Christmas At The Movies

Christmas is always a great time for movies and this year there seemed to be more movies than ever to choose from. First up is the new Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston film, Marley & Me. In an effort to pause his wife's biological clock John (Wilson) gets Jenn (Aniston) a puppy to care for. Little does he know he might have just purchased the worst behaving "clearance puppy" of all time. If we've learned anything from life it's that puppies are cute - and Marley is no exception. This movie is full of heart, laughs and so many "awe" moments you'll want to go out and get your own puppy. What I also liked is that Wilson and Aniston didn't just turn into avenues for puppy high jinks. They were full, really likable characters that dealt with real problems, they weren't just fuel for puppy fodder. My only real complaint with Marley is that I felt the last quarter of the film or so became really choppy and it felt like we were just waiting for the puppy to pass away. However, despite this little criticism, I really enjoyed Marley & Me!

Switching gears, we travel to Central City where once dead cop Denny Colt has come back to life as The Spirit - the protector of his beloved city. This movie was actually pretty fun. It started off kind of shaky and had me worried, but once it got going it was a good time. Many of the characters (Sam Jackson, especially) were wonderfully over the top and Gabriel Macht as the The Spirit was a kind of charming, suave smart ass - that's a good thing.

We end our Christmas journey in New Orleans with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Brad Pitt stars as the title character - a most unusual person who ages backward. Abandoned by his father shortly after birth, he's taken in and raised in a retirement home. It's here that he meets Daisy (Cate Blanchett) who will turn out to be the love of his life. Benjamin is told through flashbacks by Daisy, via Benjamin's old journal, as she lay dying in a hospital. To me, Benjamin seemed to have a Notebook meets Bridges of Madison County feel - and if you know me at all, you know that this is most definitely not a bad thing. At its core it's a classic love story, spanding several decades, of two people passing each other by until their time together finally comes. Tender and sweet, Benjamin is a touching story about the wonders of love and the sadness of death.

Last Post For A Bit

I'll be going out of town and unfortunately fall briefly behind in my movie watching. Thankfully I was able to catch an advance screening of Yes Man this evening. Jim Carrey stars as Carl, a guy who likes to sit at home by himself every night, until a friend convinces him to attend a seminar, where he learns to embrace life and opportunity and become a "yes man." This is a great romantic comedy. While watching it, I couldn't help but think this is how good Four Christmases should have been. For one thing, unlike Four Christmases, these filmmakers gave the female lead something to do. Zooey Deschanel was great and had some really genuinely funny lines and scenes. I thought Yes Man would be a kind of Liar Liar knock off, but it really wasn't, although both Carl and Fletcher come to realize life is passing them by. Yes Man is not the cartoonish comedy Liar Liar was. It's rooted in something more real. Yes Man is a return to the fun, crowd pleasing Jim Carrey comedies we all know and love. It was total laughs throughout and I gotta say how charming and snappy the dialogue was, especially between Carrey and Deschanel. Really good stuff.

A Very Broadway Weekend

My very Broadway weekend included two films, each of which were Tony Award winning Broadway shows, and the 2007 winner for Best Musical, Spring Awakening.

Doubt was delicious. This film tells the story of Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Meryl Streep), who suspects and accuses Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman) of an inappropriate relationship with one of their students. And accuse she does. If you want to see some class act, grade A acting you should see Doubt immediately. The scenes, particularly with Hoffman and Streep, are filled with fireworks. More than that, every scene with Streep was just great. Her character was just so cruelly comical, it was beyond fun to watch.

Another film with some great performances was Frost/Nixon. Like Milk a couple of weeks ago, this film also does a great job of recreating a past time and telling a true story. Frank Langella's portryal of Nixon was full of passion and fire - a great balance to Michael Sheen's Frost who was quietly and subtlety great. A great supporting cast here too with Sam Rockwell, Kevin Bacon (where have you been?), Matthew "You've bewitched me body and soul" Macfadyen, Oliver Platt, and Rebecca Hall (coming off her great performance in this summer's Vicky Cristina Barcelona).

Spring Awakening is a great musical. Going into it, I knew nothing about the plot, just that it had won some Tony's - and deservedly so as I quickly found out. The music was great, as would be expected, it had some really fun and rockin' numbers, but the thing that struck me the most was the lighting. It was beautiful! The set was very simple and the lights really became additional props and scenery. Very cool!

An Odd Pairing

Would you see a movie about Who Wants to be a Millionaire and the contestant's flashbacks that show you how he knows the answer to each question? Sounds kinda hokey and if this was an American film, I'm sure that's how it would turn out. But the new Danny Boyle film Slumdog Millionaire is definitely worth checking out. Set in India, Slumdog centers around Jamal's (Dev Patel) appearance on the popular game show and shows the horrific, fun and sad events of his life that have led him to where he is now. Boyle really keeps this movie moving. It's a wicked fast pace that instantly sucks you in. The National Board of Review named Slumdog the best film of the year. I'm not sure if it's the best of the year, but it's definitely one of the best.

