SAINT RALPH: We went to see this one
because Ebert & Roeper both gave it a thumbs up on their review show. Roeper said that of all this year’s sports
movies, this one got to him the most. I can certainly understand that reaction because this is a wonderful film. To say it
is heart-warming doesn’t begin to cover it. Ralph Walker is a 14-year-old Catholic schoolboy living in Canada. When
his hospitalized mother slips into a coma, a nurse tells him it will take a miracle to wake her up. When he is forced to join
a cross-country track team as a penance for some school infraction, he hears the coach mention the Boston Marathon. The coach
quickly tells Ralph that he was "only joking," and says that "if one of you wins the Boston Marathon it would be a miracle."
Then and there Ralph decides that he must win the 1954 Boston Marathon because that is the miracle that will bring his mother
out of her coma. Now that’s heart-warming. But the movie never becomes maudlin. There’s plenty of humor, and Adam
Butcher is terrific as Ralph. He is such a believable ninth grader: He commits all the venal sins of adolescence: swearing,
impure thoughts and self-abuse—lots of the latter. We also especially liked Campbell Scott as the priest who defies
orders to help Ralph train for the marathon.* Jennifer Tilly is a nurse who cares for Ralph’s mother and helps Ralph
get in shape for the race. This is the movie that young people should be going to see rather than spending their time and
money on junk like The Dukes of Hazard and Herbie: Fully Loaded. The film
is loosely based on the true story of the youngest contender in the Boston Marathon. To those critics who
disliked this movie for it’s "sentimentality," I have a word of advice: Get a heart! GRADE A-
LA Times critic Kenneth Turan said, "Though Butcher is appealing,
Saint Ralph is anchored by Scott's persuasive work as a model of intelligent decency. Though he cautions
his students that "against boredom, the gods themselves fight in vain," no one will be bored when he is on the screen.
THE SAVAGES: Writer/Director Tamara Jenkins must be commended for her intelligent
writing and equally intelligent independent film. It is a story that could easily have been turned into a Hallmark Card, but
it is not only smart, funny, and touching, but also painfully realistic. Philip Seymour Hoffman has always been fun to watch
on screen, but this year has been especially kind to him. In addition to this film he opened in Before The
Devil Knows You’re Dead, and Charlie Wilson’s War. His on screen excellence
is matched by the always wonderful Laura Linney. Together, I think they are the most natural actors in Hollywood. They play
brother and sister who are thrust into the reality of caring for a parent who never really cared for them and can no longer
function in a retirement community. The aging father is admirably played by Philip Bosco, a gifted character actor you will
recognize on screen even though you may not remember his name. The title of the film refers to the family name, though it
was, no doubt, chosen for it’s other meanings as well. The film focuses on the middle aged children facing their demons.
Author/director Jenkins calls it a "coming of middle age" story. Hints of childhood abuse are never overplayed and though
the material can be sad and touching, Jenkins is a master at finding the humor. I liked this movie a lot, but Barbara liked
it even more. GRADE A/A-
SAVE THE LAST DANCE: We went to this
film because we like Sean Patrick Thomas in TV's The District, and also because we thought Julia Stiles shows promise.
The two actors didn't disappoint us, but the script did. It was utterly predictable and obviously written for the teenage
crowd. (The NY Times reviewer said it could have been taken from a Judy Blume novel.) Stiles is Sara Johnson, a budding ballet
star who gives up dancing when her mother is killed in an accident. She must move from her comfortable suburban home to live
with her father in Chicago's inner city. She attends a High School where she is one of only a few white students. After a
rocky beginning, Sara and Derek (Thomas) become more than friends. Derek teachers her hip-hop dancing and rekindles her love
of ballet. We enjoyed seeing Terry Kinney as Sara's jazz musician father, but regret that the script-writers didn't do much
to develop his character. He was forced to play the typical uninvolved father. We liked all the actors and the hip-hop dancing,
which reminded me a lot of dirty dancing. We only wish the story had been worthy of the actors' talents. GRADE: C+
SAVING GRACE: We got a kick out of this gentle English comedy about a woman who is
left in dire financial straights when her husband dies. She finds an unusual solution: She and her gardener grow a huge crop
of marijuana in her greenhouse. Brendy Blethyn (Secrets and Lies is the economically challenged widow and Craig Ferguson,
from The Drew Carey Show is her gardener. We quite liked the character of the local doctor played by Martin Clunes. There
are many laughs in the film although the director relies a bit too much on the sight of elderly Englishwomen high on weed
for humor. Ebert gave the film only two stars and said, "We're left with a promising idea for a comedy, which arrives at some
laughs but never finds its destination." GRADE: B
THE SCHOOL OF ROCK: Richard Roeper called this movie "a love letter to pure Rock and Roll," and
that's a pretty good description of The School of Rock. The irrepressible Jack Black (High Fidelity, Orange
County) plays Dewey Finn, a man who lives to play rock and roll and whose only dream is to win the Battle of the Bands.
When Dewey's band fires him because of his erratic behavior, he is devastated. When his roommate, Ned (Mike White), gets a
call to report for a substitute teaching job at a private grade school, Dewey decides to use Ned's name and report for job,
despite the fact that he has absolutely no teaching training or experience. But he needs the money. On his second day of "non-teaching,"
Dewey is startled to learn that some of these fifth graders have real musical talent. Forming a rock band becomes the class
project--the only class project. The movie has some genuinely funny moments and is ultimately rather touching. The
kids are terrific and Black's performance is one of the most exuberant you will ever see. He does remind me a bit of John
Belushi. Watch those eyebrows. Mike White (Chuck and Buck) wrote the script and is also perfect for the role
of Dewey's nebbishy roommate. Joan Cusack is the tightly wired school principal. If you long for some good old-fashioned rock
and roll, you're sure to enjoy the music and the movie. GRADE: B.
SCHULTZE GETS THE BLUES: (2003 Release) We went to see this German film because the trailers
look like it would be very funny. It does have some chuckles, but it wasn’t quite what we expected. Horst Krause is,
apparently, a popular actor in Germany and his movie is quite a hit there. Shultze has just been forcibly retired from the
salt mines (either a real salt mine or a metaphor--I’m not sure). He and his two friends have nothing to do in retirement
except drink a lot of beer and argue over chess games. One night, the lonely Schultze catches a station on his radio that
is playing zydeco music. Shultze is an accomplished accordion player and he is fascinated with this new sound. Eventually,
he travels to the United States and finds his way to Louisiana. The pace of the film is so measured and slow that it probably
won’t appeal to most moviegoers. Schultze Gets The Blues is definitely a film festival kind of movie,
and we can’t recommend it except to those who are partial to film festivals. GRADE C
SCOOP: It’s hard to believe Scoop is from the same author/director who made last year’s brilliant Match Point. One big difference is Woody Allen‘s absence in Match Point and
his tiresome presence in Scoop. In the past, we have enjoyed Allen’s one-liner
schtick, but here it is not funny and, by the end of the movie, quite irritating. Another big difference is the script: Match
Point was sophisticated and clever; Scoop is simplistic
and banal. Allen is a mediocre magician performing his tired tricks in London. He selects a young American journalism student
(Scarlett Johannson) to participate in his vanishing act, and while she is being "dematerialized," she is visited by the spirit
of a recently deceased reporter (the wonderful Ian McShane). He gives her a potential scoop: The Tarot Card Killer, a serial
murderer plaguing London, may be Peter Lyman, a prominent socialite (Hugh Jackman). Johannson and Allen investigate and spend much time discussing whether Lyman is or is not the
killer. Jackman is beautifully cast as a wealthy Londoner, but we can’t understand why Allen would cast Johannson in
a part so unsuited to her unique talents. There are any number of young actresses who can play a bumbling teenager-type. Johannson
should be saved for roles with more depth and mystery. Plus, she looks positively frumpy in the dowdy clothes she wears in
Scoop. This one was a big disappointment. GRADE C
THE SCORE: This is a crime caper movie with a difference: We see all the
painstaking preliminary work that the team does to prepare for the heist. The heist itself is exciting, but the planning takes
up most of the two hours and some will find it too slow, but it kept our attention. We found it quite interesting. The prize
is an antique scepter worth millions. It is being kept in the basement of the Montreal Customs House. Max (Marlon Brando)
initiated the plan and he has placed a man inside the Customs House. Jack (Ed Norton) is masquerading as a palsied night-shift
janitor. Max convinces Nick (Robert De Niro), a master safe-cracker, to join the team because Nick's share will guarantee
his retirement from the "business." Brando is very fat, but mildly interesting as Max, De Niro is, well, De Niro, and Edward
Norton is, as always, terrific. Angela Bassett, in a throwaway role, is the woman Nick wants to retire with. The lighting
in the film is very dark. I think I liked Nick's apartment, but I never got a really good look at it! This movie follows in
the tradition of heist movies dating back to the 1964 film, Topkapi: The Score may not be the best
of the genre, but it certainly isn't the worst. GRADE: B
THE SEA INSIDE: (2004 Release) Ramon Sampedro was a ship's mechanic who severed his spine in a
diving accident. He lived as a quadriplegic for 28 years wanting to die. In 1998, he succeeded. He planned his death in such
an ingenious way that no one could be legally charged with the crime. The Sea Inside is fiction, based on the
final months of Sampedro’s life. Javier Bardem received a well-deserved Oscar nomination for his brilliant work
as Sampedro. The film, directed by Alejando Amenabar, won this year’s Award for Best Foreign Language Film. An Award
also richly deserved. We thought this was a powerful story beautifully acted by everyone in the cast. Belen Rueda is stunning
as a physically handicapped lawyer who helps Sampedro sue the government for the right to end his life. The makeup job on
Bardem is fantastic. Gary could hadly recognize him as the actor who played the younger Sampedro in fashback scenes. The Detroit
Free Press critic called the movie and "inner voyage of high emotion." We both had a strong emotional reaction to the story.
GRADE A
SEABISCUIT: In the 1930s, three broken men and a screwed up horse came together to create a legend.
That legend was a horse named Seabiscuit. Seabiscuit's courageous spirit caught the imagination of a nation numbed by the
Great Depression: In 1938, this remarkable racehorse had more press coverage than either F.D.R. or Adolf Hitler. In the words
of Charles Howard, "The horse is too small, the jockey too big, the trainer too old, and I'm too dumb to know the difference."
It is an American success story. It is the age-old story of David and Goliath. It demonstrates the glory of second chances.
It is a wonderful movie. The movie has been perfectly cast: Jeff Bridges personifies Charles Howard, Seabiscuit's owner. No
one could have portrayed Tom Smith, Seabiscuit's trainer, better than Chris Cooper. And Toby Maguire is amazing. William H.
Macy as Tick Tock McGlaughlin, a radio sports commentator, was not in the novel but he is a welcome addition and adds some
necessary humor. People who read and loved Laura Hillenbrand's book might be disappointed by the things that have been left
out. I know I missed my favorite line: An onlooker, watching Seabiscuit walk out onto the track, said to Tom Smith, "Why,
that horse can hardly walk." Smith replied, "Runs good though." It's true that many details and information about the racing
industry had to be eliminated from the film. But all the heart is there. And heart is what Seabiscuit was all about. GRADE:
A
SECONDHAND LIONS: This is a pleasant family comedy about a fourteen-year-old boy who spends
the summer with his two eccentric great uncles. Haley Joel Osment is growing up and he does a fine job of playing Walter.
Walter's irresponsible mother (Kyra Sedgwick) has dumpted Walter with his uncles Garth (Michael Caine) and Hub (Robert Duvall).
They spend their afternoons sitting on the porch shooting at travelling salesmen, and much to Walter's amazement, they don't
have a TV set or a telephone. The uncles are rumored to have a fortune hidden somewhere in the house, but no one knows for
sure if the money is there or where it came from. Caine and Duvall are always worth watching and they seem to having great
fun in this film. Some critics thought the movie was too sentimental, but as someone who gets teary at Hallmark Commercials,
I enjoyed the sentimental element. So did Gary. As E Online said, "It's hammy at times, but Secondhand's
sentiment is first-rate." Not a great film, but enjoyable. GRADE: C+
THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES: This movie is based on the novel of the same name by Sue Monk Kidd.
No movie can match the depth of a novel, and lovers of the book may find the movie wanting. I did read the book, but, since
I can barely remember the book I finished last month let alone one from 2002, I quite enjoyed the movie version. This very
personal story of a young girl longing to learn about the mother she barely remembers is played out against the backdrop of
the Civil Rights Struggle. It is set in South Carolina in 1964, the year that Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act.
