Nine

Musical
4 stars
Very sexy. Daniel Day-Lewis stars as a tormented film director with a complicated love life who is hounded by the paparazzi and is about to begin filming a movie for which he has not written a script. He is just plain stressed out and needs a break. Full of sexy song and dance routines by all of the different (scantily clad) women in his life. Judy Dench, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Fergie, Kate Hudson, Nicole Kidman, and Sofia Loren all co-star. I loved the music and imagery and the scenic views of my favorite country, Italy. Great musical.

It’s Complicated

Chick Flick, Comedy
4 stars
Fun movie. Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin star as a long divorced couple who reignite the flame. Steve Martin co-stars as a hopeful suitor and Lake Bell plays Baldwin’s young trophy wife. Very enjoyable film, I laughed out loud with the pot-smoking scenes. But when I learned this film was nominated for several Golden Globes, including Best Picture, I have to ask “Really??”. It’s a fun but insignificant movie. A Best Picture nominee should make you run through the range of emotions or have an important message or simply be a masterpiece. As I said, this is simply a fun movie.

Avatar: 3D

Fantasy
4 stars
Good movie. The humans of planet earth want to relocate, or simply kill, the large Day-Glo blue people (called the NaVi) of planet Pandora to plunder its natural resources. By using a futuristic combination of genetics and technology, the humans create their own giant blue folks and control them remotely, hoping to infiltrate the blue tribes and peacefully make them relocate. It’s a good movie but I have to address all the hype: if you try to compare Avatar with other special effects heavy fantasies like Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, or Narnia, I’m afraid it doesn’t hold a candle in neither special effects nor originality. I enjoyed the flying scenes with the giant blue pterodactyl-like dragon birds. I liked the story of the marine (Sam Worthington) falling for the blue NaVi girl (Zoe Saldana). Co-stars include Stephen Lang as the colonel in charge of Operation Avatar and Sigourney Weaver as a research scientist. My eyes did get a bit tired of all the Day-Glo blues and greens. Like I said, a good movie, but not worthy of all the hype.

Young Victoria

Period
4.5 stars
Loved it. Emily Blunt (Sunshine Cleaning and Devil Wears Prada) stars as Queen Victoria both before and after inheriting the crown. This film portrays the pressures put on her from all sides as everyone wants to control both her and England. Then the film transforms into a romantic love story as she finally trusts and gives herself to Prince Albert (Rupert Friend of Cheri). Excellent; never staid or boring, and I love all the sumptuous costuming. Plus, I’m always a sucker for a good romance.

Invictus

4 stars
Drama
Very good movie about Nelson Mandela inspiring the South African rugby team captain, Francois Pienaar, to win the World Cup. Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon star. The title is the name of a poem that helped Mandela get through his 27 years in prison. I really liked this movie, but I have to report three complaints. 1) I sometimes had trouble deciphering the accents and missed some dialogue. 2) They make no real attempt to explain how the rugby works, and they spend quite a bit of time reenacting the World Cup game and I had no idea what was going on. By comparison, I don’t understand football either, but had no problem understanding the parts of the game conveyed in several popular football movies. 3) While we see how Mandela inspired Pienaar, we don’t really see how Pienaar inspired his reluctant team to mature from one of the worst teams in rugby to become World Cup Champions. But still, it was an excellent movie.

Armored

2.5 stars
Drama, Crime
Overdone film about a motley bunch of armored truck drivers who plan a heist that goes awry. The music builds as if there is great drama while they are simply driving down the street. Kinda silly. But it does get suspenseful once things actually do go wrong. Matt Dillon, Lawrence Fishburne and Jean Reno are among the crooks in this film. Columbus Short (Cadillac Records, This Christmas) plays the sole good guy. I was satisfied with the ending, but don’t rush out to see this one either – wait for cable.

The Princess and the Frog

Family, Animated
4 stars
Loved it. The title is a little misleading about the “princess”, as the heroine is actually a waitress, but it’s Disney, so of course magical things are to come. Anyway, the waitress kisses the frog and becomes a frog herself and the two go on an adventure through New Orleans and the bayou both seeking and running from the Voodoo magic that made them frogs. I loved the fat alligator who plays a mean trumpet. I loved the mystique of New Orleans, and the creepy Voodoo witch doctor and the jazz music. I just loved this film!

Everyone’s Fine

Drama
4 stars
Good movie, albeit a little sad, as Robert De Niro travels around the country to visit his kids who are all obviously hiding something from him. Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale and Same Rockwell co-star as three of his kids. I got a little mad at the “kids” who felt they had to hide a major development in the family from their Dad. Still, it was an excellent movie.

Fantastic Mr. Fox

3.5 stars
Family, Animated
A cute Stop Action Animation film about a sly fox (George Clooney) who can’t help but steal from some mean local farmers. I liked it, but again, I don’t think it’s some major masterpiece as some critics have been making it out to be. Because this film is spoken in adult voices with adult conversations, I think some younger ADHD kids would get bored. Still, it’s a cute movie and I know a certain Wallace & Gromit fan who I think would like this one too.

Brothers

Drama
5 stars
Intense drama about a war vet (Tobey Maguire, who is absolutely terrifying) who comes home after a horrific experience in Afghanistan and tries to readjust to life with his wife (Natalie Portman), whom he suspects has been sleeping with his brother (Jake Gyllenhaal). Wow. I thought the acting was great – even the little girl Isabelle (Bailee Madison of Bridge to Terabitia) could emote some serious tension – and you experience the full range of emotions, from laughter to sadness to fear. You also can’t help but think of the psychological damage the real vets are suffering. Outstanding movie, I am giving it my highest rating (which I am very stingy with).

Up In The Air

Drama
3.5-4 stars
Good movie, but I wouldn’t go as far as the other critics by saying it’s this amazing film. George Clooney (with his bedroom eyes as twinkly as ever) plays a confirmed bachelor who loves his solitary lifestyle of flying around the country, staying in mediocre hotels, never staying anywhere long enough to make any real ties, and oh, firing people for a living. This film is pretty somber as Clooney begins to re-evaluate his life, and watching all these folks get the sack is pretty sad to watch. I’ve read that some of the folks losing their jobs are real people, not actors, who actually have lost their jobs. Anna Kendrick (Twilight series) and Jason Bateman costar. There are a few laughs, but mostly this movie made me feel sad and depressed.