Yes, I really did see High School Musical 3: Senior Year. It wasn't my idea, I took a 10 year old. I am clearly not this film's demographic, but I think that if I was 12 I would have loved it. The characters are sweet and the songs are entertaining enough. The movie is completely harmless. If you're worried about your kids watching anything objectionable, I'd recommend HSM3 - I don't think the characters even know what objectionable is.

Cookies and Milk

Vince Vaughn returns with yet another holiday themed movie this season. And good news - it's better than Fred Claus. As the couple who continually avoid family holiday festivities Brad and Kate (Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon) are forced to visit their families for Christmas when their flight to Fiji is cancelled. As they travel to each house and meet one another's family, they soon realize that maybe they don't know each other as well as they think they do. The film is pretty funny and there are some good laughs, but I think it plays it a little safe. Vaughn and Witherspoon are pretty cute together although I think Witherspoon is underused. And I definitely think they could have done more with the visual gag of their obvious height difference. But overall Four Christmases is a fun time.

This is a great time of the year for movies - mainly because it's when all of the good ones come out. Milk is definitely one of the good ones. Set mostly in San Francisco during the '70's Sean Penn portrays Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to public office. What I really liked about this film was that it almost felt like a documentary. Director Gus Van Sant intertwined old news footage with his own footage so well that at times you couldn't tell if what you were watching was shot in the '70's or just a few months ago - a feat also acccomplished by the great production design and set decorating. There's no doubt Penn is on his way to his fifth Oscar nomination for this performance. And deservedly so. His portrayal of Milk is incredibly inspirational and uplifting, to say the least. His ideas and speeches were so passionate and exhilirating you wanted to get up out of your seat and march right beside him.

What A Week!

Thursday I was treated to a sneak preview of Baz Luhrmann's new film Australia starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman. What we have here ladies and gentlemen is one of the best movies of the year! Australia is everything you think it's going to be - sweeping, romantic, epic. It's a big, glorious picture in the tradition of the Hollywood movies from the '40's and '50's. I experienced two things for the first time during my screening of Australia. First, I've never heard a pack house swoon in unison for the leading man. As soon as you see this film, you'll know the scene to which I'm referring. And second, I've never been to a movie where no one gets up at the end. Usually people are rushing to get out of their seat, but it was dead silent when the film ended. No one moved. Until they all erupted into applause. Kidman was dependably good. The dramatic portions of the film she carried with her normal ease and I especially liked the broad humor she had a go with in the first part of the film. And Hugh Jackman. Wow. This is what a movie star should be. He was beyond terrific in this film. Everyone aboard the Jackman train, take a seat behind me. Too bloody right!

To top off my week, today I saw the new Disney film Bolt. This movie is way super cute! The story was great and new, the characters were incredibly likable and charming, and it was just so much fun to watch. What was great about this film is that it never lagged or slowed down. It had great momentum and it just kept getting better. I think adults and kids will both enjoy this film immensely!

I saw Ghost Town again this weekend too. Even funnier the second time. I really don't understand why this film did so badly at the box office. Such a shame. A great movie that got great reviews and no one went to see it. You should definitely check it out!

Bond. Only Bond.

Hollywood simplified my movie going this weekend, as there is only one big release. And that, of course, is the new James Bond film Quantum of Solace. Let me start off by saying that my enjoyment of this film may have been damaged by the very high expectations I had. I'm not an avid Bond fan and I've only seen a couple of Bond films, but after the amazing Casino Royale in 2006 I had high hopes for Solace. That's not to say that Solace is not enjoyable. I had a good time watching it and there was some great action sequences - Bourne-like in the realism. And Daniel Craig continued his master of Fleming's iconic character. He's very good here and plays the stoic and suave Bond with ease. You gotta give it up to any man who looks dang good wearing white pants! I think the minor faults for this Bond film lay with the filmmakers. I'm not sure the man best known for directing Finding Neverland and Monster's Ball (both great films), was the best choice to helm this picture. It's understandable he wanted to bring his own style to the picture, but a couple of times it looked like he was more interested in getting a good looking, art housey shot, rather than just progressing the plot or action. And the editors (even Richard Pearson who edited The Bourne Supremacy) seemed to believe that the only way to create excitement was with quick, rampant cuts, which helps, but sometimes we'd like to be able to actually see the action too.

In full disclosure it wasn't only Bond this weekend. I took in another viewing of Rachel Getting Married. Ugh, so good! Hathaway is award worthy, but I really hope the studio publicizes Rosemarie DeWitt's performance also. She was amazing and deserves a nomination too!