Dakota Fanning is Lilly, the central character, and Jennifer Husdon is Rosaleen, a young black woman who is the housekeeper
for Lilly’s father. Queen Latifah is August Boatwright, a bee-keeper who takes Lilly and Rosaleen in when they run away
from Lilly’s father. Alicia Keyes and Sophie Okonedo play August’s sisters, June and May. All are very good, but
we were especially impressed with Fanning. She was an adorable little girl and she has grown into a lovely teenager. What‘s
more, she is just as good an actress as she was at the age of seven in I Am Sam—maybe even better. She
has a long career in front of her. Gary was one of only two men in the audience when we saw the film, but chick-flicks don’t
scare him. He says: I think films that threaten to open up one’s tear ducts are often avoided by guys, but I like
heartwarming films when the acting and writing are good. I think this film will turn out to be an important segue between
Dakota Fanning as a little girl and her next step, as a beautiful young woman. We agree on a B. GRADE B
THE SECRET LIVES OF DENTISTS: Campbell Scott is David Hurst, a competent dentist, a caring
father, and a distant husband. He met his wife, Dana (Hope Davis) in dental school, and they now share a dental practice and
three young daughters. It is obvious that the two care for each other, but they have severe communication problems. Their
life together seems to limit itself to the dental practice and their three children. When David sees Dana in an intimate conversation
with another man, he suspects her of having an affair. He only sees the other man from the back, so he does not know who he
is. In typical David fashion, he decides not to talk with Dana about it. Instead he imagines what is happening and worries
about it. He shows flashes of anger, but never confronts his wife. He is aided in his worrying by an irritating patient played
by Denis Leary. Leary acts as Hurst's alter-ego, appearing in David's imagination and expressing fears and anger that David
can't bring himself to utter. Scott is excellent, expressing his character's inner thoughts beautifully. Hope Davis is, as
always, wonderful, but the story is told from David's point of view, so we never get to know her as well as we do David. A
memorable event, that adds a sort of a sick humor to the film, is a case of flu which travels through the whole family and
occasions lots of vomiting. Many of us have probably been there and done that. Leary also provides some humor in this story
of a complicated, troubled relationship. The final scene seems to indicate that there is little hope the relationship will
change for the better. The movie is based on the novel The Age of Grief by Jane Smiley. GRADE: B.
THE SENTINEL: Since I was more engaged than Barbara while watching this film, the review
assignment went to me. We both liked the casting of Michael Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland, Eva Longoria, and Kim Basinger, in
this well intentioned thriller, but found the plot contrived and at times implausible. Once again, we find Michael Douglas
sleeping with a woman he shouldn’t and getting into a world of trouble for it. We see Kiefer Sutherland playing a role
almost identical to that of Jack Bauer from his popular T.V. series titled 24. It makes you realize that the writing for T.V.
and for films is no longer unbalanced in favor of film. Eva Longeria from T.V.’s Desperate Housewives shows some
versatility in her role as Secret Service Agent assigned to help protect the President. There used to be little crossover
between T.V. actors and film actors. That tradition has thankfully disappeared. Still, I think we expect more from film, and,
since we are paying hefty admission, perhaps we should. Barb thought the movie was curiously un-exciting. She thinks TV’s
24 is better written and more thrilling. The more we discussed the movie afterwards, the more we agreed on a grade
of C. GRADE C+
SEPARATE LIES: There’s deception, there’s betrayal, and there’s manslaughter,
but it’s all handled in a polite British way. James and Anne Manning are a long-married couple who live an orderly life.
They have a London residence and a lovely house in the country. Tom Wilkinson displays impressive range in his portrayal of
James, a man who thought he was happily married, but discovers that his wife doesn’t agree. Emily Watson is equally
impressive as Anne, a woman who feels she has never lived up to her husband’s expectations. The way in which James and
Anne handled the difficult situations that confront them is not what we would expect in an American movie. After all, in Unfaithful,
the cuckolded husband kills his wife’s lover. But this is a British film, and it is much more civilized. Rupert Everett
is William Bule, the third member of the triangle. He displays the rude arrogance that I suspect is typical of some members
of the British Peerage. All three actors are excellent. Maggie (Linda Bassett) is the Manning’s cleaning lady. and it
is her husband who is killed in a hit-and-run accident. Bassett holds her own with the three more well-known actors. This
movie may be a bit too tame for American audiences, but if you appreciate British reserve, you will enjoy it. It was described
as intriguing but chilly, in one review, and quietly unsettling in another. It is both. Because of the memorable
performances and the unpredictable script, we think the film deserves a B. GRADE B
SERAPHIM FALLS: How
do you feel about Westerns? You should let your answer determine whether you want to spend a couple of hours with this film.
The motives of revenge and survival power this violent action/adventure. The story takes place just after the Civil War. Liam
Neeson plays an embittered ex-Confederate colonel tracking down an ex-Yankee captain (Pierce Brosnan). The scenery, as would
be expected, is spectacular and the opening scenes are brilliantly done. The dialogue is sparse, as it should be in a Western,
but I confess that after an hour and a half, we were ready for the end. Even a brief appearance by Anjelica Huston as a medicine
woman who may or may not represent the devil did nothing to save the ending for us. Barbara and I cannot give the film higher
than a C+. GRADE C+
Barb: Which one of the men is the bad guy
and which is the good guy is intentionally ambiguous. The opening scenes are the best part of the movie with Brosnan behaving
much like Rambo, finding inventive ways to kill his pursuers. We also learn that running through snow heals bullet wounds,
much like running through the jungle cured spear wounds in Apocalypto.)
SERENDIPITY: I guess I'm just a sucker for a romantic comedy. I kind of liked this
movie, but Gary thought it was bad. The romance didn't interest him and, although he laughed a few times, he didn't think
the script was funny enough. Now I admit Serendipity is no Sleepless In Seattle,
but I thought it was pleasant and I enjoyed the actors--especially John Cusak and Jeremy Piven. I even thought Kate Beckinsale,
so boring in Pearl Harbor, was reasonably interesting here. Of course the story is totally predictable.
We know that Jon (Cusak) and Sara (Beckinsale) will eventually get together--it's their destiny. After a "meet cute" that
takes about fifteen minutes, the rest of the film details all the things that conspire to keep them apart. Roger Ebert ended
his review a hope that "this movie never has a sequel, because Jon and Sara are destined to become the most boring married
couple in history. For years to come, people at parties will be whispering, "See that couple over there? The Tragers? Jon
and Sara? Whatever you do, don't ask them how they met." The critics are all over the map on this one: Ebert gave it only
1 and 1/2 stars, E Weekly gave it an A-, The New York Times thought it was "the cinematic equivalent of a plate made of spun
sugar," but the Cranky Critic, who usually hates everything, said it was "a sleek, sexy, sophisticated, superior dateflick
for grownups." I give it a B-. Gary says he has to stretch to give it a C. GRADE: B-/C
A SERIOUS MAN: Joel and Ethan Coen are known in the industry as simply "the Coen Brothers."
For a quarter-century they have given us films that sometimes dazzle and sometimes confuse. Barbara and I were both blown
away in 1984 when we first experienced the cruel, but creative genius of the Coen Brothers in Blood Simple.
Their cinematic gifts have included Fargo, O Brother Where Art Thou, and No Country For
Old Men. Occasionally they release a film we don’t like or don’t get (Barton Fink), but we
are always anxious for their next release. Before we saw A Serious Man, we knew it was a dark offbeat
comedy that received uniformly high marks from most professional critics. Larry Gopnik, brilliantly played by Michael Stuhlbarg,
is a soft-spoken physics professor in a quiet mid-western suburb in the late 1960’s. His life is starting to fall apart
and will soon devolve into a series of catastrophes that bring to mind the biblical Job. Gopnik turns to his Jewish faith
and community looking for answers. But, in the words of critic Ty Burr of the Boston Globe, "God is either absent, absent-minded,
or mad as hell." Being a Goya may be a handicap when it comes to appreciating the subtle humor in this film. In a nearly full
theater, we heard several chuckles where the subtle humor was lost on us. If you abhor ambiguity, you may want to avoid A
Serious Man. The Coen brothers seem far more comfortable raising questions than suggesting answers. The film
opens with a puzzling narrow-screen dramatization of a folk tale and closes with a puzzling offbeat ending. As we left the
theater, Barbara said she was ‘underwhelmed." I rate it marginally higher than she does. GRADE C+/B- Mazel
Tov!
SEVEN POUNDS: Wil Smith gives a strong nuanced performance as Ben Thomas, but you should know that this
film is the opposite of a feel-good Holiday movie. Ben seems to be suffering from severe depression, yet at the same time
he is going out of his way to help seven strangers. It takes quite a while to figure out why he’s so determined to improve
the lives of these seven people, and we felt manipulated by the fragmented non-linear story line. Eventually, we began to
understand Ben’s motivation, and I thought the ending was powerful and emotional. But, as Ben Mankiewicz said on At
The Movies, it’s not about the ending; it’s about getting there. And getting there sometimes seemed painfully
slow. I do agree with Roger Ebert that a character is more interesting when his nature isn’t made clear in the first
five minutes of a film, but we felt that here the screen writer was determined to keep us in the dark far too long. Rosaio
Dawson is Emily, one of the people Ben is helping. Her story is the most fully explored—in fact, it is the only fully
explored story. She is marvelous; reminds us of how impressed we were the first time we saw her on screen. Ben and Emily’s
story is quite lovely, but the relationship is puzzling since we don’t fully understand what Ben is all about. However,
because of the powerful ending, because of Dawson’s performance, and because in my eyes, Wil Smith can do no wrong,
we give this film a B. GRADE B
SEX AND THE CITY: THE MOVIE : I loved the TV show and I loved the movie. It’s exactly what a fan
of the show expects: girlfriends doing girltalk; fantastic fashions; great shoes & handbags; a goodly amount of sex, and
much discussion of the perils of love and marriage. Oh, yes—and lots of New York. It doesn’t break new ground
and it doesn’t attempt to become great literature, and in my humble opinion, it shouldn’t. It is set four years
after the TV series ended. Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Big (Chris Noth), reunited at the end of the TV series, take
their relationship to the next level with disastrous results. Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Steve struggle with marriage and
with living in Brooklyn. Charlotte (Kristin Davis) is happy with her husband and adopted daughter, and Samantha (Kim Cattrall)
has moved to Los Angeles to manage the career of her young, hunky TV star boyfriend. Jennifer Hudson is the only major new
character, appearing as Carrie’s personal assistant. Surprisingly, Gary, who gave up on the TV show after a couple of
seasons, liked the movie a lot. He thought the story was entertaining, he enjoyed the ups and downs of the four women, and
he tolerated the fashion stuff. Although many critics have been lukewarm about the film, we think it deserves better. GRADE
A-
SEXY BEAST: This is a beautifully made film with powerful visual images. Gary Dove (Roy
Winstone) is a former London mobster who has retired to a villa in Spain. He and his wife are living a peaceful life when
suddenly a boulder tumbles down the hillside behind their house and plunges into their swimming pool, narrowly missing Dove.
The boulder is symbolic of the beast that will soon enter their lives in the person of Don Logan (Ben Kingsley), a former
associate who comes to Spain to enlist Dove's help on a "job." Kingsley is brilliant as the manic and evil Logan. This is
one scary guy! The scene in which we first lay eyes on him reminded us of Bob Hoskins' introduction in a 1980 British crime
caper movie, The Long Good Friday. Hoskins was shown striding through an airport with pounding background
music. In Sexy Beast, Kingsley is also striding through an airport, only here were see him from
behind. I wonder if the director is a fan of the earlier picture? It would spoil the movie for you if I told you much about
the plot. It would be best to let you experience the energy and power of the film for yourself. The only problem we had was
some difficulty understanding the accents. GRADE: B+
SHAFT: What's his
name? John Shaft. And he is way cool! Samuel Jackson was born to play the 21st century Shaft. I predict that you will see
a lot of black leather jackets with turtlenecks this winter. Unlike Mission Impossibe 2, the villains
in this movie are interesting. Christian Bale (American Psycho) is great looking and plays nasty beautifully. Jeffrey Wright
was an intriguing bad guy, though we sometimes had difficulty with his heavy Hispanic accent. Toni Collette (The Sixth Sense,
Muiel's Wedding) is a waitress who witnesses a hate crime but is too intimidated to testify. Shaft makes it his mission to
see the rich-kid murderer brought to justice. Disgusted with the system, he quits the police force and becomes a private detective
in association with his uncle, played by Richard Roundtree, the original Shaft. Vanessa Williams appears as a cop and Shaft's
friend. There is no love story here and there are no sex scenes. We thought the crime story was OK, but the final shoot out
was totally preposterous. Otherwise, it was capably directed and I loved the opening credits and theme song. GRADE:
B
SHALL WE DANCE? I'd like to know how the American gigolo turned into a middle-aged attorney overnight!
A white-haired Richard Gere stars in this remake of an earlier Japanese film with the same title. We saw the original film
in 1997. It's the story of a repressed businessman who is intrigued by a woman he sees through the window of a dance studio.