Armored

2.5 stars
Drama, Crime
Overdone film about a motley bunch of armored truck drivers who plan a heist that goes awry. The music builds as if there is great drama while they are simply driving down the street. Kinda silly. But it does get suspenseful once things actually do go wrong. Matt Dillon, Lawrence Fishburne and Jean Reno are among the crooks in this film. I was satisfied with the ending, but don’t rush out to see this one either – wait for cable.

Old Dogs

Comedy
1.5 stars
Embarrassingly bad. The only thing that saved this film from only a 1 star rating is the fact that I gave Bruno 1 star and nothing is as bad as that movie! John Travolta and Robin Williams finally got the multimillion dollar contract they had been dreaming about (I don’t even remember what business they are in) with the Japanese company, when Williams learns he had fathered twins years ago in an ill-fated relationship and must now babysit them for two weeks while trying to impress his new Japanese clients. Clichéd, over-acted and just plain dumb. Only young boys will enjoy this sort of poop and fart humor – just drop them off at the theater, don’t subject yourselves to this groan-worthy film.

Coco Before Chanel

Indie, Drama
3.5 stars
Good movie about Coco Chanel’s life before she became a fashion maven. Her early years were by no means glamorous - in fact I lost a bit of respect for her - but I guess back then, you had to do what you had to do. Audrey Tautou (Amelie, Da Vinci Code) stars as Chanel. Very good film.

The Blind Side

Drama, True Story
4 stars
Heartwarming true story of pro-football player Michael Oher who was taken in from the streets by an affluent family (Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw). Quinton Aaron stars as Oher and Jae Head is adorable as the little boy who befriended him. Jim and I both really enjoyed this story –though we were left wondering what happened to Oher’s father figure who originally got him admitted into the private school. There were plenty of little kids there who seemed to enjoy it as well. Good movie.

An Education

Indie, Drama
4 stars
Excellent movie about a bright 16 year old school girl destined for Oxford (Carey Mulligan) who becomes seduced by the glamorous life introduced to her by a much older man (Peter Sarsgaard) and his friends Dominic Cooper (Mama Mia) and Rosamund Pike. Yes, it becomes quite an education indeed. Alfred Molina (Chocolat) and Cara Seymour play Mulligan’s oppressive parents. Excellent movie.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

Horror/Romance
3 stars
While the first Twilight movie was sexy, this sequel is more sappy - like the books. The first movie skipped over the sap and even added some extra gore and I wish New Moon had done the same. The movie also felt short, and omitted nuances (such as the tourist clutching her rosary while being led into the Volturi’s feeding chamber, or Jacob’s broken hearted howling wolf) that I thought would add more dimension to the screen version. I also thought some scenes, such as Bella’s fateful paper cut at her birthday party, would be more exciting. As for the shirtless guys, there is no contest; Jacob (Taylor Lautner) is hands down in fine form. Mmmm… Whereas Edward (Robert Pattinson) looked creepily emaciated and they should have shaved his chest to give him the “marble statue” look as book often describes him. Still, it’s always nice to see the book played out on the big screen, and Bella’s friends Rebecca and Mike made for some good comic relief (Kristen Stewart, Anna Kendrick, and Michael Welsh, respectively). Oh, and the wolves were cool! I liked it, and I may have to see if again for another eyeful of Jacob’s rockin’ bod. Oooohhh…

The Box

Horror
2.5 stars
Decent suspense thriller where Cameron Diaz and James Franco are given a box with a push button and are told if they push the button, someone they don’t know will die, but they’ll receive a million bucks. Frank Langella plays the antagonist who provides the box. I liked how the movie played out similar to the style of the old Twilight Zone episodes or Hitchcock films. It still left some questions; like why would the folks who failed the moral test continue to be tested further? It wasn’t the best movie, but there was something cool and imaginative about it too.

2012

Action, Suspence
3.5 stars
Fun movie – forget the nay-sayers! John Cusack stars in an end of the world disaster movie with plenty of special effects. I really liked it and was sufficiently “on the edge of my seat” even though you know the protagonists will prevail. If you want me to look for flaws, I’ll give you two: 1) already shown in the previews, I thought the collapse of St. Peter’s Basilica looked phony with the too obvious CGI effects. 2) You’ll have to see the movie to know what I mean by: “Yay! Let’s all cheer for the stowaways who almost got us all killed!” – now that was pretty silly. There. Those were my only two complaints. Great disaster film.

Pirate Radio

Comedy
3.5 stars
Great music and a fun movie about the Pirate Radio ships in 1966 who played government-banned rock’n’roll on the airwaves. Tom Sturridge plays “Young Carl” whose Mum thought it would be a “good idea” for him to spend some time with a bunch of partying hippies (loved the clothes!) on the ship headed up by Bill Nighy. Philip Seymour Hoffman plays the head DJ and Rhys Efans (Notting Hill) plays Hoffman’s nemesis. Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead) plays another popular DJ and Chris O’Dowd plays a DJ with a low self esteem. Kenneth Branagh and Jack Davenport (Pirates of the Caribbean) play the government officials bent on shutting down the pirate rockers. Fun movie, and I might have to get the soundtrack too!

Disney’s A Christmas Carol

Family, Animation
3.5 stars
Decent rendering of the Dicken’s classic that stayed fairly true to the original story. I am happy that the performance-capture technology has improved since Polar Express (no more shifty eyes, and the colors and details are much richer) though aside from the Scrooge’s perfectly grumpy expressions, the other characters looked like they overdosed on Botox – especially Bob Cratchit (played by Gary Oldman; “Sirius Black” in the Potter movies). Let’s hope more improvements progress in the future. Don’t worry, Jim Carrey, who played the old grump and all three ghosts, was kept reigned in and played the roles seriously – no crazy goofing around. I just really wished they waited until December – or at least Thanksgiving – before releasing this film. A couple scenes may be too scary for very small children, but all in all a good rendition.

Men Who Stare At Goats

Comedy
3 stars
Not as funny as I expected, but still enjoyable. Ewan McGregor plays a lackluster reporter who, while in the Middle East, stumbles into George Clooney who claims to be a Jedi Warrior with super powers (the Star Wars reference regarding McGregor wasn’t lost on me either) who is part of a secret mission commissioned by the Pentagon. It was still amusing with Jeff Bridges as a stoner hippy soldier and Kevin Spacey as the evil, jealous conspirator. Fun movie.