Not So Much

I'm going to have to go against the masses on this one and say I wasn't a very big fan of Happy-Go-Lucky. Sally Hawkins plays Poppy Cross, an eternally optimistic 30 year old who's nice to everyone and never has a bad day. Upon having her bicycle stolen, her only reaction is "didn't have a chance to say good bye." That part was actually kind of cute. I'd outline the plot for you, but there really isn't a whole lot going on story wise. We meet Poppy, we meet her friends, we meet the primary school class she teaches, we meet her very angry driving instructor, Poppy gets a boyfriend, we find out the driving instructor had had a crush on Poppy and then the movie ends. There's no real story arc. There's also an odd scene in which Poppy has an unnecessary conversation with a homeless man. My question is why the heck was she in the dodgy bit of town? It just didn't make any sense. I didn't find Poppy's constant happiness annoying. I'm not that cynical. Instead, I found her personality to be annoying. There seems to have been some kind of word quota she had to hit everyday, as she said some kind of flip and quirky remark after every single sentence another character said. Zip it and let someone else talk for 20 seconds. I also found her to be very immature for her age. She acted more like a 20 year old than a woman in her thirties.

After what seems like weeks and weeks I have finally seen Changeling. A happy film this is not, but that's not to say it isn't entertaining. It is. Clocking in at over two hours, I was never bored and I never really felt like the film dragged at all. I think there was a scene or two that could have been cut out, but even those scenes did not slow the film down. Changeling tells the story of Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie), a young woman in 1920's Los Angeles who witnesses firsthand the corruption of the LAPD after she reports her son missing. This is one of those movies that infuriates you when you watch it. You just want to jump into the screen and knock some sense into these idiots that run the police department and the psychiatric ward. It was unbelievable to see the amount of b.s. these officials fed anyone and everyone. But the infuriating nature of the film does make it that much sweeter when the bad guys get what they deserve, although I think they should have gotten a lot more. Although not as great as Eastwood's Mystic River or Million Dollar Baby, Changeling is still quite good. What's disturbing is that this is based on a true story and injustices like these were not rare. What's even more disturbing is that there is an actual term to describe the process of substituting one child for another. How can this be so common that there is an actual word for this?

Last minute addition to this week's blog. Wednesday I saw Role Models. After Danny (Paul Rudd) and Wheeler (Seann William Scott) get into some harmless trouble with the law, they choose to do 150 hours of community service at Sturdy Wings, a Big Brother like program, rather than spend a month in jail. This is a pretty funny and clever film. I didn't think it was full of belly-laugh level jokes, but it was pretty smart and snappy. I liked all the random innuendo lines and I thought it was really cute how it all came together at the end.

Porn and Criminals

I've decided that Seth Rogen is best with very little or no dialogue at all. I found him to be my main complaint about Zack and Miri Make a Porno. It's not that he's bad, it's just when he falls into his familiar stigma of diarrhea of the mouth and constant f-bombs for no apparent reason, I begin to cringe. He's beginning to fall into that Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn category of "my hyper personality becomes every character I play." His best scenes in Zack and Miri are when he's quiet and sweet. Moving along, when best friends Zack and Miri are deep into debt and in fear of losing their apartment, they decide to make a porno to earn some cash. Naturally. Zack and Miri is funny and clever, but I think for a Kevin Smith movie it lacks some of that signature humor. It's definitely not the laugh riot that was Clerks II. The cast of usual Kevin Smith characters was a bright spot and Elizabeth Banks (Miri), more or less the emotional center and heart of the film, was great. Check out http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/aad0482186/im-fing-seth-rogen-by-elizabeth-banks-from-karen-p for a very funny video by the cast of Zack and Miri.

Well I will say no one does these "types" of movies better than Guy Ritchie. Others who try fall very short. That being said, I don't think Rocknrolla is as good at Ritchie's other two top films - Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch. Rocknrolla had some pretty fun parts, but not really enough for me to whole heartedly recommend the film. A big downside for me was how unlikable a few of the characters were. The Tom Wilkinson character for sure drove me nuts. On the other side Gerard Butler and Mark Strong (another great performance by Strong, last seen in Body of Lies) were a couple of the more enjoyable characters.

Anne-Nother One

Two weeks and two Anne Hathaway films. Isn't the title of this post oh so clever? This time we find Hathaway as a doctor specializing in patients that have experienced extreme trauma. In Passengers she's counseling the survivors of a plane crash, but she soon realizes that their stories don't add up and discovers a possible corporate cover up. One of her patients, the ever handsome Patrick Wilson, is the saving grace of the film. This film really balances on the chemistry of Hathaway and Wilson; and there is some nice chemistry. Wilson's character is full of Tony Stark level charm and his charisma just makes you smile. I personally have not seen a single preview for this film, so I have no idea of how it's being marketed. It's not a thriller. Don't go see the film hoping to be scared, because you'll be disappointed. But it's a fine drama, if only a little unoriginal.