Jennifer Lopez is the woman that Gere sees from his commuter train. (Actually, it's the "L," since the story takes place in
Chicago.) He winds up taking ballroom dancing lessons and keeping it from his wife because he is embarrassed. That was enough
for a Japanese audience, where the culture would frown on a man dancing with a woman who is not his wife. But an American
audience needs more of a story, so in this new version, Gere is embarrassed to tell his wife (Susan Sarandon) because he hates
to admit that he wasn't happy. He was afraid the admission would hurt her. In the Japanese film, the wife played a small part,
but in this new version, Sarandon is a bigger part of the story. Suspicious of Gere'e evening absences, she hires a sleazy
private detective. This provides an opportunity for some humor. The detective and his colleague (Richard Jenkins and Nick
Cannon) are quite amusing. In an unbelievable coincidence, one of Gere's lawyer colleagues is dancing at the same studio.
Stanly Tucci is very funny as a man who pretends to like football but really loves to dance. Bobby Cannavale and Omar Miller
are two other men in Gere's beginning dance class and they are both excellent. Lopez was a bit too withdrawn for my taste
and I thought she was the least interesting person in the movie. I much preferred Lisa Ann Walter
--a Bette Midler type--who plays an aspiring dancer. She's very interesting. This version has some scenes that are wonderful,
and some plot contrivances that are not. The weaknesses in the plot keep us from grading it as highly as we did the Japanese
version. We gave that one a B+, but this one is only worth a B-. GRADE B-
Stephen Holden, NY Times: Shall We Dance? remains blissfully untethered
to reality. Dance in the movies has always been synonymous with transcendence, as characters step out of their mundane lives
into a wonderland where time stops. "Shall We Dance?" is a gaudy, sequined invitation to freedom.
SHALLOW HAL: Hal (Jack Black) may be the shallowest man alive: He chooses women based
solely on their looks, and if they don't look like a supermodel, he isn't interested. His friend, Mauricio (Jason Alexander)
is just as bad. He actually dumps a gorgeous woman because her second toe is longer than her big toe. Naturally, they have
no real relationships with women. When Hal meets Tony Robins, the self-help guru, he asks for help. Robins, played by Robins
himself, hypnotizes Hal into seeing the inner beauty as outward beauty. When Hal sees Rosemary (Gwyneth Paltrow) he sees her
as slim and beautiful, although everyone else sees her 300-lb. body. When Hal gets to know Rosemary, he realizes that she
is a beautiful soul, and for the first time in his life, he falls in love. The Farrelly brother gave us Dumb And
Dumber, which we disliked, and Something About Mary, which we thought had some funny
moments. In Shallow Hal they celebrate their sentimental side and back off on the gross-out jokesalthough
there are plenty of funny moments. Consequently, we liked this film. It is a sweet, sentimental love story, and what keeps
it from being cloying is Jack Black. He is outstanding. We noticed him first in High Fidelity and
he didn't disappoint us here. Paltrow is fine, but this is Black's film Shallow Hal encourages us
to accept people for who and what they are and not for how they look. Once actor who impressed us was Rene Kirby. This is
what the New York Times review had to say about his role: " A minor character in 'Shallow Hal' is a man named Walt (Rene Kirby),
who has spina bifida and who walks around on all fours (as Mr. Kirby, who has the condition, does in real life). Walt is an
incorrigible ladies' man with a sly sense of humor, and his character's self-acceptance (and his social acceptance) are worth
a dozen high-minded lectures on tolerance and dignity." We couldn't agree more. The film is rated PG13. We took our grandson,
Nathan, with us and he liked it. Nathan agrees with our grade of B. GRADE: B.
SHANGHAI
KNIGHTS: We got a kick out of the first movie with Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson--Shanghai Noon,
but we didn't enjoy this one as much. Ebert and Roeper thought it was better than the first, but for us the novelty had won
off. Too much karate and kickboxing for us. The two leads are still appealing and we liked the actress who played Chan's sister,
but the best we can do is give this one a GRADE: C.
SHANGHAI NOON: This movie is
impossible to categorize: It's a comedy/adventure kung-fu western buddy picture. The story isn't much, but the martial arts
fighting is what you would expect from Jackie Chan, and Owen Wilson (Bottle Rocket, The Minus Man)
is adept at the humor. Chan is an Imperial Palace Guard who travels to Carson City Nevada torescue Princess Pei Pei (Lucy
Liu). Along the way he meets an articulate but inept train robber who calls himself Roy O'Bannon (Wilson). The two become
unlikely partners. I've never been to a Jackie Chan film but I can see why his fans like him. He uses unlikely props to flatten
his enemies and has a great sense of humor about it. Wilson is incredibly charming and fun to watch. The movie pays homage
to western movies and movie stars. One of the last scenes is a funny parody of the closing scene from Butch Cassidy and the
Sundance Kid. One critic, Sergio Mims, claims to have spotted 24 references to other movies. See how many you can find. GRADE:
B-
THE SHAPE OF THINGS: Neil Labute directed and wrote the screenplay for this movie after
first writing it in play form. You may remember Labute's Nurse Betty, a film he directed but did not write.
The films he writes are quite dark in tone. He seems to see the worst in people. In The Company of Men is one
example. The Shape of Things stars Paul Rudd, Rachel Weisz, Gretchen Mol and Fred Weller, and they are the only
characters in the film. Gary liked this one more than I did, so I'll give you his comments: This is a film that would be
best discovered on your own. To go because I, or anyone else, recommends it could be disastrous because this is a film many
will hate. On the other hand, I liked it quite a lot. The action focuses on four intelligent and articulate young people.
Unfortunately their gifts lead them mostly to narcissism and cruelty. The film won me over because I found the acting flawless
and almost every scene interesting. This coupled with the fact that I found the film totally unpredictable led me to a grade
of A-. I don't think I can go higher than a B on this one. I agree with Gary that the
acting is superior, but it just didn't grab me enough to grade it any higher. GRADE:A-/B
THE SHIPPING NEWS: I can certainly agree with Kevin Spacey's Golden Globe nomination for
Best Actor. I think he is excellent as Quoyle, a "lump of a man" who has been broken by life. The movie is faithful to the
novel by Annie Proulx, although she describes Quoyle as a grotesque and homely man. Spacey does look beaten down by life,
he can't look grotesque. Flashbacks show us Quoyle's marriage to Petal (Cate Blanchett) and her ultimate demise. Quoyle and
his daughter Bunny travel with Quoyle's Aunt Agnis (Judy Dench) to try and forge a life in New Foundland--not an easy place
in which to live. (I must warn you that you will feel cold and damp for most of this film.) The threesome tries to live in
the ancient Quoyle house--an unfriendly building with a dark past. Secrets are revealed and new friendships are formed, and
the movie ends with a bit of hope for Quoyle and Bunny. Julianne Moore is her usual luminous self as Wavey, a widow with a
young son, and Scott Glenn and Rhys Ifans ("Spike" in 1999's Notting Hill) create interesting characters.
The director, Lasse Hallstrom, is a talented filmmaker. His previous credits include Chocolat and
Cider House Rules. We liked this film quite a bit, but we didn't love it. So far this year, we have
yet to see a movie to fall in love with. GRADE: B+
SHOPGIRL: One criterion for a good film is leaving the theater intending to read the book
on which the film was based. Barbara asked me to write the review because that is the way I felt. With the exception of one
flawed scene, I loved this charming and thought provoking film. Steve Martin wrote the screenplay as well as the novella on
which it was based. He also produced and starred in the film. Although many associate Martin with quirky comedy, and this
film certainly has several chuckles, it aims more for the heart than the funny bone. Claire Danes is excellent in the title
role, playing a fragile and lonely young woman who is trying to make it as an artist in Los Angeles. She spends her daytime
hours clerking behind the glove counter at Saks Fifth Avenue. Two men are attracted to the shop girl: Ray (Steve Martin) a
wealthy older man and Jeremy (Jason Schwartzman, Rushmore) a rather strange young man. The story is touching,
but not predictable and I challenge anyone who sees the film to guess which scene I found to be flawed. I have to give the
film a B+, but Barbara says B. GRADE B+/B
SHREK: Shrek is a huge green ogre. He showers in
mud and has a major ear wax problem. But, he is exceedingly likeable, and his donkey friend is hilarious. Gary, who usually
avoids animated films, said this was the best one he has ever seen. We took our Grandson, Nathan, with us and all three of
us pronounced the movie EXCELLENT and VERY FUNNY. It is also a heartwarming fairy tale in which an imprisoned princess finds
her true love and her true form. The computer animation is incredible! Eddie Murphy is the voice for Donkey and many of his
lines resonate with adults. Shrek fractures a lot of fairy tale conventions--look for the Princess/Bluebird
duet and the torture sequence involving a Gingerbread Man. It is sometimes naughty but never mean-spirited. (Shrek
has a PG rating.) I can guarantee that, unless you have lost your funnybone, you WILL laugh. Both kids and adults will enjoy
the movie, albeit on different levels. I liked how Producer Jeffrey Katzenberg poked fun at Disney, his former employer and
legal adversary--watch for the rope waiting lines at the castle entrance. The sinister Lord Farquaad, voiced by John Lithgow,
is extremely short, reminding us that Michael Eisner, the Disney chief, once said of Katzenberg, "I hate that little midget."
Cameron Diaz is the voice for the liberated princess, and Mike Myers gives a nice Scottish brogue to the ogre. I do not think
we have seen the last of Shrek and his friends. GRADE: A
SHREK 2: We loved the original Shrek (2001) so we were anxious to
see this sequel. Of course, no sequel can reproduce the surprise of the original, but this one is a lot of fun. A bit slow
getting started, the film has plenty of laughs once it gets going. The movie pays homage to many films but you'd have to see
it several times to notice and remember all of them. Be sure not to miss the Flashdance bit in the
Fairy Godmother's production number near the end of the movie. Eddie Murphy is hilarious as Donkey, and Antonio Banderas is
equally amusing as Puss-in Boots. Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz are charming as Shrek and Fiona. Julie Andrews voices Queen
Lillian, Fiona's mother, John Cleese talks for King Harold and, in a surprising bit of casting, Larry King voices the Ugly
Stepsister. Many fairy tale characters are used creatively. There's a particularly funny scene involving Pinocchio. We may
have to reevaluate our position on animated features after seeing these two Shrek movies. GRADE
B+
SICKO: Both Barbara and I are fond of films that make us laugh, make us cry, and make us think. Using
these three criteria, Sicko easily qualifies as an excellent film. I am sure some of our readers have prejudged
this film, hate Michael Moore, and are as likely to see Sicko as they are to vote for a Democrat in the next
presidential election. The film focuses on the U. S. Healthcare Industry. It doesn’t take a genius to recognize that
our Healthcare Industry has many flaws. The genius is in Moore’s ability to make a two hour movie that can hold our
attention with stories and observations that are heart rending and sometimes funny. Michael Moore is not a humble man, but
even many of his critics acknowledge that he is more focused and on target in this film than in his previous efforts. He only
briefly mentions the millions of people who are without health coverage in the United States and he refrains from doggedly
hunting down C.E.O.’s of Health Insurance Companies for interviews. Instead, he concentrates on the poignant and often
infuriating stories of people who have been hurt by an industry designed to generate profit by denying often legitimate claims
of people who believed they would be cared for. I believe this is a documentary that deserves to be seen by everyone instead
of the small percentage of our population that will actually attend. I say A-; Barb says B+. GRADE A-/B+
SIDEWALKS OF NEW YORK: We really liked this movie written and directed by Edward
Burns. Burns obviously respects the talent of Woody Allen, and he has created a New York relationship movie for the 21st Century.
You can almost hear Allen saying some of the lines, but thank goodness we don't have to see him romancing another much younger
woman! The six lovers talk to the camera throughout the movie, and that, combined with the hand-held filming technique, make
Sidewalks look like a documentary. All the characters are funny and fun to watch. Stanley Tucci
is outstanding as a philandering dentist; Heather Graham looks adorable in her tiny horn-rimmed glasses; Brittany Murphy ( Don't
Say A Word) is sort of a young Meg Ryan; and Dennis Farina is letter-perfect as a sleezy womanizer who gives
very bad advice to Burns. This is not a great film--it won't go down as a classic like Annie Hall--but
it is very enjoyable. We laughed a lot and came out of the theater smiling. GRADE: B+
SIDEWAYS: This gem of a film was the hit of the New York Film Festival and we can see why. Paul Giamatti ( American
Splendor) is Miles--a recently divorced failed writer. Thomas Haden Church (TV's Wings) is Jack--a B-list
actor whose career is fading and is about to marry for the first time. The two are best friends. Sideways lets
us travel along with them as they take the week before Jack's wedding to visit the California wine country. It is one of the
best buddy pictures we've ever seen--funny and touching at the same time. The two actors are splendid and work together beautifully.
The women they meet on the trip are played by Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh and they are equally impressive. Miles is a wine
expert and talks about wine a great deal. (It made me long for a glass.) In one memorable scene, Miles tells Maya (Virginia
Madsen) why he is attracted to the pinot noir grape, and we realize that in describing the grape he is describing his life.
Director Alexander Payne adapted the screenplay with his longtime writing partner, Jim Taylor, from the book by Rex Pickett.