New York, I Love You

Drama
2.5 stars
Passable collection of intertwined short stories. I’m afraid only Woody Allen and maybe Nora Ephron can truly show off New York. This film didn’t really show off the city at all, it is more about pickup lines and hookups, and it felt really long (it was only 103 minutes). Despite the all star cast including stars young and old such as Orlando Bloom, Shia LaBeouf, James Caan (loved his role), Andy Garcia, Drea de Matteo, Bradley Cooper, Ethan Hawk, Julie Christie, Cloris Leachman, Eli Wallach and many more, it was mostly long and dull. Some of the stories were interesting, one was really strange (LaBeouf’s was the weirdest) and one was cute (Leachman and Wallach), but as I said, on the whole it seemed really long and was without much substance and I kept thinking “Chicago, I love you”.

Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

Drama
5 stars
Powerful movie about a severely abused teen growing up in Harlem. Outstanding acting by Mo’Nique as the abusive mother, Gabourey Sidibe as the unfortunate teen, Precious, and Paula Patton as a caring teacher. Some scenes are hard to watch, but surprisingly there are a few laughs as well. The title character does dream of being a famous celebrity and I thought the dream sequences were a bit much, but other than that I can only sing praises for this film. Even Mariah Carey was good. Excellent movie, just go see it for yourself.

Good Hair

Documentary
3.5 stars
Chris Rock humorously shines a light on the plight of black women trying to attain “good hair”. He exposes the dangers of relaxers and the somewhat sleazy way India encourages its people to shave their heads in an act of religious cleansing only to turn around and make big bucks on the sale of the hair to use for weaves. He also follows the market on hair products and how they profit from women’s unhappiness with their natural hair. I think maybe there should be a rebellion and they should start proudly rocking some big 1960’s style afros, but that’s just me... Good movie; educational for non-blacks, and a good case study on people’s perceptions of what is defined as “good hair”.

A Serious Man

Comedy, Dry
4 stars
This critically acclaimed Coen Brothers’ movie shows a slice of life from the perspective of a 60’s era Jewish man (Michael Stuhbarg) who’s life begins to spiral out of control. Being a Coen Brothers’ film, you have to expect some weirdness and unanswered questions. It starts with a bizarre short film that seems to have no relation at all to the main movie. Also, the main movie ends abruptly, leaving some big loose ends. But other than the beginning and end, the rest is a humorous take on the main character’s struggles and I really enjoyed it, as did the rest of the folks in the theater (and all the critics too). Note: the word “goy” means a “non-Jew” – they use that word quite a bit. Also, after overhearing a conversation after the movie, I think I may have missed a final scene that takes place after the credits. If anyone can verify this and let me know what I missed I’d be very grateful! Really good movie.

Cirque du Freak; The Vampire’s Assistant

3.5
Horror; Comedy
Fun! Perfect for Halloween, this slightly campy, fantastical movie was a fun ride. Though this film went against my principles that vampires should be sexy, it was still a fun story of two teenage boys (Josh Hutcherson, Chris Massoglia) who get lured to a freak show (I usually hate these, but I thought this one was cool – and I loved the little gnomes) and get themselves into trouble with the vampires (John C. Reilly, Willem Dafoe, Ray Stevenson). Salma Hayek and Ken Watanabe co-star. I was actually bummed when the movie ended because there is clearly more story, and an inevitable sequel. There is plenty of mist and sense of eeriness and creepy characters, but not much of the murder and mayhem as you would expect. Still, it was a fun movie.

Amelia

3.5
Drama, True Story
Better than what the critics complained about. Hilary Swank stars as Amelia Earhart with Richard Gere as her husband, Mr. Putnam with Ewan McGregor as a love interest. The critics really panned this movie. I really liked the ambiance of the late 20’s and 30’s with the costuming and I thought the acting was good. The problem was that although all the individual scenes were excellent, they were not pieced together well and felt disjointed from one another. Isn’t that the director’s fault (Mira Nair – Monsoon Wedding and Namesake)? I think they needed a few more scenes to transition them better. Throughout the film Amelia soars around the world on her ill fated flight with beautiful landscapes below, while the past and “present” of her life are mixed and mingled. They should have done less mixing and mingling and just told the story from start to finish consecutively – and they still could have kept her final flight interspersed throughout. It’s still better than most of the stuff in the theater right now, and I did enjoy it.

The Stepfather (2009)

Thriller
3 stars
Passable thriller about a serial dad (Dylan Walsh) who wants the perfect family but kills them all and moves on if everything doesn’t come up roses. Sela Ward and Penn Badgley co-star. The original from 1987 with Terry O’Quinn (the bald guy from Lost) was much better, bloodier and campier with his private rantings when things didn’t go smoothly. Go rent the original.

Law Abiding Citizen

Action Suspense
3.5 stars
I’m not a fan of vigilante movies, but I like Gerard Butler and this story was pretty good. After Butler witnesses the murder of his wife and child, the killer gets off by cooperating and makes a deal with the lawyers (Jamie Foxx). Butler, understandably, isn’t very happy about this and all Hell breaks loose when he starts killing everyone involved in the deal. Except nobody can figure out how he’s doing it while behind bars. I was disappointed that one of the characters did not die a spectacular death, but it was an enjoyable flick.

Where The Wild Things Are

Family
4.5 stars
Loved it. A lonely boy with a great imagination transports himself to a land full of emotionally complex monsters. I’ve never read the book, but I’ve read that the monsters in this movie are a bit scarier than the book – and yes they do threaten to eat the boy a few times! I’d have liked the movie to have more fun scenes and less moody scenes, but all in all I loved it.

The Boys Are Back

Indie/Drama
4.5 stars
Loved it. Clive Owen stars as a widower trying to raise a six year old son while both are mourning the loss of the central woman in their lives. Add to the mix Owen’s troubled 14 year old son from his first marriage who still has abandonment issues. Yes, there are some tear jerker parts. And there are a few laughs too. There is also gorgeous Australian scenery as Owen plays an English expat living in Australia as a sports writer. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a couple of award nominations for this movie. Loved it.