Well it's October. You know what that means: time for another gritty New York cop drama. Unfortunately, this is one of the weaker cop dramas in recent memory; very disappointing considering the cast, but fitting considering how long ago this film was shot. It's not that Pride and Glory is awful, it's just that it's kinda blah. I wasn't bored during the film, instead I found myself to be frustrated - frustrated that not one of these tough guys could grow a pair and just do the right thing already!

Bees And Rehab

Traveling back to 1964, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily Owens (Dakota Fanning), a 14 year old who runs away from home in an effort to find answers about her late mother. With only pictures to guide her, Lily follows clues that lead her to Tiburon, South Carolina and the bee farm owned by the Boatwright sisters. This is really the first time we've seen Fanning on the big screen since 2006 (I haven't seen Hounddog) and I think she chose a good role to help with the awkward journey from child star to adult actor. She's really good here and holds her own with a great cast. Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, Sophie Okonedo and an almost unrecognizable Paul Bettany round out the cast. Okonedo is especially heartbreaking. My only real complaint is Jennifer Hudson. I've seen Dreamgirls and how she won an Oscar I'll never understand. John Malkovich doesn't have an oscar. Kate Winslet doesn't have an Oscar. Peter freaking O'Toole doesn't have an Oscar! After nearly ruining Sex & the City, Hudson doesn't add a whole lot to Bees either.

Released from rehab on the eve of her sister's wedding Kym (Anne Hathaway) comes home for a weekend of pain, laughter and tears - all the usual family offerings. Rachel Getting Married is a good film, not the great film that I was hoping for, but still very good. What I liked about the film was that it seemed like I was eavesdropping on a real family. The effortless acting and dialogue made me feel like I was watching regular people, not performing actors. But speaking of performances, Hathaway, Rosemarie Dewitt (Rachel) and they're divorced parents Bill Irwin (Paul) and Debra Winger (Abby) were all exceptional. They were all brimming with so much emotion and realism and passion that it spilled out of the screen in every scene. The family struggles to balance Kym's selfish needs with Rachel's understandable desire that for just once, on her wedding day no less, she could have the spotlight. Not only does the family struggle with this, but I think the film does also. The action seems to be pulling in two directions for most of the film, which makes for great drama, but I think it also caused the film to be a little unfocused. Another minor criticism I have is the amount of excess in the film. A couple of scenes were unnecessarily long and they began to drag and feel tiresome. And finally, this has got to be the most eclectic wedding celebration that I've ever seen and there was just too much going on. But these are just minor criticisms in an otherwise fully engaging film. And a shout out to a funny cameo by Annaleigh Ashford!

A Lot of Men, Renee Zellweger and Rabies

First up this week is the new Ridley Scott film Body of Lies. This film I liked a lot better than Scott's last outing, American Gangster. That one was a little underwhelming. I thought Lies would be a bit too confusing to follow, but it really wasn't. The story's good and pretty simple, but it's the action and the performances that really stand out. There's some great action, reminiscent of Scott's 2001 film Black Hawk Down. And both Crowe and DiCaprio deliver solid performances. Especially DiCaprio. This is a good movie I didn't expect to enjoy as much as I did.

Appaloosa. Gosh, there seems to be a hundred things wrong with this film, but despite all of those I still really enjoyed it. Seriously! The movie seems weirdly modern for being set in 1882, it's oddly funny, the story kind of unravels in the last act, it's kind of uneven and I just didn't get the Renee Zellweger character. But it's Ed Harris and Viggo Mortenson that really hold this movie together. Their characters are so likable and they just play off of each other so well. Without Harris and Mortenson this film really would have suffered.


Scary movies are difficult to review like a normal film. By definition they're a little hokey. Hokey but fun is pretty much what every scary film boils down to. Quarantine isn't any different. When a news crew shadows firefighters for the evening they get called to a creepy L.A. apartment building where something terrible has happened. Of course. One by one each tenant and visitor is picked off by some sort of rabid zombie monster. We're not splitting atoms here, but it's a pretty enjoyable ride. Too bad they showed the ending in the trailer. Don't do that!

Another Three

The chores of life have all collided and need my immediate attention this weekend, so just a few short reviews this time.

Flash of Genius tells the story of Bob Kearns (Greg Kinnear), a Detroit man who invents the intermittent windshield wiper only to have his invention stolen from him by the Ford motor company. What follows is the breakdown of Kearns and his family as he desperately tries to seek justice from the big bad auto maker. Genius is perfectly fine. There's nothing really wrong with the picture, but it's missing something. I don't know if there's not enough heart or passion or what, but there's just something missing. But it is a good picture and I enjoyed it. Kinnear was good. I only wish Lauren Graham would get a movie role in which she gets to do more than just be the one note dutiful wife and mother. Have to check out Birds of America, I guess.