Payne has made three other wonderful movies, Citizen Ruth, Election, and About Schmidt. This one
makes it four. Ebert said this about Payne: He finds plots that service his characters, instead of limiting them. The characters
are played not by the first actors you would think of casting, but by actors who will prevent you from ever being able to
imagine anyone else in their roles. There's at least one Oscar nomination for Giamatti here but, if there's any justice
in the world, Virginia Madsen and Church should also get nominations. GRADE A
SIGNS: At the beginning of this movie, everyone talks like they are on a high dosage of Prozac, so you
know it's going to be serious and scary. It does have some scary moments and I suspect it will be popular at the box office.
However, Gary and I were underwhelmed. Of course, we usually don't care for science fiction/exterrestial films to begin with,
unless they are comedies. M Night Shyamalan's first film, The Sixth Sense established his credentials as a journeyman
filmmaker, and we admire his skill at building mystery and suspense. We just don't care much for the stories
he tells. You probably know that this film is about crop circles and aliens--although it is actually more about fear and faith.
Mel Gibson is Graham Hess, a Protestant Priest who left the church when his wife was killed in a freak accident. He and his
two children are still grieving for their lost life. (Maybe that's why they all act as if they were drugged.) Joaquin Phoenix
is Merrill Hess, Graham's younger brother. We can admire the mood that Shyamalan creates, and we can't fault the acting, but,
considering our enjoyment factor, we can't go higher on this one than GRADE: C+/B-.
SILVER CITY: Gary and I have been avid fans of John Sayles since his 1980 film Return of the Secaucus
7. He structures his stories in a stylish way and peoples his films with fascinating characters. His casts include some
of Hollywood's best actors, and I suspect that actors rarely say "no" to a Sayles film. He certainly knows how to bring out
the best in his actors. Silver City is a political film about a candidate, Richard "Dickie" Pilager (Chris Cooper)
who is running for Governor of Colorado. It is obvious that Cooper's character is modeled after G.W. Bush. (For example, Dikie
is inarticulate without a script,) But Dickie Pilager isn't really the main character. As Sayles did in his wonderful Lone
Star, he uses a murder to get the story rolling. Danny O'Brien (Danny Huston) is a former journalist/investigator
who has been hired by Dickie's campaign manager (Richard Dreyfuss, as a Karl Rove type) to look into things. O'Brien uncovers
a twisted story of corporate influence and political shenanigans. Along the way, O'Brien talks with many people: A right-wing
conservative radio talk show host (Miguel Ferrer), an anti-environment corporate mogul who has Pilager's political party in
his pocket (Kris Kristofferson), Dickie's estranged sister who is trying to make the Olympic archery team (Daryl Hannah),
an investigative journalist who is a former flame (Maria Bello), and O'Brien's former editor who now runs a alternative news
website (Tim Roth). Michael Murphy plays Dickie's father, Senator Judd Pilager, and Mary Kay Place is O'Brien's boss. Everyone
is terrific, but Daryl Hannah is especially so. We also liked Danny Huston (21 Grams). John Sayles wrote and
directed this R rated film. We liked it. GRADE B+
SIMONE: Simone hasn't gotten very good reviews, so we didn't expect much. However,
we were pleasantly surprised. This cynical comedy about actors and moviemaking amused us. Viktor Taransky (Al Pacino) is a
has-been movie director whose current project is about to be shelved because his prima-donna star has fled the set. Taransky's
ex-wife, Elaine (Catherine Keener), is the studio head, and she tells Victor that she will not renew his contract. Enter a
strange character: Hank Aleno (Elias Koteas) is a computer wizard who has perfected a digital human being, and he leaves the
hard drive to Taransky in his will. Nine months later, a new star is born. Taransky inserts his digital creation, Simone (short
for Simulation One), into his movie and not only is the movie a tremendous success, but audiences fall in love with Simone.
Taransky goes to great lengths to present Simone as a recluse and keep her out of sight, but the press and the public are
insatiable. There comes a time when Taransky tries to "put the genie back in the bottle," but this turns out to be difficult.
Although some of the technical aspects of Simone are unrealistic, it may not be long before such technology
exists. Much of what we see now on the screen has been digitized. Pacino plays Taransky with his tongue firmly planted in
his cheek, and we appreciated the light touch he brings to his role. Keener (Lovely And Amazing) is
hot these days, perhaps because she is a real "live" actor. And a good one. We think this film deserves a GRADE
B.
SIN CITY: Visually and technically this film is extraordinary. It is a comic book—excuse me, "graphic
novel"—come to life. Unfortunately, that technical and visual excellence only interested us for the first half of the
movie; after that, it got tedious. The plot and hard-boiled dialogue are also comic book inspired. I agree with EW’s
reviewer who thought the dialogue sounded like "Guy Noir paraodies from Garrison Keillor." Take this line for example: "It’s
a lousy room in a lousy part of a lousy town." Doesn’t that sound just like Guy Noir? The all-star cast did all their
scenes in front of a blue screen and the backgrounds were filled in digitally. We were especially impressed by Mickey Rourke
as Marv, a hulking tough-guy who got shot multiple times and somehow miraculously recovered. Of course, that applied
to most of the guys in the film. The women aren’t as lucky. The cast includes Bruce Willis, Rosario Dawson (looking
fabulous), Benicio Del Toro, Clive Owen, Michael Madsen, Brittany Murphy, and Michael Clarke Duncan. Creativity of filmmaking—A;
Entertainment value for us—C. GRADE C
SIN NOMBRE: Sin Nombre (Without Name) is in Spanish with English subtitles.
Only 96 minutes long, it is a remarkable film, especially when you realize it is the first feature film by director Cary Fukunaga.
Fukunaga, an American, decided to make this film after reading a 2003 story about 80 illegals found locked in a truck and
abandoned in Texas. Nineteen died. This Sundance prizewinning film is not about that incident, but was inspired by it. It
is a gripping story of escape and survival in which a teenage girl, fleeing poverty, meets a boy who is running for his life
after killing his gang’s leader. You will recognize none of the actors, but you may be moved by the incredible hardship
and danger people go through hopping for a better life. It is not a happy film, but as with Slumdog Millionaire,
you will be exposed to experiences that may change your perception of the world. GRADE B
THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS: I don’t think there’s a woman alive who doesn’t
secretly believe that if she could find the perfect pair of jeans it could change her life. We spend a lot of our lives searching
for that perfect pair of pants. When four teenaged friends find a pair of jeans that miraculously fits all of them perfectly,
even though they are vastly different in size and shape, they buy the pants and form a sisterhood. During one summer vacation,
they pass the pants around, convinced that they are magic. And they may be. Each of their lives does, indeed, change that
summer. Two find love—one in an unsuspected place, one learns about herself and comes to gripes with her mother’s
death, and the fourth is able to connect with an absent father. This movie is a delight and the four actresses are incredibly
appealing. Gary noticed that he and one other young man were the only audience members of the male persuasion in the theater
that afternoon. But he enjoyed the movie almost as much as I did. It’s funny and touching and lovely. It is based on
a best-selling and wildly popular teen novel. Not having read the book, we were not hampered in our enjoyment of the movie
by comparisons to the printed word. The actresses are Amber Tamblyn (TV’s Joan of Arcadia), Alexis Bledel (TV’s
The Gilmore Girls), Blake Lively (new to us), and America Ferrrera (so good in Real Women Have Curves).
GRADE B+
THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS 2: The magic jeans are still traveling, although the
girls are a bit older. Graduated from high school, the friends have separated to different colleges. They are even spending
their first summer vacations away from each other. As the pants travel from one girl to another, we get a scene or two bringing
us up-to-date on the recipient’s life. Amber Tamblyn, Alexis Bleder, America Ferrera and Blake Lively are as appealing
as they were in the first film. Ferrera’s story was our favorite because most of it takes place at a summer stock theatre
in Vermont. We were especially glad to see Blyth Danner playing Lively’s grandmother. In another bit of interesting
casting, Ernie Lively, Blake’s real-life dad, plays her father in the film. In the final scenes we are once again treated
to the gorgeous scenery of the island of Santorini, Greece. Although Gary was not thrilled with the first part of the movie,
he was eventually drawn in to the stories and thought it ended well. James Berardinelli of Reel Views said, "As chick flicks
go, this is one men can attend with the expectation that they might just enjoy experiencing two hours alongside these down-to-earth,
appealing characters." Travis Nichols of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer said, "It’s enjoyable, even if it's extremely
slight – a fine diversion from the Dark Knights and Hellboys of summer." We agree with them both. GRADE B
SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE: This film, made in India, may not have everything, but it has a lot:
the excitement of a game show, the stark realism of police brutality, the romantic tugs of a love story, the enlightenment
of a good travelogue, and a Bollywood happy ending. There are no familiar faces in this uplifting story of Jamal, an
18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai (formerly Bombay) poised to win the biggest TV game show payoff in the history
of India. Is Jamal a genius? Is he a cheat? The answer unfolds in a series of falshbacks that are like chapters in a fast
moving novel. You may have to go out of your way to find this film and you may even have to wait and rent it from Netflix,
but it is worth the extra effort or the extra wait. We saw the film with Movie Views readers Sam & Sharon. Barbara,
Sam, and Sharon liked the film, but I liked it a little more. GRADE A-/B+
SMALL TIME CROOKS: This pleasant crime-caper comedy is sort of old fashioned:
There are no nude scenes, car chases or gunfights and bodily fluids do not constitute any of the humor. The laughs come from
the nature of the people along with some very funny lines. Woody Allen generously shares the funny lines with his co-stars.
if you don't like Allen, you probably won't care for the movie. We like him and we definitely liked the movie. It was good
to see him playing opposite Tracey Ullman and Elaine May. Both are very funny and not teenagers. Ray (Allen) is a small time
crook who gets a big time idea for a bank robbery. He convinces his wife, Frenchy, to open a cookie store as a cover for tunneling
into the bank vault. . As you can imagine, the bank job never comes off, but the cookies are a miracle success. A year later,
Ray and Frenchy are filthy rich and hobnobbing with the social elite. When Frency decides she wants to learn to be cultured,
she hires David (Hugh Grant) an opportunistic art dealer to teach her. Ray soon learns that money does not guarantee happiness.
Once again, the B+ is Garys. GRADE: B/B+
SMART PEOPLE: This is a pleasingly quirky little comedy filled with intelligent, but dysfunctional characters,
always favorites in independent films. Dennis Quaid plays a self-centered academic snob who has never recovered from the death
of his wife. His 17-year-old dysfunctional daughter is brilliantly played by Ellen Page (Juno)
and Thomas Haden Church inhabits the role of his dysfunctional brother. Church was nominated for an Oscar for his role in
the film Sideways, and here he reminds us of just how good he can be. Sarah Jessica Parker plays
his dysfunctional potential girl friend who just may be a catalyst for change. Funny moments, witty dialogue and interesting
character development held Barbara’s and my interest enough to make us leave the theater with smiles on our faces and
a positive review for first-time director Noam Murro. GRADE B+
(Barb’s note: We were surprised to see Christine Lahti in a minor role. Wonder why she doesn’t
get more work in feature films. She looks terrific!)
SNATCH: It is difficult to review a movie like Snatch. The plot is confusing
at best. It revolves around a huge diamond, a crooked fight promoter, gypsies and pigs. There are so many low-life characters
that it took us halfway through the movie to keep them straight. The film has style, but the low-class British accents slang
are almost impossible to understand. Director Guy Ritchie made an earlier film titled Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
that was praised by critics. We did not see this earlier film, but according to Roger Ebert's review, Snatch slavishly follows
the formula of Lock, Stock, etc. Ritchie has obviously been influenced by the Coen Brothers and Quentin Tarentino. When Joel
and Ethan Coen produced Blood Simple in 1984, they began the trend of mixing violence with quirky humor--something they brought
to award-winning level in Fargo. Tarentino has also made of career of the strange combination of horrofic violence, killers
who have inane conversations, and humor. The best part of Snatch is Brad Pitt, playing a gypsy bare-knuckle fighter who speaks
in an accent so strange that even the other film characters can barely understand him. Pitt is hilarious. Dennis Farina is
also entertaining as an American who is after the diamond. We admit to finding some things to like in this movie, although
after the first 15 minutes we were tempted to leave. Even though we're glad that we stayed until the end, we still can't recommend
this one. GRADE: C
SNOW ANGELS: It’s about disintegrating relationships, betrayal and a missing child.
Clearly, not a comedy. Although the opening scene of a small town high school marching band rehearsing for Friday night’s
football game is mildly amusing, two gun shots that interrupt the rehearsal foretell the serious nature of the film. The acting
is uniformly excellent. For us, the standout performance is that of Sam Rockwell as the troubled (and perhaps psychotic) Glenn.