Capitalism: A Love Story

Documentary
4 stars
I love Michael Moore. He’s a bit too far left wing for me, but he’s passionate about speaking up for the little guy and butting heads with big business, government and anyone else who keeps the little guy down. And he provides quite a compelling argument that sure makes you think about what is wrong with the world. In this movie, the theme is wealthiest, top 1%’s biggest fear: the uprising of the rest of us little guys in the 99%. No matter what your politics (sure, he jabs Reagan and Dubya, and praises Carter and Roosevelt) he tries to dispel fears of Socialism though he supports Democracy, but it’s mostly about the rich feeding off of the poor – and the poor fighting back. There are a few eye-openers, mainly the Dead Peasants program used by most blue chip companies and others who profit from their employees’ deaths (Walmart withdrew from this practice once Moore got involved). I love his use of vintage video clips and music. Never boring, always entertaining, and I love his use of humor while pointing out hard truths. Stick around through the ending credits for various anecdotes and quotes from the likes of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Just go see it. Even if you disagree, you have to admit he has some good arguments and I’m pretty sure everyone reading this is part of that 99% “little guy” that Moore fights for.

Zombieland

Comedy/Horror
3.5 stars
Very funny, but I still liked Shaun of the Dead better. Jesse Eisenberg (Adventureland) and Woody Harrelson travel across the zombie ravaged country partly looking for other living humans and partly for the sheer fun of killing the slimy, sloppy, blood spewing zombies. Lots of fun J. Eisenberg’s character is reminiscent of Michael Cena’s clueless nerd in well, take your pick: Superbad, Juno, Year One, etc. (Hmm, did I say “limited range”? Oh well, Cena isn’t even in this flick). Harrelson plays a mean redneck and there’s a great cameo that I don’t even want to give away. Abigail Breslin and Emma Stone (Superbad) costar. Fun filled zombiefest.

Couples Retreat

Comedy
3 stars
Fun, mindless movie. Vince Vaughn stars along with a whole slew of fairly well known actors – do I really have to name them all? - in a comedy about several couples who go on an island getaway (gorgeously filmed in Bora Bora) that turns out to be a couples workshop/marriage counseling retreat. The children in the movie get the biggest laughs and Faison Love (the really big guy) was hands down the most lovable character. I’d have been happier about this movie if I hadn’t read that Vaughn snubbed his hometown fans at the Chicago premier – Dude, you ain’t Brad Pitt… OK, also starring, Jon Favreau, Jason Bateman, Kristin Davis, Kristen Bell, Malin Akerman (The Proposal), Jean Reno (French Kiss) and that Asian guy who seems to be in every movie these days, Ken Jeong (Hangover). Fun movie, gorgeous backdrop, but mindless.

Love Happens

Drama
3 stars
This is not exactly a happy-feel-good romance type flick and I wouldn’t quite classify it as a “chick flick” either. Aaron Eckhart plays a sad but slick and polished grief counseling guru who doesn’t follow his own advice, and he’s stopping in Seattle to lead a grief workshop. Jennifer Aniston plays a far more interesting character as a local florist with bad taste in men. Why Aniston decides to go on a date with a guy who is clearly only in town for a brief stop and why she tries to help him after a really bad date is a mystery to me. Most of the film focuses on the grief coping workshop and Eckhart’s own pain with memories of his late wife. It’s not a bad movie but not really what I call a romance or even a “good cry” movie (a la Nicholas Sparks) though there is a sniffle worthy scene towards the end. I would have liked to have seen more of Aniston’s character and her background and less of the folks in the grief workshop – and definitely less of the fat sloppy guy who works with Eckhart. Not bad, but wait for video or cable.

Informant!

Comedy/Drama
4 stars
Matt Damon plays an imbecilic executive for a company that produces corn-derived lycene and decides to cooperate with the FBI in an investigation. The dung heap keeps getting deeper as Damon keeps shoveling it every time he opens his mouth – which is almost non-stop. It is amusing to see just how incredibly dumb his character is. Fun movie.

My One and Only

Indie, Drama
3.5 stars
Fun movie with a great early 50’s soundtrack as a pampered Renee Zellweger leaves her cheating husband, Kevin Bacon, and travels the country in a gorgeous convertible ’53 Cadillac searching for a suitable rich husband to care for her and her two preppy teenage sons. While not an especially deep or original movie, the two teenage boys were great - Logan Lerman (3:10 to Yuma, Gamer) and Mark Rendell (Charlie Bartlett) - and the string of suiters were fun: Chris Noth, Eric McCormick, David Koechner and Nick Stahl (Sleepwalking). Executive produced by George Hamilton which he describes as "a fictional story based on a real story loosely about me". Fun movie.

Sorority Row

3 stars
Horror
Much better than Halloween II, but still a basic slasher film with plenty of topless chicks (a teenage boy’s dream movie). The plot line is only slightly different from I Know What You Did Last Summer as a practical joke goes terribly wrong leaving a sorority girl dead (Yay! They killed off Audrina Patridge early!) which leads to the mysterious murders of those involved come graduation time. Carrie Fisher co-stars as the house mother. Other sorority chicks: Leah Pipes, Briana Evigan, Rumor Willis, Jamie Chung, Margo Harshman and Caroline D’Amore. As I said, it’s a basic slasher flick if you’re in the mood for one.

September Issue

Indie, Documentary
3.5 stars
Interesting film that shows the stresses, photo shoots and hurt feelings involved in meeting the deadlines for Vogue’s September Issue. This movie has been touted as “the real Devil Wears Prada” as Anna Wintour heads up the magazine and whatever she says goes. I didn’t see her as quite the beast she has the reputation for, just a hands-on boss who wants to put out the best magazine. I was mostly surprised by how frumpy-dumpy these fashion industry folks are (except of course for Wintour who’s always immaculately put together). Quite a contradiction! Only for those folks interested in seeing how a magazine company runs, and maybe to see how Wintour compares to her depiction in Prada. I liked it.

Ponyo

Family, Animated
*Review written by my friend, Diane…
Ponyo is a Japanese animated film and the animation is marvelous. Ponyo is a goldfish, daughter of a once-human wizard who is trying to restore the earth and sea to their pristine conditions. Ponyo meets Sosuke and, to her father's distress, wants to become a human girl. Sosuke and his mother live on a hill, remote from his school and her work in a senior home, conveniently his school and her senior home are in close proximity to one another and they commute together every day. Ponyo finally succeeds in becoming a girl, capable of wizardry as her father is, and she and Sosuke (both 6) love each other. She does not want to revert to her former state. A terrible typhoon blows up and Sosuke and Ponyo are separated from Sosuke's mother. Ponyo's mother enters the scene and decides that Ponyo should be able to choose a human state if Sosuke demonstrates that he can take care of her. It is quite sweet and has its scary moments, but none too scary for young children. Quinn and Shea are 7 and 5 respectively and they said that they liked it, but did not discuss it beyond that. There were very young children in the theater and they giggled and expressed awe in appropriate spots.