This film I really liked quite a lot. Blindness is about an outbreak in a no name big city that, for reasons unexplained, leaves its citizens unable to see. I could go on for pages here about the sybolism, about what social commentary this movie is making and a lot more, but I won't bore you with that. I'll just say that I was glued to my seat for the entire film.

Michael Cera is the sweetest, cutest thing ever. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist is a very charming movie in which friends, both new and old, come together for an all night quest to find their favorite band who's playing a secret show in NYC. Romance, chaos, humor, honesty and vulernability ensue and it's great fun. The music is also awesome.

Three Good Ones

I loved The Lucky Ones. Maybe it was the characters. Maybe it was the dialogue. Maybe it's the huge girl crush I have on Rachel McAdams (who was amazing in this role). At any rate, it was all working. The Lucky Ones is a film I've been waiting to see for months. And even with my high expectations, I was not let down. Many people may not have even heard of this film. It's currently in a semi-limited release, but I really encourage people to seek it out. It tells the story of three army vets on leave (well, two on leave, one going home for good) who meet and end up driving across the country together after an airport mishap. It's unfair to lump this film in with all of the other disappointing war movies that have been released in the last year or so. This film isn't about the war. It's about the people. The three characters really could have been anyone. And on that level I think everyone can see a bit of themselves in each character. I know I could. Tim Robbins' subtle sorrow, Michael Pena's comic cynicism and McAdams' unwavering optimism come together and create an environment that I thoroughly enjoyed being in. The Lucky Ones is one of my favorite films of the year.

Note to Hollywood studio bosses: we like adult films with adult actors about adult things. Nights in Rodanthe was surprisingly quite enjoyable. Given the September release date I was a little apprehensive about Rodanthe, but it turns out I didn't really need to be. Diane Lane and Richard Gere reunite and find each other at a North Carolina inn, Lane running it for a friend, and Gere visiting the husband of a previous patient. Like previous films in this blog, Rodanthe is something that could have turned into complete mush if not for the writer and director. And Lane and Gere, of course. Oddly enough I felt as though the film lost a little bit of momentum and charm after the characters took their relationship to the next level; and the whole part when they actually do take that next step seemed kind of silly and over the top. But those are only a few minor complaints in an otherwise high quality drama. One more note: watching Diane Lane dance and do shots is way more fun than watching Seth Rogen smoke pot.

Shia is on fiah! Continuing his global box office domination Shia LaBeouf has again treated us to an unexpectedly solid thriller. He's 22. Eagle Eye is a sharp and smart thriller in the spirit of Enemy of the State (a great film). LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan star as normal joes whose lives are turned upside down when they are unwittingly "activated" and thrown into a world of cyber and domestic terrorism. There's quite a bit of action here to keep you pinned to your seat - the airport baggage chase sequence was particularly fun. LaBeouf and Monaghan are great and work really well together. Like I said before, solid thriller.

TV Premiere Week

My life got a little fuller this week with the beginning of the new fall TV season. Over the past four or five years I've been careful not to get too wrapped up in new television series...you know, so I'm actually able to leave the house or go outside on a weeknight. Successfully only 30 Rock and The Office have nestled their way into my viewing schedule and they both air on Thursdays anyway. I've historically been indoors and at home Thursday nights ever since I can remember. Moving on. Tuesday was the premiere of Law & Order: SVU and it was awesome as usual. Solid acting. Solid story. Basically everything I've come to expect from SVU. Thursday brought me the premieres of both The Office and ER. I can't believe how much I missed my shows! It's like not seeing your friends for three months! The Office was great. It was really funny, it tied up some loose ends from the May finale and, the best part - Jim and Pam. *Sigh.* Lastly was ER. Yes I still watch ER. I started watching ER when I was 12. It's not something I can just turn off and walk away from. It's called loyalty people. The premiere of ER saw the death of one of the main characters and it was deeply moving and emotional. Very good episode. I was very pleased with all of the premieres. It's given me very high hopes for the season to come. Now I'm just waiting until October 30th and the premiere of 30 Rock.

The First Exclusively TV Post

Sunday night was the 60th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. Let's start at the beginning and just go down the line. First off, at least this year's ceremony was not "in the round" like last year. That was awful. I'm glad someone came to their senses. Unfortunately, someone else wandered away from their common sense and decided it'd be a good idea to have the reality host nominees host the Emmys. I hate reality television. I don't think Outstanding Reality Competition should be a category and I really don't think Outstanding Reality Show Host should be a category. If you want an Emmy for hosting a TV show go to the Daytime Emmys. This is primetime baby! We honor ACTING here. And Jeff Probst can't even put on a tie? Really? The first winner of the evening was Jeremy Piven, picking up his third consecutive Emmy for his performance in Entourage. Thank God he dissed the opening of the show. It was dreadfully unfunny. I will say that the Emmys are less exciting for me now that I watch very few of the nominated shows. But still, it's nice to see everyone out and about.