Separated from his wife, Annie (Kate Bechinsale), he is desperately trying to reunite with her and their young daughter. His
scenes were challenging for an actor, and he made every one believable. (He was the actor who played Chuck Barris in 2002’s
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.) Amy Sedaris and Nicky Katt are another couple whose marriage is
in trouble. The happiest relationship in the film is that of Michael Angarano and Olivia Thirlby two high school students
flirting with each other and with the idea of being in love. In his review of the film, Michael Phillips (Chicago Tribune)
called Angarano the "best screen teen, deadpan male division, since Michael Cera." Thrilby, who played Ellen Page's best
friend in Juno, is charming. The film is based on a novel by Stewart O’Nan and is set in an
unidentified northern town in the dead of winter. It’s a dreary-looking town and a decidedly gloomy story, but you will
see some fine acting. GRADE B
THE SOLOIST: In 2005 , Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez happened upon a homeless
man playing a violin beneath a statue of Beethoven. The violin had only two strings, but the man who played it had a rare
gift. Lopez saw the possibility of a column about Nathaniel Anthony Ayers, a man who used music to dispel the terrors of the
paranoid schizophrenia which took him from Juilliard Music School to the streets of Los Angeles. The column Lopez wrote brought
in more email than any previous column. It also brought Lopez several more columns, a book deal, a movie, and a friendship
that has changed the lives of both men. The story isn’t about recovery because Mr. Ayers refuses to take medication.
It is about the power of friendship and the power of music. Jamie Foxx does a masterful job of playing the wildly erratic
Ayers: a man who can be charming one minute and manic the next. Is there nothing this actor can’t do? Robert Downey,
Jr. is equally brilliant at Lopez. The real Steve Lopez must be delighted that the actor portrays him with such authenticity.
(Although the movie makes Lopez into a younger, divorced version of the writer who is actually happily married.) Director
Joe Wright steps out of his gentile British sensibility (he directed Atonement and Pride and Prejudice)
and shows us a side of Los Angeles we rarely see—some of the city’s 90,000 homeless living on the streets and
sleeping in doorways. Wright also tries to take us inside the mind of a schizophrenic using voices, colors, and hallucinations.
Catherine Keener appears as the fictional ex-wife. There’s no big uplifting Hollywood ending to this film, but in real
life, endings like that rarely happen. To watch the 60 Minutes interview with Steve Lopez and Mr. Ayers, click on the picture
accompanying this review. GRADE B+.
SOMETHING NEW: This entertaining romantic comedy rises above it’s rather trite story
line with a better-than-average script and two engaging leads. Sanaa Lathan is Kenya, a bright, successful, driven
career woman who hasn’t yet found her dream IBM. (That’s Ideal Black Man.) She reacts badly when she meets Brian
on a blind date. It’s not that he isn’t gorgeous and charming; it’s that he’s white. The Australian
hearthrob, Simon Baker, is Brian and he looked ideal to me! Kenya, a new home owner, reluctantly agrees to hire Brian as her
landscape architect. (The job he does on her backyard is spectacular, and no, that isn‘t a euphemism.) Needless to say,
Kenya falls for him, but has to overcome the objections of her up-scale brother (Donald Faison from TV’s Scrubs)
and her socialite/shopper mother (Alfre Woodard). Kenya’s surgeon father is played by Mike Epps, and Blair Underwood
provides a suitable black alternative to Brian. Sanaa Hamri’s only previous directing credit was a Prince concert in
Vegas. Writer Kriss Turner wrote for the TV series, Whoopie, and is the co-executive producer of Everybody Hates
Chris. We give this one a solid B. GRADE B
SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE: What a joy it is to see two actors in their prime playing two people in their
prime. Diana Keaton and Jack Nicholson are perfect for their parts. Let's face it, writer/director Nancy Meyers wrote the
part of Erica for Keaton, and Nicholson is pretty much playing himself--the charming sophisticated older man who only dates
young women. Harry Langer (Nicholson) and Erica Barry meet when Harry is dating Erica's daughter, Marin (Amanda Peete). Erica
is a famous playwright and Harry is a famous bachelor. You know they're going to wind up together, but the getting there is
what's fun. Francis McDormand is Erica's sister and Keanu Reeves is Julian, the doctor who takes care of Harry when he has
a mild heart attack. Except for the movie, Speed, I haven't cared much for Reeves but he is appealing and believable
as a younger man attracted to the delightful Erica. Just watching Keaton and Nicholson is the real pleasure in this film.
How nice to see two people who look their age, and look terrific! The only reason we didn't give the movie an unqualified
A, is that we felt it was a bit too long--at one point I had the feeling that the writer didn't know how to end it. But it
does end, and quite satisfyingly too. We think you'll like it! GRADE: A-
SON OF RAMBOW: Two lonely boys become unlikely friends when they work together on a short film. Will
is a talented artist, but a solitary child with virtually no friends. His widowed mother is a member of a dreary religious
group called "The Brethern," and she doesn’t allow Will to have "worldly" friends outside the church, listen to music,
watch TV, or do any of the things that youngsters like to do. When he crosses paths with Lee, the school trouble-maker, he
sees his very first film, Rambo: First Blood, and he is entranced. He starts out as stuntman for the film that
Lee is making for a film competition, but soon is playing the lead role. When a charismatic French exchange student, along
with his groupies, becomes interested in the film, the growing friendship between the two boys is compromised. The story is
set in an English village in the mid 80s. Despite the violence of the film the boys are making, Son of Rambow is
really quite a gentle film. Reader Holly V., IL recommended this movie, and you’ll want to read her remarks in
this issue’s Readers Views. GRADE B
SPANGLISH: We were charmed by this off-beat comedy. If you are expecting a typical Adam Sandler comdy,
you will be disappointed. Sandler plays it pretty straight here and he does it quite well. His John Clasky is a man who is
desperately trying to remain sane when everything around him is going crazy. Tea Leoni, Cloris Leachman and Paz Vega are all
excellent in their roles. Leoni manages to bring some humanity to a woman who lives permanently on the edge of hysteria, and
Leachman is delightful as Sandler’s tippling mother-in-law. However, it was Paz Vega who most caught our attention with
her portrayal of a caring mother who is struggling to raise a daughter in a country whose culture in strange to her. Flor
(Vega) speaks only Spanish and, when she becomes the housekeeper in the Clasky home, her daughter has to translate for her.
(These scenes are some of the funniest in the movie.) Writer/Director James L. Brooks ( Terms of Endearment, As Good
As It Gets, The Mary Tyler Moore Show) has provided the cast with an intelligent script and together they have created
a delightful and touching movie. What the film lacks in believable realism, it more than makes up for in human values and
funny situational comedy. We were sorry to see it end. GRADE A- (Gary) GRADE B+(Barb)
SPARTAN: The critics have raved about this film, written and directed by David Mamet.
Many critics think that Mamet has an extraordinary gift for writing realistic dialogue. We have seen and enjoyed many of Mamet's
plays and movies, but I must confess that I often find his dialogue stilted. Val Kilmer is a government secret agent who is
assigned to the task of rescuing the President's daughter who has been kidnapped. It turns out to be a complicated web of
intrigue involving white slavery and White House treachery. The script makes no effort to explain what is happening at the
beginning of the movie--something most critics liked, but will, I think, be frustrating for many viewers. Kilmer is good,
and we liked seeing Derek Luke (Antwone Fisher) and Tia Texada (TV's Third Watch). Gary gives
it a B-, but I can't go higher than C+. GRADE B-/C+
SPELLBOUND: This is a terrific documentary. It was nominated for Best Documentary at last
year's Oscars. It follows eight young people who participated in the National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C. The filmmaker
(Jeffrey Blitz) did an excellent job of introducing us to the eight spellers, showing them with their parents, winning their
regional bees, and interacting with friends. Such interesting appealing kids! By the time they all arrived in D.C. we felt
we knew each one and couldn't help but root for them all. Of course, only one out of the 249 that go to Washington will come
away with the trophy. The National Spelling Bee was started in 1925 by the Scripps-Howard newspaper chain. At one point in
the film, we saw the elderly gentleman who won the first Bee in 1925. The ritual is time-honored. The word is pronounced,
and repeated. It may be used in a sentence. Then the contestant has to repeat it, spell it and say it again. The speller cannot
go back and correct a single letter--once it is said out loud, it cannot be changed. It's amazing how much tension there is
as spellers agonize over how to spell a word that they often have never heard before. We loved this movie! It has both suspense
and humor. We give this film as enthusiastic GRADE: A.
SPIDER-MAN:
Leaving the theater after seeing Spider-Man, we overheard a man say to his wife, "That was a stupid movie." We did not
agree--we liked it. We didn't expect great writing or acting, after all, it's in the comic book superhero genre. This
is a genre we usually avoid, but, we wanted to see this movie because of Toby Maquire. He is Peter Parker, a slightly nerdy
high school senior who is bitten by a spider on a class field trip to Columbia University. (In the 1962 Comic Book, the spider
was radioactive. Now it is a genetically altered superspecies.) The best part of this film is watching Parker cope with the
changes his body undergoes as a result of the spider bite. It takes him a while to learn how to spin the webs that allow him
to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Parker is in love with his next door neighbor, Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst), but she
doesnt seem to know he is alive. As Parker gradually turns into a superhero, he and Mary Jane get closer. The young love story
makes the movie interesting when Spider-Man isn't vanquishing evil doers, and gives some heart to an otherwise special effects
comic book extravaganza. We both really enjoyed Spider-Man. Maquire and Dunst are excellent and Cliff Robertson and Rosemary Harris are effective as Parker's Uncle and Aunt.
When Parker graduates, he gets a job as a free lance photographer for the local newspaper. J.K. Simmons, who is the psychiatrist
on TV's Law and Order, is hilarious as J.
Jonah Jameson. The New York Times reviewer said that Simmons "explodes into the picture like a cartoon Edward G. Robinson,
stealing all his scenes, of which there are too few." Willem Dafoe is Spider-Man's evil nemesis. By all means, take the
kids to see this one, and if you don't have any kids to take, go see it anyway. GRADE B+ /B
It's a superhero movie for people who don't go to superhero movies,
and for those who do, it's the one they've been yearning for.
. . . Roger Ebert
SPIDER-MAN 2: I have to agree with Roger Ebert. Even Gary, who doesn't care for the genre, liked this
second in the Spider-Man series. Tobey Maguire is terrific as Peter Parker, a young man born with a rare skill who can't bring
himself to accept his destiny. At one point, he throws his Spider-Man costume in the trash determined to live a normal life.
But, of course, he must once again don his costume when he is forced into a confrontation with Doctor Octopus. ( Stan Lee,
the author of the Spider-Man comic books, created Doctor Octopus in the 1960s and I'm told this movie is quite true to the
comic book.) Alfred Molina makes an interesting and creative villain. His Doctor Octopus starts out as a scientist with
the good of mankind in his heart, but events cause him to change. Once again, Kirsten Dunst is charming as Mary Jane Watson,
Parker/Spider-Man's best friend. Once again, she wants to be more than just a best friend. We also liked Rosemary Harris as
Aunt May and we though J.K. Simmons was very funny as newpaper editor J. Johah Jameson. Sam Ramie directed. I think this one
is worth an A-, but Gary can't quite bring himself to give an A to a comic book movie. He says B+. GRADE A-/B+
SPY GAME: This tautly directed spy
film helps make up for Robert Redford's last dismal outing in The Last Castle. Here Redford is back
to his old form, with a better script and Brad Pitt as his partner. Both are excellent in this story of loyalty in the CIA--something
that may sounds like an oxymoron. Nathan Muir (Redford) is old school CIA. On the day of his retirement, he discovers that
Tom Bishop (Pitt),a young agent he mentored who has now become a rogue operative, has been taken captive in a Chinese prison
and will be executed the next morning. It is 1991 and a trade agreement with China is about to be signed. It appears that
the C.I.A. is willing to sacrifice Bishop in order to preserve Chinese/American relations. Muir won't let that happen. While
we watch Muir manipulating the system to help Bishop, we learn of their relationship through flashbacks. Some critics were
bothered by the flashbacks, but we were not. Tony Scott (Top Gun) directed the film and he maintains the tension
throughout. The Cranky Critic complained because Redford looks exactly the same in 16-year-old flashbacks as he does in 1991.
It's true, but it didn't really bother me. And Brad Pitt proves, once again, that he is much more than just a pretty face.