Extract

Comedy
3.5 stars
Amusing comedy starring Jason Bateman (Juno) as the head of a small manufacturing company full of slackers called Reynolds Extract. Things go awry when Mila Kunis (That 70’s Show) shows up as a scheming opportunist and Ben Affleck, as a stoner bartender, supplies some prescription drugs at an inopportune time. It's written by the same folks who did Office Space. J.K. Simmons (Juno, I Love You, Man, Burn After Reading) and Clifton Collins Jr. (Sunshine Cleaning, Star Trek) co-star. Good movie.

All About Steve

Comedy
3 stars
Sandra Bullock plays another misfit in a misfire of a movie. This time she’s a geeky woman with a head full of trivia who happily dances to the beat of her own drum. After a blind date with Bradley Cooper (Hangover), she misinterprets his line to blow her off and sees it as an invitation to follow him around the country as he works as a cameraman for news reporter Thomas Hayden Church (Sideways). From the previews I thought it would be fun and goofy, but I was mostly disappointed. Wait for it to come out on TV.

“Best of” list for what’s in theaters right now:

Best GUY movies:
The Goods: Live Hard * Sell Hard – Hilarious and crude!
Inglorious Basterds

Best CHICK Flicks:
Julie & Julia
Adam

Best DATE Movie (my favorite of the summer!):
(500) Days of Summer

Best KID Movie:
Aliens in the Attic
*Sorry, G-Force stinks...

Play the Game belongs in there somewhere, but not sure how to categorize it; Best Senior Movie seems too exclusive.

Play The Game

Indie/Romantic Comedy
4 stars
Adorably funny comedy starring Andy Griffith as a lonely widower whose slick pickup artist grandson tries to teach him how to meet women. Meanwhile, the grandson (Paul Campbell of Knight Rider and Battlestar Galactica) meets his match with a spunky girl played by Marla Sokoloff (The Practice). Costars include Doris Roberts (Everybody Loves Raymond) and Liz Sheridan (Seinfeld). Plenty of adult humor and even a senior sex scene, thankfully filmed from the shoulders-up. Griffith’s scenes are hilarious. I was in a theater full of seniors who all applauded at the end of the movie. Though the bit they added on at the end (which most folks should have already surmised and felt patronizing) was unnecessary, I loved it.

Halloween II (2009)

Horror
2 stars
Plenty of carnage, not enough of a story. The movie starts out with the aftermath of a killing spree and two screaming survivors but never really develops the characters enough to care about them. The screaming never ends as the movie focuses on one survivor (Scout Taylor-Compton) with her horrible dreams and visions as the end of October approaches. I got really sick of her baby-voiced screaming and whining. While my memory is not the best, the storyline didn’t seem to flow properly from the previous Halloween in 2007 (which was far better). This time they even added a couple of ghosts – Michael Myers’s mother and his younger self – which didn’t make a whole lot of sense and was pretty dumb. Also, Myer’s psychiatrist (Malcolm McDowell) is now a much hated book author who apparently exploited Myer’s previous victims for profit but those details are never fully explained either. As usual, a few losers that have nothing to do with the plot get axed for fun. Brad Dourif costars as the sheriff (“Billy” from One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and the voice of Chucky). If all you want to see is carnage and a few topless chicks, go for it. I was definitely disappointed.

Adam

Indie, Romance
4 stars
Really sweet movie about a young man with Asperger’s Syndrome (Hugh Dancy: Jane Austen Book Club, Black Hawk Down, Evening, Confessions of a Shopaholic) trying to get through a socially awkward life, who has a mutual attraction with his pretty neighbor (Rose Byrne: Wicker Park). Co-stars include Peter Gallagher and Amy Irving as Byrne’s parents, and Frankie Faison as Dancy’s father’s old war buddy. I really liked this movie, it’s sweet without being sugary or sappy, and Dancy will make your heart melt. Dancy is also proving to be a very talented actor, not just another pretty face. I hope you get to see it.

Inglorious Basterds

Drama
4 stars
Great movie; albeit for a select audience. Quentin Tarantino creates his own, more satisfying version of WWII in Nazi-occupied France. While it’s not nearly the fun filled Nazi killing slaughter fest the previews promised, this film has more of a slow burn suspense effect with the congenial “Jew Hunter” Nazi who employs all the niceties and politeness of a proper lady at a tea party, then overstays his welcome with persistent questions like an evil version of Peter Falk’s Columbo (ingeniously played by Christoph Walz). This movie is really three stories that eventually culminate: Brad Pitt’s Nazi killing band of Jewish American soldiers is only a small segment of the film. The bigger story is that of a Jewish woman (Melanie Laurent) under the guise of a French girl trying to keep a low profile, and also that of the aforementioned “Jew Hunter”. Tarantino displays his love of cinema with an integral part of the movie taking place in one and he takes his time telling the story with artful angle shots and prolonged scenes that reminded me a bit of films like The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Tarantino’s style is not for everyone, but most everyone should enjoy the ending. Also stars Diane Kruger (both National Treasure movies). Very well acted on all accounts.

Post Grad

Comedy
2.5 stars
Should have gone straight to video. Alexis Bledel stars as a recent college grad whose life plans are dashed when she doesn’t get the dream job she expected straight out of school and also doesn’t recognize that her platonic male best friend is her soul mate (Zach Gilford of TV’s Friday Night Lights). The movie was disappointing despite an impressive supporting cast including Carol Burnett, Michael Keaton, J.K. Simmons, Jane Lynch (Child’s sister in Julie and Julia, also Charlie’s shrink in Two and a Half Men) and even the little brother (Bobby Coleman) starred in Martian Child (with John Cusack). The jokes fell flat and the outcome was obvious to all except Bledel’s naïve character. Maybe catch it when it comes out on TV, but only if you’re in the mood.