Let's talk winners:
Drama Series: Mad Men
Comedy Series: 30 Rock (YES!)
Lead Actor Drama: Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Lead Actress Drama: Glenn Close, Damages
Lead Actor Comedy: Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock (YES!)
Lead Actress Comedy: Tina Fey, 30 Rock (YES!)
Supporting Actor Drama: Zeljko Ivanek, Damages
Supporting Actress Drama: Dianne Wiest, In Treatment
Supporting Actor Comedy: Jeremy Piven, Entourage
Supporting Actress Comedy: Jean Smart, Samantha Who?

Other notable highlights:
Ricky Gervais was hysterical. His bit was really good. Josh Groban did an admiral job singing popular TV theme songs (although the idea of it was kinda hookey). Steve Martin's presentation to Tommy Smothers was also a comedic highlight. Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart. Don Rickles and Kathy Griffin. Need I say more? On a different note, boo to ABC for completely cutting off and going to commercial during the acceptance speech of Kirk Ellis (I think it was him, winning writer of John Adams) because he stated he found it to be wonderful that 200 years ago our leaders were able to intellectually articulate their thoughts with complete sentences. How dare he favor intelligent leaders! The nerve! I'm tired of ABC cutting people off. Sally Field last year anyone? Ugh...Happier notes...Tom Hanks calling Sally Field mama when she presented him with the best mini-series award for John Adams was very clever. Tina Fey won for best writing for a comedy series! Yea! Laura Linney won for best actress in a TV mini-series or movie! Yea! Cynthia Nixon won for best guest actress on a drama series for her guest spot on SVU! I wanted Cynthia to win this award for a year. The episode she won for was the season premiere of SVU last September and she was absolutely fantastic! Mary Tyler Moore and Betty White together was really special.

All in all, not a terrible broadcast. I'm a little disappointed that The Office was shut out, but very thrilled that 30 Rock pretty much swept all the comedy categories! Ya burnt!

Back On Track

Well I'm not a week late this time. September and January are traditionally the months when Hollywood unloads their crappy movies. September is the lull between big summer movies and the Oscar season. While January is after all the big Oscar bait movies and before the spring fluff. However, in the past few years, the tide has been turning, as evidenced by the two movies I saw this weekend: Ghost Town and Lakeview Terrace (yes, Lakeview Terrace).

I adored Ghost Town. It's so rare today that a big studio comedy centers around adults and adult themes. There were no teenagers. No slackers in their mid-twenties. And no one getting high or drunk. It was just sweet and very charming. Ricky Gervais stars as Bertram Pincus, a New York dentist who is very much not a people person, to put it mildly. During a routine colonoscopy Bertram dies for seven minutes ("a bit less") and when he awakes he realizes he sees dead people. Chased through the streets of New York, Bertram is finally cornered by the deceased Frank (Greg Kinnear) who offers him a deal: help me and I'll make sure none of these other dead people bother you. Frank and Bertram then team up in an attempt to halt Frank's widow (Tea Leoni) from remarrying. Gervais is great in his first Hollywood leading man role. He's an unlikely romantic leading man, but with his humor and sarcasm and vulnerability he totally pulls it off. Kinnear and Leoni are great too. Leoni I found to be particularly funny. Oh and Kristen Wiig too. Stealing scenes just like she does on SNL. On a different note, Ghost Town was beautifully shot. All of the exterior shots were awesome. It's not hard to make New York in the fall look pretty, but it's really special here. I'm convinced some CGI was added.

Judging by the previews Lakeview Terrace looked pretty bad. I chose to see it for two reasons. One, curiosity. And two, Patrick Wilson. I very much enjoy Patrick Wilson and I really have no idea why. My preconceived notions of Lakeview Terrace improved once I learned that it was directed by Neil LaBute. He's no slacker. And I think in the hands of a less experienced and less talented director, this movie could have really turned into something below mediocre. The bottom line here is that Able Turner (Sam Jackson) is an asshole. No, really. And quite possibly the worst neighbor ever. Rather than just becoming a run of the mill movie about neighborhood violence and hatred, I think the movie is saved by its characters. The writer and director went to great lengths to fully develop the characters. Instead of just watching random people lash out at each other, the film becomes almost a character study in how different people deal with different situations. It's really rooted in the reality of its characters. This isn't a great film, but it really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

A Week Late!

The weekend of September 12th I again was out of town. I was forced to catch up on the new releases during the week. Out of the four major releases for that weekend I chose to see two - Burn After Reading and Righteous Kill. I considered The Women, but opted for De Niro and Pacino instead.