(But what a face!) We both liked this one and recommend it for all those who enjoy a good spy story combined with plenty of
action scenes and characters with some depth. (See if you can recognize Charlotte Rampling in a small part.) GRADE:
B+
SPY KIDS: This is a creative kid's movie that is tons of fun for the kids and enjoyable
for parents as well. We took our grandson, Nathan--10 years old--and both Gary and I found things to chuckle at. Robert Rodriquez,
who has directed such violent films as Desperado, and From Dusk Until Dawn,
has crafted an upbeat movie with a wholesome message. Gregorio and Ingrid Cortez (Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino) are retired
secret agents. They are also a most attractive couple. When they are kidnapped by Fegan Floop (Alan Cumming), the host of
a kid's TV show who has dreams of taking over the world, their two children--Carmen (Alexa Vega) and Juni (Daryl Sabara) have
to go to their rescue. The two youngsters become spies and manage to save their parents. Floop is assited by Minion (Tony
Shalhoub) and the Thumb-Thumbs--they are literally and figuratively all thumbs. Robert Patrick, who was the metallic man in
Terminator II, plays a corporate villain. The special effects are great fun, and there is nothing
mean-spirited about the humor. Rodriquez obviously had a ball doing this movie. We can definitely recommend taking a kid to
this one. (Geoge Clooney fans will be especially delighted with his cameo appearance.) GRADE: B
SPY KIDS 2: ISLAND OF LOST DREAMS: Grandson Nathan and I saw the first Spy Kids movie and
we liked it. This one is not quite as good as the first one, although it does have some creative effects. What's missing is
the novelty of kids performing like spies. Once again, Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara are the talented kids and Antonio Banderas
and Carla Gugino play their parents. In addition, this version features their grandparents, played by Holland Taylor and Ricardo
Montalban. And once again, an evil man is trying to take over the world, only this time, he is a member of the OSS organization,
and his two children are part of the Spy Kids organization. There is a great deal of energectic competition between the two
sets of siblings. It's all very high tech--full of amazing gadgets and high speed racing around. Steve Buscemi plays a mad
hermit scientist on the mysterious island of the title. He began his genetic experiments cloning miniature versions of animals.
He hoped to sell a miniature zoo, complete with tiny animals. (See picture above.) But when he decided to make them just a
bit bigger everything got out of hand. It resulted in some very strange crossbreeds, the best of which is a giant spider monkey,
sort of a centaur-like creature. Nathan thought the first movie was a B+, but that this was only worth a B.
I'd probably grade it lower, maybe C+. GRADE: C+
THE SQUID AND THE WHALE: This movie is hard to categorize and, I suspect, even harder to
forget. It tells the story of a divorce seen almost entirely from the viewpoint of the couple’s two sons. Bernard (Jeff
Daniels) is a professor of English at a New York college. He has had one book published early in his career, but nothing lately.
He is pompous, pretentious, competitive and terribly insecure. Joan (Laura Linney) is also a writer and her novel is about
to be published. Their older son, Walt (Jesse Eisenberg ), is 16,
and their younger son, Frank (Owen Kline*), is 10. When their parents decide on shared custody, the boys
take sides. Walt idolizes his father and faithfully parrots the older man’s opinions on everything. Frank is more attached
to his mother. Except in rare instances, we never see either of the parents without one or both of their boys. I can see why
The Squid and the Whale was a film festival darling. The acting and writing are superb. Daniels has
had the best reviews of his career, and the film provides Laura Linney with one more chance to excel. Both the young boys
are terrific. However, the film is character-driver, not plot-driven, and you can’t identify with either of the flawed
parents. Be warned that the film deals with teen-age sex and masturbation, and is liberally sprinkled with 4-letter words.
So, unless you are enamored of Independent Films, you may not care for this movie. We did like it and give it a B+. GRADE
B+
(*Owen Kline is the son of Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates.)
The Squid and the Whale has the power to break your heart and heal it again. Acutely observed,
faultlessly acted, graced with piercing emotion and unsparing honesty, it will make you laugh because you can't bear to cry.~~Kenneth
Turan, Los Angeles Times.
STAR TREK: Tagline: The future begins. If you’re interested in how
James T. Kirk became captain of the Starship Enterprise, this film will give you the necessary background. You’ll also
be introduced to the familiar characters of Spock, Scotty, Sulu, et.al. The young actors were well cast for their roles, and
Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto are perfect for Kirk and Spock. Lenoard Nimroy, the original Spock, makes a surprise appearance,
as this story jumps back and forth in time. Even though I watched the TV series only rarely, I was interested in seeing the
beginning of this series that has become a science fiction icon. It was the human story that appealed to me, but most of the
space battle scenes made me long for a nap. (Gary thought he dozed off during a couple of them.) I can’t really comment
on the special effects, since we try our best to avoid most science fiction thriller movies. I guess they were good, but mostly
they were fast, loud and boring. Eric Bana is unrecognizable as Nero, the evil captain of the Romulan space ship. The movie
did well at the box office and got some glowing reviews, so you can expect sequels—sequels we will no doubt avoid. I’m sure that trekkers will grade this film much higher than we do. (See Readers’ Views) GRADE
C+
STARDUST: Barbara and I often approach
this film genre (Romance/Science Fiction/Fantasy) with trepidation, but we were both won over by a cast which included Claire
Danes, Robert DeNiro, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Peter O’Toole The trailer was also appealing, so we ignored our reservations
and headed for the theater. Professional critics were all over the map ranging from D to A and that gave us another good reason
to add our opinion to the mix. I guess we always hope for a film with the impact of The Princess Bride.
As you might expect Stardust is no "…Princes Bride, but it has its
moments not the least of which is a cross-dressing pirate played by DeNiro, haggling with a low-life played by Ricky Gervais
(Extras on TV) over the price of fenced goods. The story line is too painful to describe, but involves Danes playing
a "fallen star." Not the Hollywood variety, but the Hollywood image of the celestial variety. It also involves a wall that
separates England from the fantasy kingdom of Stormhold. Of course Michelle Pfeiffer plays beautiful, ugly, and evil with
aplomb. Barbara especially loved King Stormhold’s (O’Toole) dead sons who are shot in black and white and provide
many comic moments. We see far too little of Peter O’Toole, but what we see is wonderful. I have to confess that I found
the action between the early appearance of O’Toole and the mid-way appearance of DeNiro to be soporific. Barbara liked
the film better than I. She gives it a "B." Grade C+/B
(Note from Barb: I thought
Claire Danes and Charlie Cox made a charming couple. In spite of the fact that the couple-who-starts-out-disliking-each-other-and-ends-up-in-love
is a much used cliché, they made it work. The ending of the film was especially touching. However,
the special effects and the darkness of some scenes overwhelmed the love story. They didn't make that mistake
in The Princess Bride. Also, it could have used more humor.)
STARSKY & HUTCH: Gary and I never watched the TV show on which this film is based, but
we still enjoyed watching Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. Stiller does up tight better than anyone, and Wilson is the supreme
laid-back dude. The critics' comments on this spoof range from "affectionate and surprisingly funny," to "dismal." We lean
more toward the former. Starsky's perm and his red Ford Torino were fun, and Vince Vaughn is very funny as a big-time cocaine
dealer. Snoop Dogg is Huggy Bear, a combo pimp/superfly/police informer whose outfits are not to be believed. Will Ferrell
turns up in a weird cameo as a prisoner with some very kinky requests. Gary enjoyed the Stiller and Wilson antics enough to
give the film a B, and grandson, Nathan, laughed a lot and said it was an A- movie. I did laugh out loud several times, but
taken overall I have say C+. (The fact that I had a cold and a bad cough, which I desperately tried to stifle, may have interfered
with my enjoyment.) GRADE A-/B/C+
STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING: (2007 Release) Heather (Lauren Ambrose) is a graduate student
writing her thesis on Leonard Schiller (Frank Langella), an author whose critically acclaimed books, written years before,
are no longer in print. Reluctant at first to take time from the novel he is writing, Schiller eventually succumbs to Heather’s
youthful enthusiasm and her intense admiration for his earlier novels. As you might expect in a movie about a writer, there
isn’t much action, and for many used to the rapid pace of typical Hollywood fare, it will seem slow-moving. But Langella
is marvelous and Ambrose and Taylor both give stellar performances. The relationship between the elderly author and the young
student is an interesting one and is the heart of the film, but it is handled with supreme subtlety. The emotions of the characters
in this film are rarely out in the open. They simmer beneath the surface of the words. We also are given glimpses of Schiller’s
relationship with his daughter, Ariel (Lilli Taylor), who is facing some life-changing decision of her own. If interesting
and intelligent characters and dialogue are your thing, you will like this film. GRADE B
STATE AND MAINE: Thank goodness we saw this lighthearted movie on the same day we saw Quills.
At least the day ended on a happy note. We always enjoy seeing movies about moviemaking, and this is a particularly good one.
David Mamet has assembled a cast that includes some of his old Chicago actor friends--W.H.Macy, Jack Wallace and Rebecca Pidgeon--plus
a lot of other talented people. Macy is the director of a movie-in-the-making called The Old Mill. They began filming in New
Hampshire where they had constructed an actual mill, but were forced out of town due to the penchant of their star, Bob/Alec
Baldwin, for bedding teenaged girls. The town of Waterford, Vermont seems perfect for them, and the financially strapped film
crew takes over the sleepy little village. We are treated to a lot of behind-the-scenes maneuvering and also to the effect
that the presence of the movie people has on the townspeople. Baldwin is very amusing as the lecherous leading man, and Sarah
Jessica Parker displays her considerable comedic talents as a temperamental diva who wants only to be taken seriously. The
ubiquitous Philip Seymour Hoffman is the hapless writer who is out of his depth working on his first movie. His relationship
with a local bookstore owner, Rebecca Pidgin, is State and Maine's only love story. Charles Durning is Waterford's Mayor and
Patti LuPone is his starstruck wife. GRADE: B+
STATE OF PLAY: If you like old school suspense without spectacular car crashes, you may
want to put this film on your "want to see" list. Don’t worry, there is still plenty of action. In the fast opening
scenes a man is shot dead in an alley; a passing bicyclist is killed, and a woman is shoved or jumps under a subway train.
A mercenary security company (think Blackwater) may be protecting a multibillion-dollar industry. Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams,
and Ben Affleck effectively play the leads in this twisty, topical, political thriller. Helen Mirren, Robin Wright Penn, Jeff
Daniels, and Jason Bateman are all fun to watch in supporting roles. The film was directed by Kevin Macdonald who also directed
The Last King of Scotland. Crowe plays a scruffy, seasoned newspaper reporter who may be onto the biggest story
since Watergate. McAdams plays a perky newspaper blogger who also fills the role of cub reporter. In an interesting bit of
trivia, I learned that Brad Pitt was originally scheduled to play the disheveled reporter that was taken over by Crowe when
Pitt had to drop out. I like the acting of Pitt at least as well as Crowe, but I think Crowe was a better fit. It is also
interesting to know that this American film is a condensation of a 2003 British mini-series. Barbara and I both felt the film
deserves relatively high marks. GRADE B+
THE STATION AGENT: In the last issue, Peg C., our local star of stage and screen trying to make it big
in Hollywood, said that if she could see only one film this year, The Station Agent would be that film. I can
certainly understand the feeling. This is one of the best independent films ever. The film is a study in loneliness and friendship.
Three very different people become friends, and watching that happen is totally engrossing. Peter Dinklage is Fin McBride,
a dwarf who loves everything about trains. When he inherits an abandoned train station, he leaves the city for rural New Jersey
and makes the station his home. The very first day he meets two people: Joe (Bobby Cannavale), who is running a mobile hot
dog stand for his ailing father, and Olivia (Patricia Clarkson), who is the epitome of accident-prone and almost runs Fin
over with her car--twice. It's an unlikely beginning, and the very solitary Fin is slow to warm up to Joe and Olivia.
The movie is touching and amusing. The actors inhabit their roles so completely that you feel you could go to New Jersey and
meet them. Dinklage is absolutely wonderful. We expect Clarkson to be excellent, and she is, but we weren't as familiar with
Cannevale. Some of you may remember him from TV's The Third Watch. His voluble Joe is a loveable puppy dog kind of
guy, and eventually even the taciturn Fin can't resist his charm. The Station Agent was a favorite at the Sundance
Film Festival and captured acting, writing and audience awards. I'm not surprised. Thomas McCarthy both wrote and directed
this unforgettable film. GRADE: A
STEP BROTHERS: I think Barbara and I would have skipped this film if we had not read the following opening
to an Arizona Repubic review by Bill Goodykoontz: " Step Brothers is stupid. Childish. Moronic. Simple.
Juvenile. Silly. Just rediculous. Man is it funny." I have to say there is some truth in the Goodykoontz evaluation. Given
a film that gloats on irreverence, I admit I often chuckled and was far more entertained than I can logically justify. Will
Ferrell ( Blades of Glory) John C. Reilly ( Chicago), Richard Jenkins ( The Visitor), and
Mary Steenburgen (a ton of roles) take admittedly crude material and make it better than it may deserve. Steenburgen is a
good enough actor to make you believe she could be an enabling single mother of a sporadically employed 39-year-old who still
lives at home. And Jenkins is a good enough actor to make you believe he could be an enabling single father of a terminally
unemployed 40-year-old who still lives at home. A sudden marriage between the two enabling parents forces the immature boys
to live with each other as stepbrothers. Fortunately for the film, Ferrell and Reilly bring no shame or sense of dignity to
their roles. One crude scene involves what one hopes is a stunt scrotum bulging with testicles into full view for the sake
of a petulant adolescent antic. Maybe you should leave the little kids at home. I liked the film a little better than Barbara,
so we settled on the following grades: GRADE C+/C
THE STEPFORD WIVES : Gary has three things to say about this film: 1. The story is stupid, 2. It's a remake,
3. It's very funny. Director Frank Oz and Screenwriter Paul Rudnick were smart not to do a faithful remake of the 1975 movie
made from Ira Levin's thriller novel. Although the feminist heart is still there, the current film is more comedy than thriller.