District 9

Sci-Fi
3.5 stars
Better than average sci-fi movie if you don’t mind hideously ugly aliens with voices that sound like a combination of belching and retching. A huge spaceship parks itself over Johannesburg, South Africa full of over a million malnourished aliens who get transferred to a slum-like refugee camp called District 9. The aliens are violent scavengers who raid dumps and seem incorrigible until you see how their treatment led them to regress to this state. Filmed annoyingly in documentary style, the film location proved more interesting with the international cast – none of whom were familiar to me. Sharlto Copley stars as a field operative in charge of evicting the aliens from District 9 and confiscating any illegal possessions. They never explain why the spaceship seemed to stall out (if they did, I missed it), and they leave it wide open for District 10. Good movie for sci-fi lovers.

The Goods: Live Hard * Sell Hard

Comedy
3.5 stars
Wicked funny! A bit raunchy and crude and definitely politically incorrect, Jeremy Piven leads a foursome (including Ving Rhames, David Koechner & Kathryn Hahn) of folks who travel around the country helping staid auto-dealerships to kick start their businesses. James Brolin stars as the owner of the current dysfunctional car lot, and his character is very reminiscent of Peter Grave’s pilot in Airplane!. Also co-stars Ed Helms and Ken Jeong (both starred in The Hangover). Hilarious.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Action, Sci-fi
2 stars
Mindless action film with fighting, explosions, and MORE fighting; designed for those action fans inflicted with ADHD. Jim made me go to this one… Channing Tatum and Marlon Wayans are two soldiers out to save the world against a man set on world domination (Christopher Eccleston) by using destructive metal-eating nano-bugs – the bug idea was blatantly stolen from The Day The Earth Stood Still. And what action film is complete without storm trooper-like soldiers being led by a hot chick in a cat suit? In this case the hot chick (Sienna Miller) resembles Tina Fey with Pamela Anderson’s, um, assets displayed with beaucoup décolletage. There’s even a second hot chick (Rachel Nichols), so of course an obligatory cat fight is inevitable (at least this chick has red hair). Oh, I almost forgot the creepy Japanese guy (Lee Byung-hun) with the ninja warrior kung-fu talents. This movie just has it all for die-hard action lovers, and it’s even left wide open for a sequel. Ya, Jim is SO going to take me to a chick flick now.

The Time Traveler’s Wife

Chick Flick, Tearjerker
3.5 stars
Good tear-jerker about a man (Eric Bana) who has no control over when and where he travels through time. I did not read the book, so I was left with a million questions: Where does he go when not with his wife (Rachel McAdams)? How was he able to keep an apartment and a job before he met his wife? How could his father entrust him with his late wife’s rings when Bana could disappear at any moment? Isn’t his first meeting with his wife kinda creepy - you know, a naked man hiding in the bushes while a little girl picnics? And many more. I still liked the movie – the romance, the longing, the tragedies - and tissues are definitely needed for the ending.

G-Force

2 stars
Family
Dull kid’s movie about CIA trained guinea pigs trying to save the world. It’s a cute concept, and the guinea pigs were cute looking, but they had adult voices and adult conversations and even the kids in the audience seemed bored with them. And the plot seemed too complicated for younger ones to follow. Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover) stars as the human in charge of training animals and outfitting them with tiny translators so humans can communicate with them. Bill Nighy is the CEO of a small electronics company that the CIA is investigating. All star cast of voiceovers (must be an easy buck for the stars): Nicholas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Jon Favreau, Penelope Cruz, Steve Buscemi, and Tracy Morgan. Kids and adults will surely enjoy Aliens in the Attic or Ice Age far better.

In The Loop

Political Satire
2.5 stars
Passable British satire with enough profanity to make a drunken sailor blush. This film focuses on minor British government officials as they argue and act buffoonish as the imminent US invasion of Iraq looms in the near future. It’s pretty funny but scary as it demonstrates about how stupidity and self-preservation lead to decisions about war. I’d have liked it better if it wasn’t so profane and didn’t remind me so much of TV’s “The Office” (sorry, I just can’t get into that show) with their unprofessional behavior. Stars Tom Hollander (Pirates of the Caribbean (2 & 3), A Good Year), Peter Capaldi and James Gandolfini. If you enjoy the sort of humor in TV’s “The Office”, then you might like this fast paced film.

Julie & Julia

Chick Flick, Comedy
4 stars
Make reservations at a French restaurant immediately following the viewing of this movie! Meryl Streep is amazing as usual as Julia Child and Amy Adams is lovable as the underdog Julie who decides to cook every recipe in Child’s book in a years time while documenting it in a blog. The film switches back and forth between the women’s lives and I disagree with all the critics who found Adam’s performance unworthy of Streep’s. Let’s face it, Child’s voice is lovable but got on my nerves after awhile and I found switching back to Adams in New York a refreshing change. I also thought Adam’s character was more relatable as a minion in a cubicle whose dreams feel out of reach. Great chick flick, and trust me, you’ll be hungry for some fine dining afterward.

Funny People

Drama
3 stars
A somber look at the lives of comics. Adam Sandler plays a character with similar fame as himself, only he learns he has a rare form of leukemia with little chance of survival. Seth Rogen is hired as Sandler’s personal assistant and watches as Sandler’s very unlikable character tries to win back his ex-wife (Leslie Mann, wife of director Judd Apatow). Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman and Eric Bana co-star along with a myriad of celebrity cameos. The two little girls in the film are adorable and also Apatow and Mann’s actual children. The humor is crude as with most of Judd Apatow’s films (seriously, how many jokes can one make about oral sex?), and the movie is really long at 136 minutes. I loved the house that belonged to Sandler’s character though – my new dream home. Very long, kinda depressing, but some very good acting.

Aliens in the Attic

Family
3 stars
Very cute movie. A large family vacations in a big home in Michigan which gets infiltrated by mean little aliens. The aliens were cute, as were the younger kids. There is an overdone fight scene between Nana (Doris Roberts of Everybody Loves Raymond) and her granddaughters’ (Ashley Tisdale) boyfriend which was pretty silly. Kids of all ages should enjoy the pint sized aliens (one is voiced by Thomas Hayden Church).

(500) Days of Summer

Indie/Comedy
4.5 stars
I LOVED this movie! Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Miracle at St. Anna) falls hard for Zooey Deschanel (Elf) who made it clear from the start she didn’t want anything serious; also stars Matthew Gray Gubler (TV’s Criminal Minds). Sounds simple enough, but the humor is fresh and original. There were plenty of guys in the theater and everyone was laughing – a lot - so it’s not just another chick flick. I try to save my 4-5 ratings for Oscar winning performance type films, but this one was so funny and bittersweet and just original; not to mention the darling of several film festivals. Just go see it!