Burn After Reading was so odd. But what else would you expect from a Coen brothers movie? It's so difficult to review something like this because it's just so weird and different - it doesn't follow the usual rules. The performances are the big draw here and they pretty much deliver. Brad Pitt seemed to be the bright spot and his character provided most of the laughs in the movie. Another bright spot was J.K. Simmons (fresh off his great performance in Juno) who provided a few great laughs himself. As an avid movie goer it's a rare treat to see so many serious actors take on such quirky characters. I wish they'd do more stuff like this. Just to see someone like George Clooney actually make vivid facial expressions is so much fun. I'd love to see all of them - Pitt, Clooney, Tilda Swinton, etc do more comedic roles.


I don't really know how I feel about Righteous Kill. I didn't hate it, but I wasn't all the way won over by it either. First off, any time De Niro and Pacino share the screen is amazing. Just to watch them interact and play off of each other is really fun. Funnily enough I think the opening credits set my expectations too high. There was a lot of energy and great editing going on during the credits. But I'm not sure the rest of the story lived up to the credits' hype. It's weird, I can't describe what I didn't like about the film, but it just didn't totally do it for me.

On a side note, I think this may be the first weekend in Hollywood history when two different films opening on the same day each used the term "cluster f***." I was treated to this zesty noun in both Burn and Kill.

Saturday September 13 marked the beginning of my fall TV viewing with the season premiere of Saturday Night Live. As I noted earlier, I was out of town and unfortunately I missed the premiere. I know. But thankfully, like everyone else, I've watched the opening sketch featuring Tina Fey as Sarah Palin and Amy Poehler as Hilary Clinton. Two words: Hilarious. Brilliant.

Slow Week and The First Special Occasion Post

It was a pretty slow week at the box office this weekend as nothing of importance was released. Yeah, that's right, Bangkok Dangerous does not meet the criteria to warrant any kind of positive recognition. Nick Cage should know better. Does he want his Oscar taken away like Cuba and Halle? Anyway, without any flashy Hollywood blockbuster to distract me this weekend, I took a jot over to the theater that plays the good movies. I was eager to see Frozen River, a film that's been picking up film festival prizes just about everywhere, including the Grand Jury Prize at this year's Sundance. To be poetic, Frozen River is about survival. Melissa Leo plays a woman who stumbles into the business of human smuggling after her husband runs out on her and their two children and takes all of their savings with him. I liked quite a few things about this film. First, I liked that the issue of human smuggling and border jumping didn't take place in the Southwest. Instead, the bulk of the story takes place between New York and Canada on Native American Reservations. This definitely puts a new perspective on this issue. Second, the performances were really good too. I wouldn't call all of the characters likeable, but you could relate to them on a human level. Oscar buzz seems to be starting already for Melissa Leo and I think that's pretty warranted. I wouldn't mind her getting nominated, but I'm not sure if it's winning material. But overall I think it's a good film and I enjoyed watching it.

Well I posted my review for Frozen River yesterday and only realized this morning that I completely forgot to include my first "special occasion" post that I mentioned in my very first blog entry. The first post regarding theatre! This weekend I was fortunate enough to catch a performance of A Chorus Line. I had never seen this show before and I'm thrilled I finally got to see it. I really enjoyed the simplicity of this show, but that's not to say it's boring. The singing and dancing was great and I was very surprised at how risque it was at times. I had thought (I have no idea why) that it was a very G-Rated musical, but it's not. And that's not a bad thing. It was pretty cheeky and clever at times too. I had a good time!

Hamlet and the Traitor

The first film this week has been described by critics as this year's Napoleon Dynamite. That seems like a fair comparison, although I think I enjoyed Hamlet 2 a bit more. However, just like Napoleon Dynamite, Hamlet 2 seems to be the most fun when you're quoting and talking about it with friends. Hamlet 2 had several smaller parts that I enjoyed more than the film as a whole. I really liked Catherine Keener's dialogue. She was just so sarcastic. I loved that Elisabeth Shue played herself as a nurse and wore her nurse outfit in every scene (except for the last), even if the scene was no where near a hospital. A nice touch was also the presence of David Arquette. That made for some good laughs simply because it was so absurd that he was there (he was some nice eye candy though). And I enjoyed how inappropriate the film was at times, plus some of the songs in the play are just plain catchy. But as a whole, this one kinda fell right down the middle for me.


Traitor I liked a lot more as a whole. This is that rare film that comes around once or twice a year that's just a really smart and entertaining adult film. No gratuitous explosions or pervasive strong language, just good solid acting and a great story. Don Cheadle was great as always and I really enjoyed Guy Pearce's performance here too.