It has a lot of funny lines, especially those delivered by Bette Midler. Nicole Kidman has a line about AOL that made both
of us laugh out loud. We actually enjoyed this movie more than we expected to after hearing so many critics savage it. I don't
know why they are being so hard on it. I realize it's not a great movie, but it is reasonably entertaining summer fare. Glen
Close, Christopher Walken and Matthew Broderick are fine and Faith Hill does well in her first movie. GRADE C+
STRANGER THAN FICTION: Imagine that you are a writer suffering from writer’s block.
Harold Crick, a mild-mannered IRS agent, is the main character in your new book. You want to kill him at the end of the novel,
but you can’t decide what method to use. Now imagine that you discover Harold Crick is a real person. And, he has been
hearing your voice narrating his actions. Your dilemma: if you kill your character, the real Harold will die. Yes, it is strange,
but the beauty of this film is that you actually buy into the fantasy, perhaps because Will Ferrell as Harold Crick and Emma
Thompson as the conflicted author are so believable. It’s an unusual role for Ferrell. You see none of the over-the-top
character he usually plays. One critic thought he was boring, but we quite liked him. And Maggie Gyllenhaal is charming as a baker who is being audited by the IRS. Dustin Hoffman is very entertaining as a Literature Professor
that Harold turns to for help. Not a great film, but a very enjoyable one. GRADE B
STRANGERS WITH CANDY: Dan Heydaya has the best of it in
this film: He’s in a coma for all but a few minutes of it. Would that we had been! Gary said he expected nothing from
this movie, and, except for one chuckle, that’s what he got. Perhaps we’re too old for this kind of humor, because,
on Yahoo Movies, there are raves from many viewers, all of them probably decades younger than we are. The movie was written
by Stephen Colbert and Amy Sedaris, a Second City alumn and a pretty girl with a rubber face. (She doesn’t look pretty
in this film.) Sedaris stars as Jerri Blank, a 46-year-old ex-junkie and ex-con who emerges from her long prison stay and
returns to high school in a bid to start her life over and bring her father (Heydaya) out of his coma. Sarah Jessica Parker
and Matthew Brokerick make a surprise appearance, and the rest of the cast is fine. We just didn‘t find it funny. We
thought Clerks II was bad, but this one is worse. GRADE D.
STUCK ON YOU: The Farrelly brothers have produced a one-joke movie, and halfway
into it I began to tire of the joke. However, soon after the midway point, the movie took a bit more serious and sentimental
turn, and that revived my interest. Bo (Matt Damon) and Walt (Greg Kinnear) are conjoined twins. They are NOT Siamese twins,
because, as Bo says, "We're Americans." The two men are quite different: Walt is an aspiring actor and a practicing ladies'
man, but Bo is shy and retiring. When Walt decides to go to Hollywood and become a star, Bo, naturally, has to go along. Most
of the humor comes from the spectacle of these two men "stuck together." The funniest scenes show them flipping burgers, pitching
for the Martha's Vinyard baseball team, working as a goalie (goalies?) for the local hockey team, and in the ring as a prize-fighter
with four fists. Several celebrities appear as themselves in Stuck On You: Meryl Streep is less successful
in her appearance as Cher is in hers. Cher does a terrific sendup of herself. Gary thinks the movie deserves a B-. While I
was a bit disappointed in the film, I do remember laughing enough to give it a C+. GRADE A-/B-
SUGAR: The Dominican Republic supplies more players to Major League Baseball than any
other country outside the U.S. Over two dozen U.S. teams have opened training facilities on the island. Young men live at
the camps returning to their homes only on the weekends. Baseball is everything to these young men. It is their chance to
escape poverty, and, if incredibly skilled and lucky, make millions. Sugar is one of these young men. He hopes that his pitching
arm will take him to a Major League team in the U.S. The day he is told to report to the Kansas City training camp is exciting
not just for Sugar, but for his family and friends—the whole neighborhood celebrates. Sugar is eventually sent to a
farm club team in Iowa, and we see the hope and the anxiety in his eyes as he struggles to play well, to learn English, and
to overcome his homesickness. Up to this point, Sugar seems to be a typical sports film, but it slowly develops
into a young man’s search for identity in a strange country. Algenis Perez Soto, who plays Sugar, is not an actor but
a former infielder who had to train for two months to become a convincing pitcher. The filmmakers wanted someone who had the
ability to express himself without words, and the handsome Soto is very good at doing that. Gary thought the film was slow
at times. A long tracking shot that impressed some reviewers was, to us, puzzling. But Soto was terrific, and I liked the
fact that this film is much more than a standard sports story. GRADE B.
SUPERBAD: This one is tough for us to fairly evaluate. Therefore Barbara magnanimously
passed the job off to me. Roger Ebert loved the film and grades it A-, and the average for professional critics on Yahoo is
B+. I am not sure adults of our maturity can fully appreciate adolescent humor, but the favorable reviews lured us to the
theater to try. This is a raunchy teen sex comedy about a couple of co-dependent high school guys who want to make it with
girls before they graduate and go their separate ways to college. Jonah Hill and Michael Sera are appealing as the sex-obsessed
graduates. There is a third character that must be mentioned. His name is Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse). He is a key player
in this hormones and insecurities driven story. His fake ID under the name of "McLoven" may give the boys access to liquor
which may be the ticket to sexual paradise. Superbad, is written by Seth Rogen (Knocked Up) and
his pal Evan Goldberg. Both have roles in the film which supposedly has autobiographical elements. Barbara and I didn’t
hate the film, but we certainly didn’t love it either. We are stuck in the limbo of: GRADE C/C-
THE SUM OF ALL FEARS: We were caught up in this action/triller which is based on a novel
by Tom Clancy. The central character is Jack Ryan (Ben Affleck) as a young researcher employed by the C.I.A. His boss, Bill
Cabot, is played by the always superior Morgan Freeman. Ryan and the C.I.A. are pitted against Nazi terrorists who have placed
a nuclear bomb somewhere in the United States. although it takes them most of the movie to figure this out. Alan Bates is
the leader of the neo-Nazi evildoers whose goal is to force the U.S. and Russia into a nuclear war. It is a frightening vision
of what could easily happen--how terrorists could manipulate the two major powers into annihilating each other. Although there
is an obligatory "happy ending," it isn't very reassuring. We were particularly intrigued by a C.I.A. operative named John
Clark played with convincing menace by Live Schreiber. An Irish actor named Ciaran Hinds was impressive as the Russian President.
James Cromwell is the U.S. President, and several familiar faces serve as cabinet members. Some of the events in the aftermath
of the disaster are a bit hard to believe, but the first hour or so is quite good and it certainly kept our attention. We
saw the movie with MovieViewers Carl and Joanna S., and they agreed that it was "pretty good." We give this one a GRADE:
B.
SUNSHINE CLEANING: The title and the trailer present this film as a comedy. It follows several
months in the life of Rose (Amy Adams), a 30-something single mother working as a house cleaner. She is sleeping with her
high school boyfriend who is married to someone else. Rose’s sister, Norah (Emily Blunt) is a loser still living at
home with her father. The father (Adam Arkin) is a salesman who has spent his life looking for the big score, and never finding
it. Does that sound like a comedy? This film doesn’t fit neatly into any genre. It’s actually a slice of life,
and like life consists of happiness and sorrow, pleasure and pain. The inability to classify the film seems to have bothered
some of the critics, but it didn’t bother us. We were delighted with the characters and the story. Amy Adams is a favorite
of ours and we have been impressed with her talent and charm every time we’ve seen her. When she smiles, it’s
like the sun coming out from behind a cloud. She makes Rose seem valiant rather than pathetic. Adams and Blunt have great
chemistry and elevate the story to something special. And of course, Arkin is Arkin. And that’s a good thing. I should
mention Steve Zahn who plays Rose’s lover. We saw two films today (The Great Buck Howard was the other
one.) and Zahn was in both of them. He played vastly different characters, but was excellent in both films. He is a versatile
and under-appreciated actor. Emily Blunt was also terrific in both of the films we saw today. She has certainly fulfilled
the promise she showed in The Devil Wears Prada. GRADE B+
SWAN LAKE: One of our local theaters is participating with Emerging Pictures to present
world class cultural programming with an Opera and Ballet Cinema Series. We recently saw Russia’s legendary Mariinsky
Ballet Company’s production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. The ballet was filmed during a production in St. Petersburg.
Neither one of us had ever seen the complete ballet, but had seen excerpts. The story of the ballet is based on a Russian
fable about a Prince who falls in love with a girl who has been turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer. She and the other
girl-swans swim in a lake that was formed by the tears of their parents’ weeping. The only way the spell can be broken
is if a man, pure in heart, pledges his love to her. Typical fairy-tale stuff. There are four acts in the ballet and the cast
takes curtain calls after each act. During the third act, Gary whispered, "They aren’t advancing the story very fast,
are they." The dancers were spectacular. The woman who danced Odette was stunning and the Prince was suitably princely. I
think I’d prefer a live production, but only if I could see it performed by a premier dance company. This film is the
next best thing. (Special Review--No Grade)
S.W.A.T. In this recent action/thriller , Samuel L. Jackson assembles an elite S.W.A.T.
team and they proceed to do their thing. Olivier Martinez ( Unfaithful) is Alex Montel, an international fugitive
and Jackson's team is assigned to deliver him to a federal prison. When Montel publicly offers $100,000,000 to anyone who
will free him, the S.W.A.T. team's job becomes rather difficult. Although there are some exciting action scenes,
the thing that makes S.W.A.T. better than the average police action film is the cast and the writing. There
actually is a plot here and characters that you get to know. Colin Farrell heads the team, and of course I'll watch anything
with him in it. Jackson is always watchable and James Todd Smith, aka LL Cool J, is also very good. We were glad to see Michelle
Rodriquez ( Girlfight) looking great as a tough S.W.A.T. officer. Also appearing in a significant role is Josh
Charles, who was on the recently cancelled TV show called Sports Night. Grandson, Nathan, would give this film
a B+ or A-, but Gary and I opt for a GRADE: B-.
SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET: Tim Burton has
already demonstrated his interest in the unusual and macabre, so he was the perfect choice to film this dark tale of the Demon
Barber’s revenge against those who wronged him. In his filmed version of the Broadway play, Burton
paints a dark canvas, making the Dickensian streets of London look exceedingly dismal. The only bright color in the film is
the blood—and oh, there is a lot of blood. Don’t see this if the sight of blood disturbs you. In a nod to the
Coen Brother’s famous wood-chipper scene in Fargo, Burton even shows us Mr. Lovett’s mincer as it
churns out the main ingredient in her meat pies. A sight we were spared in the stage version. Johnny Depp
is outstanding as Sweeney Todd. Of course his acting is brilliant—with Depp that’s a given—but who knew
that he could also sing? And Burton’s wife, Helena Bonham Carter is equally marvelous as Mrs. Lovett, the maker of the
"worst pies in London." Both Carter and Depp received well-deserved Golden Globe nominations. Alan Rickman’s Judge Turpin
is sufficiently malevolent to warrant his fate, and Timothy Spall, playing the Judge’s partner in wickedness, Beadle
Bamford, is wonderfully disgusting. . What little humor there is in the story comes primarily in the lyrics, and with the
cockney accents, you may find some of them a bit difficult to understand. (For this reason, Gary gave the film a grade of
B.) But, if you’re a fan of the musical, and an admirer of Johnny Depp, by all means give Sweeney Todd
a look. I give it an enthusiastic B+. GRADE B+/B
I can guarantee you the closest shave you’ll ever know. . .Sweeney Todd
SWEET AND LOWDOWN: Sean Penn is funny, vain, infuriating anud eventally
touching as Emmet Ray-the second greatest guitarist in the world. Emmet lives to play his guitar, and in his spare time like
to go out to the dump to shoot rats. He likes women, but he is not the marrying kind. He also keeps his feelings locked so
tightly up that he appears to have none. More than one of his women has suggested that if he could unlock his feelings he
might be the world's 91 guitarist. The story has been brilliantly conceived and directed by Woody Allen. It is told in a semi-documentary
style, which works beautifully and makes it hard to remember that Ray is a fictitious character. Penn and Samantha Morton
are both deserving of their Oscar nominations. Morton is unforgettable as Hattie. Although her character is mute, Morton's
expressive face and eyes speak volumes. And Penn proves once again what a fine actor he is. He even manages to look convincing
as a guitarist. No matter what you may think of Allen's private life, he is one hell of a writer/director. GRADE:
B+
SWEET HOME ALABAMA: We expected this movie to be predictable. What we didn't expect is that it would
be poorly written and full of worn out cliches and unpleasant stereotypes. If I lived in a small Alabama town, I would be
insulted by this movie. If I were gay, I would be insulted by this movie. (Even though the most sympathetic character in the
movie is a gay man.) I am insulted as a viewer that the writers had so little respect for my intelligence. Not even the charm
of Reese Witherspoon can save this one, probably because her character isn't sympathetic enough. Witherspoon is Melanie Carmichael,
an up and coming fashion designer with the requisite gay friend. When she gets engaged to Andrew, whose mother (Candice Bergen)
is the mayor of NYC, she rushes back home--her first visit back there in 7 years--to force the man she married right out of
high school to sign divorce papers. The two men, her new fiancée played by Patrick Dempsey and her old husband, played by
Josh Lucas, are the most appealing characters in the movie, and at least they show a bit of charm. We also rather liked the
actress who played Witherspoon's colleague and friend. Her name is Rhona Mitra, and she is a Sandra Bullock look-alike with
a nice British edge. This movie, however, is drek, and we were disappointed that Witherspoon agreed to participate in such
an ill-conceived project. GRADE: D (And Gary thinks that a generous grade.)