The Ugly Truth

Comedy
3 stars
Cute, passable comedy. I’m not a Katherine Heigl fan, but Gerard Butler and his politically incorrect sexist attitude more than made up for it. Heigl is a control freak who meets a hot guy (Eric Winter), and enlists resident pig Butler to make her over to be more appealing to Winter. It’s obvious where it goes, but I enjoyed Butler and I thought Heigl was pretty funny in the corporate dinner scene. I’ve seen better, but this is good for a few laughs.

Orphan

Horror
3 stars
Passable suspense thriller about a seemingly sweet adoptee who is really an evil little b-err- witch. Peter Sarsgaard (Jarhead, Flightplan, Skeleton Key) and Vera Farmiga (Running Scared, Boy in the Striped Pajamas) star as the parents and Isabelle Furman is the evil child. It’s not really that scary, though there are a couple of nasty murders. I was most worried about the welfare of the orphan’s two new siblings. This movie starts out with those scare tactics that fake you out and they occur long before the orphan is even introduced! You know, the usual: buildup of creepy music, the camera angles of someone seemingly sneaking up behind, the bathroom medicine cabinet closing and you expect a scary face to appear in the mirror. But of course there is nothing to be afraid of yet. If you are thinking of bringing a child, keep in mind there are a couple of sex scenes. The orphan was effectively creepy, but the big surprise ending was pretty underwhelming and extremely unlikely (it would have been more believable if she were Satan's spawn). A decent movie, but I liked the classic movie The Bad Seed better.

Away We Go

Indie: Comedy/ Drama
4 stars
Good movie! Pregnant couple (John Krasinski & Maya Rudolph) travel the US and Canada looking for a place to call home and raise their child. They meet all kinds of quirky and wacky characters along the way including Maggie Gyllenhaal, Allison Janney, Jeff Daniels, Catherine O’Hara and even “Rose” from Two and Half Men. The first 2/3's are pretty funny, then the last 1/3 turns more contemplative and introspective so I am undecided on how to categorize this film. Really good!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

4 stars
Fantasy
Loved it. I read this book a couple of years ago so my memory fails me, but it seemed to include everything necessary for non-readers to follow, though no explanation of Dumbledore’s withered hand. Although it just occurred to me that once the identity of the Half Blood Prince was revealed, I thought the book made quite a revelation regarding that individual not being a pure blood wizard? In the movie it’s no big deal; there are too many other things to worry about: Ron was hilarious under a love spell, Hero Fiennes Tiffen (nephew of Lord Voldemort actor Ralph Fiennes) is perfectly creepy as a young Voldemort, thankfully Malfoy has a larger role in this movie with his special mission – and Quiddich games are as cool as ever. I just wish I had caught myself up and watched the previous episode beforehand. Great special effects as in all Potter movies. Maybe since the Lord of the Rings trilogy ended Potter special effects may get some recognition at the Academy Awards?

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

3.5 stars
Animation/Family
Fun movie, cute characters and lots of adventure. This time around the unlikely pack of assorted animals find a hidden world beneath the ice full of jungles, lava fields, and dinosaurs. All the little kids in the theater were full of rapt fascination – and me too! The squirrel (my favorite) had a larger role with his new love interest. Very cute!

Bruno

Comedy
1 star
Awful! I thought the previews looked funny, but what a disappointment – I thought it would be similar to the Zoolander movie. Even at a trim 88 minutes in length, I kept checking my watch hoping it would be over soon. Sasha Baron Cohen becomes a human sociology experiment by behaving bizarrely to get a reaction out of people. His character, Bruno, is a former Austrian fashion TV host who is hoping to get “famous” by moving to LA. I couldn’t believe the giant movie screen displayed an extreme close-up of his bouncing penis. There were several other porn scenes with various poses of sodomy with a champagne bottle and footage of a swinger’s party. I am afraid I am scarred for life… I did laugh during the boot camp scenes– that’s what upgraded my rating from 0 stars to 1. I can’t believe how many cameos there were of who I thought were somewhat respectable folks: Bono, Sting, Elton John, Slash, Paula Abdul, Harrison Ford and that singer from Coldplay among others. That was 88 minutes of my life I will never get back again.

Cheri

Period
3.5 stars
Good movie starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Kathy Bates as tres rich retired ladies of the night who barely tolerate each other. Pfeiffer has an illicit affair with Bates’s lazy and strange son (Rupert Friend). I love the sumptuous costuming (early 20th century) and the gorgeous multiple estates they own with to-die-for gardens dripping with flowers (filmed in France and Germany). Bates’s scenes are pure evil :). Good movie.

Public Enemy

Action
3.5 stars
Decent gangster movie. Johnny Depp stars as John Dillinger, the infamous bank robber of the 1930’s. There are plenty of obligatory shoot’em up scenes and robberies. I would have liked to have seen more of Dillinger’s lifestyle between the robberies and more character development of the other gangsters that he dealt with. Marion Cotillard (A Good Year) co-stars as Dillinger’s girlfriend as well as Billy Crudup (I’ve always thought he was talented but his accent felt phony) and Christian Bale. Also, a complaint to the make-up artist: Depp had that smudged mascara look under his eyes that kept making me expect him to morph into Capt. Jack Sparrow! Great acting, but as I said, the story and characters should have been developed better.

My Sister’s Keeper

Tearjerker
3.5 stars
Definitely bring tissues to this movie. Abigail Breslin stars as a genetically pre-determined child created to help keep her leukemia stricken sister alive (unknown but talented actress Sofia Vassilieva). Breslin then sues her parents for emancipation and the right to make decisions about her own body. If only a dying sister and lawsuit were the only things to cry about – but wait, there’s more to cry about… But I won’t give anymore away. I only wish they had more background music to mask all the sniffling in the audience! Cameron Diaz affectingly plays the overbearing mother who refuses to let go. Jason Patrick (In the Valley of Elah), Alec Baldwin and Joan Cusack co-star. Good movie but I couldn’t wait for the end so I could blow my nose!