Just One This Week

That one movie this week is Bottle Shock - the story of the famous 1976 Paris Wine Tasting, where California wines triumphed over the renowned French. I don't drink wine. I don't like wine. And I think it's that separation from the topic that prohibited me from 100% enjoying this film. In the beginning of the film (which seemed to drag a bit) there were a lot of passionate speeches about the importance of wine and the cultivation of grapes. Because I don't care about this topic, I couldn't really connect with the characters or care about what they did. I will say however that my enjoyment of this film was really saved by the last 40 minutes or so. The story thankfully speeds up and it made me eventually care about the characters and what they were doing. The film also offers some genuinely funny moments.

Two Different Films

The usual two this week. First up is the new Woody Allen film Vicky Cristina Barcelona. I loved this film. I really thought it was one of the most enjoyable films of the summer. The cast here is really top notch. Rebecca Hall was great as Vicky and provided a nice contrast to Scarlett Johansson's more adventurous Cristina. Javier Bardem was effortlessly charming in his attempts to woo both women. And Penelope Cruz. Penelope Cruz was fantastic. In my opinion, she's not in the film enough. I loved her in this role and I also loved her chemistry with Bardem. It must have been a blast for this real life couple to play opposite each other here and it really shows through on screen. Like any Allen film this one really lives on its dialogue. And it's great; sometimes poignant and touching and often funny. The narration was also terribly fun. It had a very Royal Tenenbaumian quality. Allen shows that sometimes less really is more.

The other film this week was Mirrors. Don't laugh, it actually didn't completely suck. The premise is kinda goofy and I enjoyed the film a lot more once it got into the mystery of why the mirrors were doing their evil work. But it had a couple of redeeming parts. The Amy Smart death scene for one was brutally awesome.

Oh and I forgot to mention that I saw Tropic Thunder again. Even more hilarious the second time! Get some!

Four This Week

Busy week, so let's do some quick reviews. I was out of town this weekend, but fortunately for me, this week's two big releases came out on Wednesday.

I've been looking forward to The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 for a long while now. I was surprised by how good the first film was and I really enjoyed it. The sequel doesn't disappoint. I really liked how they were able to include so much in this installment. The films for the most part have stayed very true to the books on which they're based and that makes the films even better and stronger. It was great to see the next chapter for Carmen, Tibby, Bridget and Lena.

I may be in the minority on this one, but I felt that Pineapple Express was kind of a disappointment. Personally, watching people get high isn't funny to me. Maybe I'm a square or maybe I'm just not in junior high anymore. Regardless, I thought it was one of the weaker Apatowian films. The film is really saved by James Franco. His portrayal of Saul was really sweet and vulnerable and funny. Seth Rogen's Dale on the other hand just seemed to be another spazzy verbose Rogen character.

Man on Wire is a documentary I saw this week. If you haven't heard of it, it's about a tightrope walker, Philippe Petit, who successfully walks across a tightrope between the tops of the Twin Towers in New York in 1974. This film was also pretty enjoyable. It's a really unique story and it's a pretty charming tale.




Oh and I also saw Mamma Mia! again. Still so much fun the second time!

Tomb of the Brideshead Vote

Busy weekend this weekend with three movies, so let's get started. First up is the Kevin Costner political dramedy Swing Vote. Swing Vote isn't bad. But it's not overwhelmingly good either. It's just kinda there. It has some good laughs and a great cast, but it didn't really move or charm me. Costner seemed like he was playing a stereotypical Matthew McConaughey who constantly rubbed and scratched his right arm. What's that about? Did anyone else notice this? I also found it odd seeing Stanley Tucci playing second fiddle to Kelsey Grammer. Those roles might have been better if they were reversed. I enjoyed the Dennis Hopper/Nathan Lane relationship a lot more and newcomer Madeline Carroll as Costner's daughter was a real bright spot in the film. The film ended as I expected and that was fine, but the final speech was too preachy and tried too hard to relay its message.

Another film that had a message to convey, but did it in a more subtle and entertaining way is Brideshead Revisited. Taking place in early 20th century England, Brideshead Revisited provides a commentary on topics that are still prevalent today - homosexuality, love, religious pressures. Matthew Goode (yum!) stars as a young college student who becomes involved with the very upper class Flyte family and finds himself in a semi love triangle with fellow college student Sebastian and his sister Julia. Emma Thompson is also strong here as the matriarch of the Flyte family. I have not read the book on which this film is based nor have I seen the popular mini-series, so I can't compare the film to either of those. But I enjoyed the film on its own, although I did feel it was too long and dragged a bit in a few scenes. As I left the theater I heard an older gentleman describe the film as "terribly British." Terribly British is never bad.

The final film this weekend is the third Mummy film, Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. This movie is pretty good if you don't listen to any of the dialogue. Listen in the beginning to understand the whole folklore of what's going on, but then you're good to tune in to only the action sequences which are actually pretty fun and have some nice CGI work - the yetis are particularly enjoyable.