SWEET LAND: One of Barbara’s friends who is a MOVIE VIEWS reader told
her not to waste her time with this one. She thought it was boring and implausible. It is admittedly and intentionally slow
going, but we both found it to be tender and moving. It is beautifully set in the plains of Minnesota shortly after WWI. The
pace is true to the rhythms of rural life in Minnesota in the 1920’s. Inge, who speaks only German, arrives with two
bags and a Victrola to meet her future husband in an arranged marriage. In addition to coping with a man she has never met
in a foreign land where she does not speak the language, she also faces a post-WWI prejudice against all things German. The
movie may not be for everyone, but if you remember and liked Days Of Heaven, you will probably find this film
worth seeking out in the few theaters it is likely to play. GRADE B.
SWING VOTE: I went to this film with low expectations but, surprisingly, I rather liked it. One of the
things to like most is the cast: Kevin Costner, Dennis Hopper, Nathan Lane, Kelsey Grammer, Stanley Tucci, George Lopez, Mare
Winningham, Judge Reinhold, and newcomer Madeline Carroll playing the young female lead. Adding to the cast fun are Willie
Nelson, Arianna Huffngton, Richard Petty, Bill Maher, and Mary Hart playing themselves. Costner plays an apathetic, beer guzzling
low-life loser living with his precocious lovable 12-year-old daughter. An unlikely chain of events leads to a National Presidential
election coming down to one vote which will, of course, be cast by Costner. This is a genial political satire that operates
on the underlying assumption that if you make fun of both political parties, you offend neither. The idea that an entire presidential
election could come down to one hung-over man’s vote strains credulity, but if you can suspend disbelief for a couple
of hours you might find yourself chuckling through some pretty funny political jabs. I won’t speak for Barbara, but
I have to grade this one a little above average. GRADE B-
Barb: The best part of this film for me was watching
the politicians and their advisors pander outrageously. What Stanley Tucci referred to as "dancing the dance." I did think
that Costner’s character was stupid for a bit too long, and I got tired of the difficulty his daughter had waking him
up—over and over. But, Madeline Carroll did herself proud, and Paula Patton was lovely as the only principled journalist
in the country. I agree with Gary’s grade.
SWORDFISH: When this movie was over I turned to Gary and said, "Great opening,
good ending and a lot of garbage in between." (Well, I didn't say "garbage." I used a much shorter and more descriptive word.)
John Travolta is Gabriel Shear, a powerful and strange man who hires Stanley (Hugh Jackman) to develop a computer worm for
breaking into the World Bank's mainframe so that he can get his hands on $9 billion that the DEA acquired in drug raids and
socked away. There is no way you can make a hacker sitting at a keyboard exciting, although director Dominic Sena tries his
best. In between the hacking, our attention is diverted with many explosions, a great deal of killing, Travolta's dominating
screen presence, and a good look at Halle Berry's breasts. All this to keep us from noticing what an idiotic and incomprehensible
plot Skip Woods has constructed. Obviously, it didn't work. And did I mention that Travolta is committing all this mayhem
to preserve the American way of life? Thank goodness it was only 97 minutes long! Gary thinks the opening and the ending and
a nice turn by Don Cheadle as an FBI agent are enough to give this one a C, but for me they only raised the movie to a C-.
GRADE: C/C-
SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK: "Knowing that you don’t know
is the first step to knowing." This quote from the movie struck a chord with me, because I can freely admit that when
it comes to Synecdoche, New York, I wasn’t able to take the second step. I think Gary will
be able to talk more intelligently than I about this "cinema of the absurd."
Gary: This is a film most people will avoid. Unless you love theatre
of the absurd and are an avid independent film freak, you may want to skip it. About two thirds of the way through the film,
Barbara leaned over to me and asked, "Is it still Monday? I jokingly explained to her as we left the theater that unless she
enjoyed the mental fog of trying to follow an article on quantum mechanics, she might not appreciate all the nooks and crannies
in Synecdoche….which as far as I can tell is a surrealistic spelling of Schenectady, NY. It is an extraordinarily
depressing journey through the life of a neurotic academic genius whose personal life rarely rises above debilitating self-doubt.
Decades slowly pass as Caden (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) works through his obsessions trying to stage an autobiographical play.
Predictably, the professional critics are all over the map in their evaluations of Synecdoche. Their grades range from
A to D and comments include "mind-blowing, heart-wrenching, terrific, and turgid challenge." One critic suggests that it is
the first movie this year that demands at least two viewings to absorb its densely textured humor. Neither Barbara nor I will
subject ourselves to a second viewing. Were it not for the brilliant acting of Philip Seymour Hoffman, I think this film would
never have made it out of the can. His effort is supported by the skilled acting of Catherine Keener, Samantha Morton, Hope
Davis, and Dianne Wiest. The film represents the first directing job of screenplay writer Charlie Kaufman who wrote Being
John Malkovich, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
I liked this film a little better than Barbara. GRADE C+/C
SYRIANA: This film attempts to illuminate the complexities of the global oil industry, and
that is not an easy task! Through interlocking stories, we gain some understanding of how the demand for oil has subjected
Middle Eastern countries to corporate and governmental manipulation with little regard for the people who live in those countries.
To begin, a fictional gulf oil country has recently negotiated a deal to supply all of its oil to China. This is a huge defeat
for Connex, a Texas-based company that had been the conduit for sending the oil to the U.S. At the same time a small company
named Killen has signed a deal to drill for oil in Kazakhstan. Connex immediately negotiates a merger with Killen to gain
access to Kazakhstan’s substantial oil reserves. However, the Justice Department believes that Killen’s deal with
Kazakhstan may not have been strictly legal, and they begin an investigation. This puts the Connex/Killen merger in jeopardy.
In the course of the film we meet many characters: A CIA field agent (George Clooney); an oil trader based in Geneva (Matt
Damon); the president of Killen (Chris Cooper); The head of a prestigious law firm hired to help with the merger of the two
oil companies (Christopher Plummer); the lawyer assigned to give the appearance of due diligence on the Killen/Kazakhstan
oil deal (Jeffrey Wright); a young Pakistani man who loses his job in the Connex oil fields and finds a higher calling; Prince
Nasir (Alexander Siddig), who sold his country’s oil rights to the Chinese, and his younger brother Prince Meshal (Akbar
Kurtha) who, if he becomes Emir upon his father’s death, will negate the Chinese deal and give the oil back to America.
Oh yes, there’s also a mysterious character named Stan, played by William Hurt. We never know who he is. If this all
sounds rather complicated it’s because it is. But eminently watchable. As Ebert said in his review, This is another
one of those movies in which the characters inhabit separate stories, but we gradually discover how those in one story are
connected to those in another. In this respect it reminded us of Traffic and Crash, and the
Altman movie, Short Cuts. In fact, Syriana’s writer and director is Stephen Gaghan who won
the Best Screenplay Oscar for Traffic. Gary missed some of the dialogue, so
he had a bit of trouble following the story and would give the film a B. I liked it more than he did. It gave me a lot to
think about. I say A-. GRADE A-/B
 Thumbs Up Films
The Secret of Roan Innish: We love this
Irish fable about a Selkie--a creature that is both seal and woman.--and the family that lived on the island of Roan Innish.
Fiona, a young girl living with her grandparents learns of her family's history and the story of her little brother Jamie,
whose cradle was carried off by the waves. She determines to find the lost child. Beautifully photographed and lovingly told.
ENTHUSIASTIC THUMBS UP
Sherrybaby: (2006) Maggie Gyllenhaal shines
as a young woman who has just gotten out of prison, sentenced for three years because she stole to support her heroin
habit. She is desperately trying to stay clean and reconnect with her 5-year-old daughter. She also must find a job and deal
with her stern parole officer. Gyllenhaal is masterful at playing a person who seems to have stepped out of real life. Her Sherry
is sympathetic yet at the same time, maddeningly selfish and self-destructive. It is a tour-de-force for this young actress
who we predict is going to become one of the very best. ENTHUSIASTIC THUMBS UP
A Shot In The Heart: Giovanni Ribisi is Gary Gilmore's
brother in this superior film. He visits his brother one week before his execution to decide whether he should attempt to
secure a stay. Powerful performances. THUMBS UP
16 Blocks: (2006) Bruce Willis is an aging, gimpy, probably alcoholic
cop who is ordered to pick up a witness and take him to the court house for a grand jury appearance. It doesn’t take
long for Willis to learn that Eddie Bunker (Mos Def) is going to give testimony against a group of cops on the take, and that
those cops will do anything to keep him from testifying. Willis has only his wits and a normal gun to save Bunker’s
life. It’s only a matter of 16 blocks from the jail to the courthouse, but it’s a tough trip—a trip we enjoyed
taking with Willis and Def. THUMBS UP
Sophie Scholl-The Final Days: (2005) In
1943, Sophie and Hans Scholl, young students in Munich, were members of the "White Rose," a Nazi resistance group. Together
with some friends, they printed and distributed leaflets denouncing Hitler, the war and the National Socialists. One day,
Sophie and Hans were caught by the Gestapo. After two days of interrogation, Sophie, along with her brother and a friend,
was tried, convicted of high treason and sentenced to death. Julia Jentsch brings Sophie’s spirit to such
believable life that you think you are seeing the real person. Most of the action in the film consists of Sophie’s interrogation
by Robert Mohr, a policeman who had risen in rank under the Nazis and was loyal to the party. He had some sympathy for Sophie
and tried to give her a way out, but she bravely refused to take it. The film uses transcripts of the actual
interrogation and trial, so most of the dialogue is literally what Scholl and Mohr said. Sophie Scholl was
an Oscar nominee for best foreign film in 2005. It is in German with English subtitles. ENTHUSIASTIC THUMBS
UP.
Spring Forward: (1999 release) If you appreciate
fine, understated acting you will enjoy this independent film. The film consists of a series of conversations between
Ned Beatty and Liev Schreiber. Shrieber is Paul, a young man recently released from prison after serving 18 months for holding
up a Dunkin’ Donuts store. He has taken a job working outdoor maintenance for a small Connecticut city. He is partnered
with Murph (Beatty), a man nearing retirement who is struggling with a family tragedy. The film seems more like a play and
may seem show to viewers used to the frantic action of most of today’s film. The growing friendship between the two
men is what it’s all about. And Shrieber and Beatty are wonderful. THUMBS UP
Stage Beauty:
(2004) The film is set in London in the 1660’s. Ned Kynaston (Billy Crudup), who Samuel Pepys described in his diary
as the most beautiful woman on the London stage, is England’s most celebrated leading lady. When the King decrees that
only women will play women’s roles on stage, Kynaston’s career as an actor appears to be over, and his dresser
(Claire Danes) becomes a star. fascinating look at 17th Century theatre, sexual politics, and gender identity.
THUMBS UP
Sunshine: This epic film follows three generations
of the Sonnenschein family and how they deal with the political turmoil of the 20th Century. It is set in Budapest, Hungary.
The film's running time is three hours and it is presented on two videotapes, but is well worth the time! Ralph Fiennes appears
in all three segments playing grandfather, father, and son. (1999) ENTHUSIASTIC THUMBS UP
Sunshine State:
We like John Sayles so we liked his story of the attempts to develop Lincoln Beach--one of the remaining stretches of natural
beach left in Florida. THUMBS UP
Swimming Pool: (2003) Several of our Movieviewers enjoyed this strange and mysterious film. Charlotte
Rampling is Sarah Morton, a writer of crime fiction who is having difficulty coming up with a new plot for her series. She
accepts her publishers offer of his house in the French countryside. When the publisher's highy sexed young daughter shows
up, theings begin to change. There is a crime involved and at the end you are puzzled as to what really happened, but
the performances of Rampling and Ludivine Sagnier as the young woman are first rate. THUMBS UP
Swimming Upstream:
(2003) This is the story of Tony Fingleton who was an Australian swimming champion. He overcame an unhappy childhood
to win a silver medal in the British Empire Games. Geoffrey Rush is outstanding as Tony’s abusive father and Judy Davis
is wonderful as Tony’s mother. Tony and his younger sister wrote the biographical novel Swimming Upstream, from
which this film is adapted. THUMBS UP
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