing gallery of young women he has slain. Marie manages to hide successfully, going after the truck to save her friend. But - is everything as it appears?

This film is quite a thrilling ride, filled with gore, stylish visuals, a great soundtrack with music that pulls the tension in tighter around you. The buzzing electrical wire element in the music is something original in a soundtrack. This music apparently was composed prior to the film's creation, and picked up by the filmmakers because it suited the film so well.

Featuring some of Alfred Hitchcock's horror stylings, the film High Tension grabs you by the throat from the first scene, slowly squeezing tighter as the minutes tick by. It is classic edge-of-your-seat horror, especially on this Unrated Version. But don't get too close to the screen. Rent it, if you dare.

Crash

2007-12-02T13:06:00.000-08:00

From a relatively obscure film, to the Best Picture
Winner at the Oscar’s, the word-of-mouth
on Crash spread fast. But why did it achieve such high
notoriety? Simply put, this thrilling drama is a solidly
played out film from start to finish.

With 6 Oscar Nominations total, the film features an ensemble
cast that led Academy Award host Jon Stewart to remark
that, “anyone in the audience who was not in Crash
please raise their hands.” Some notable performances
are in Crash from Matt Dillon, Terrence Howard, Sandra
Bullock, Ryan Phillippe, Larenz Tate, Thandie Newton,
and Don Cheadle. Matt and Terrence were both nominated
for Oscars this year, Terrence for his role in the film
Hustle & Flow.

From the opening credits I was transfixed by the honesty.
The characters drew me into this very day in Los Angeles
where races interact, converge and prejudices beneath
the surface explode in all directions. This is a fresh
portrayal of race relations touching on so many emotions
- hope, beauty, redemption, innocence, tenderness, tragedy,
and yet even humor. You end up seeing LA as a broad representation
of the USA as a whole.

This film is a melting pot filled with profound
truths that does not disappoint.

Good Night, and Good Luck.

2007-12-02T13:01:00.000-08:00

GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK tells the story of Edward R. Murrow
and the rest of the staff at CBS News leading a courageous
fight against the intimidating Senator Joe McCarthy and
his tactics during his communist witch-hunt in the paranoid
1950’s.

Powerful and glorious in black and white, this movie earned
6 Oscar Nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director,
and Best Actor for David Strathairn’s magnificent
portrayal of Murrow who believed that the TV can both
teach and inspire.

Thought provoking drama, also with George Clooney and
Robert Downey, Jr.

A History of Violence

2007-12-02T12:53:00.000-08:00

David Cronenberg makes an effort to do something different
from anything else he has previously made in creating
A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE.

Beginning with two men on the run, who “check-out”
of a low rent hotel by disposing of the staff, the film
sets a dark tone.

Cut to a house in the fictional town of Millbrook, Indiana,
a small town deep in the heartland, where a little girl
wakes up from a nightmare. Her dad, Tom (Viggo Mortensen),
and mom, Edie (Maria Bello), console her, telling that
monsters do not exist.

The next morning the kids go off to school, and the
two loving parents of this wholesome all American family
start their day.

When and how will these two worlds collide?

Late that night, at closing time, those same two killers
enter the diner that Tom owns. They draw their weapons
threatening him and the remaining customers in the diner.
The usually mild-mannered family man, Tom, is forced
to take drastic action and violently the situation is
resolved. Tom is hailed as a hero by the town and the
media. He just wants this all to die down, to return
to normal, but that former innocence is gone.

And now three men, led by the menacing and scarred Carl
Fogarty (Ed Harris), skulk around town. They believe
Tom is Joey Cusack from Philadelphia, someone who they
have a beef with.

This obviously creates turmoil in the family. The oldest
son gets in trouble for fighting back at a bully. Why
was that wrong, and Tom’s actions glorified? What
will Tom do to protect his family? And what underlying
twists and turns will this story take?

Viggo Mortensen is definitely not Aragorn from Lord
of the Rings, he is Tom Stall. What a powerhouse
performance.

Put this provocative thriller at the top of
your list of movies to see!

The Squid and the Whale

2007-12-02T12:50:00.000-08:00

What could the film THE SQUID AND THE WHALE be about? Is
it an animated tale of two amphibians? An adventure?

Certainly boasting an odd name, this movie is about
a Brooklyn family in 1986, which is split through divorce.
Their two sons are left in the middle, going back and
forth in the joint custody agreed upon.

Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney play the parents, both
writers, and they paint their characters skillfully,
with genuine performances.

He claims to have once been a great novelist, and she
is now a successful author on her own. The sons work
out their own confusion in their dealings with girls
they like.

The two actors playing the sons are also very convincing.
One of them is Kevin Kline’s real life son, Owen.

If you have been in a family that has experienced divorce,
this will touch a nerve. A very accessible character
study, exploring the complexities and inner workings
of a broken family. We are privileged to see behind
closed doors and see an authentic portrait full of humor and poignant moments.