The Proposal

3 stars
Comedy/Chick Flick
Amusing movie about a taken for granted assistant (Ryan Reynolds) and his overbearing boss (Sandra Bullock) who orders him to marry her to make her a legal US citizen. I’ve seen better chick flicks, but this one has some funny moments (with the exception of the scene with a pudgy male stripper that goes on for too long). Betty White is lovable as usual as Reynolds’s grandmother. I have to say I really like Reynolds’s facial expressions; he plays a put-upon pee-on quite well. It’s OK, but best to wait for video.

The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3

3.5
Drama/Suspense
Decent hostage movie. John Travolta stars as a train hijacker dealing with Denzel Washington as a dispatcher. If I recall correctly, Travolta has always played a cool as a cucumber sort of character; I think this is the first time I’ve seen him portray someone with a quick temper who flies off the handle easily. It’s always good to see an actor go outside his comfort zone. The movie itself is engaging, though I have seen plenty of hostage movies before – but I have not seen the original version of this remake. Hopefully in real life, the NYPD can do a better job of controlling traffic and has better driving skills! Good suspense film.

Land of the Lost (2009)

2.5 stars
Comedy
Dumb comedy starring Will Ferrell as a scientist who creates a time warp machine who goes back in time with two others (Danny McBride (Pineapple Express) and Anna Friel) for an adventure with dinosaurs, aliens, and a creepy little ape man (whom I didn’t think was funny). There is a final scene about halfway through the credits, which leaves room for a sequel. I’d suggest drinking a few beers to dumb yourself down a bit before seeing this one. I laughed a few times, but it’s probably best to wait for TV.

Imagine That

3 stars
Family/Comedy
Cute film starring Eddie Murphy as a single dad trying to balance his hectic job as a financial exec and caring for his daughter for a week. His daughter (Yara Shahidi – she is adorable!) has imaginary friends who predict the stock fluctuations of the companies Murphy is investing in which leads Murphy to take an unhealthy interest in getting ahead in his company. Thomas Hayden Church (Sideways) has an odd role that I found cumbersome to watch. It’s a cute movie, but I liked “Up” much better.

Easy Virtue

4 stars
Period
Great movie starring Kristen Scott Thomas as the overbearing matriarch of a fabulous English estate who alienates her husband (Colin Firth) and is aghast when her son brings home a free-spirited American wife (Jessica Biel). It becomes an amusing battle of wits between the two headstrong women. It takes place approximately in 1929 or 1930. I really liked it.

The Hangover

3.5 stars
Comedy
Entertaining movie about 4 guys who go to Vegas for a bachelor party, only to wake up the next morning with no recollection of the night before – and with the groom missing (Justin Barth, National Treasure). Funny movie, though not the constant laugh out loud humor I associate with movies like Pineapple Express. But this is a very interesting movie as they try to unravel the many mysteries of the crazy night before – though I’m still not sure how the chicken got in their room! Thankfully there is no lewd, crude humor but there is some full frontal male nudity. Bradley Cooper (Wedding Crashers, He’s Just Not That Into You) stars along with three other lesser known actors; Ed Helms (The Daily Show); Zach Galifianakis; also Heather Graham has a role. I totally agree with another critic who likened Helm’s character to a grown-up ‘McLovin’. I really enjoyed it.

My Life In Ruins

Chick Flick
3 stars
Cute but corny. Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) stars as an unhappy tour guide in Greece. The beginning of the film is a bit tedious as the tourists on the bus are portrayed as the worst of the worst and the jokes aren’t much better. Eventually, some depth to the tourists emerges and the movie improves. Richard Dreyfus costars as one of the tourists. It wasn’t nearly as good as I had hoped, but it was passable and the scenery of the Greek ruins was beautiful.

Brothers Bloom

2 stars
Indie/Caper
Cute but corny and forces you to take convoluted sequences for granted. This movie has been roundly panned by critics, but the previews looked appealing to me. Mark Ruffalo and Adrian Brody are the con-man title characters who try to swindle the naïve millionaire Rachel Weisz (The Mummy) by taking her on an adventure that spans several countries. Gorgeous scenery of Prague. Some scenes are silly and you just have to take for granted certain strange plot twists (like the Russian mob, for instance) that aren’t explained very well. Not terrible, but not worth the fare at the theater either.

Gigantic

2 stars
Indie/Romance
Boring! This is an unlikely romance about a zombie-like mattress salesman (Paul Dano, Little Miss Sunshine) who somehow lands the always eccentric Zooey Deschanel (Elf - her great outfits were the highlight of this movie) whose wealthy father (John Goodman) is a mattress customer. Inexplicably, there is a crazed homeless person who stalks Dano. They never give any background or any details about this nor is the title ever explained. Ed Asner has a role as Dano’s father. Despite the good casting, this is a dull movie.

Up

Family
4.5 stars
I loved, loved, LOVED this movie! In this latest Disney/Pixar computer animated film, a grumpy old man floats away in his house which is airlifted by balloons. Along for the ride is an annoying little cub scout who got carried away on the porch by accident. I love that the previews really didn’t give away any of the story, so most everything you get to see for the first time. What makes this movie special is why the old man is grumpy and why he decides to float away. This will hopefully enlighten children about their elders and why they may be grumpy in a way that I think they can understand. Of course, along the way the old man learns a few life lessons himself too. I’m a big softy and teared up a few times, hoping the little kids around me didn’t notice. Aside from the talking dogs, I think this movie actually seemed geared for adults (especially saps like me), though children will like it to. Just go see it!

Summer Hours (L’Heure d’ete)

Indie-Foreign
2.5 stars
Tedious to watch. French with subtitles. A 75 year old woman prepares her 3 grown children to sell her gorgeous country estate after she dies. Most of the movie is spent itemizing the valuable paintings, furniture, etc. to prepare for sale, which I found dull. I had expected this film to be about a house full of cherished memories and flashbacks much like Russell Crowe’s A Good Year, but it really just should have been titled “Death of a Home”. Most depressing was how her grandchildren decided to throw a party which felt like a desecration of her memory. Go rent A Good Year.

Goodbye Solo

Indie - Drama
2.5 stars
Long and slow and doesn’t really answer any questions. This movie is a winner of the Venice Film Festival, but I just don’t get it. A good premise: a grumpy old man (Red West) hires a taxi driver (Souleymane Sy Savane) to take him to the top of a mountain to a place called Blowing Rock on a specific date so he can throw himself off. The driver tries to buddy up with the old grouch to talk him out of it. Very little is learned, mainly why? And why that date? And what made the old man’s life so unbearable? If you want basic questions answered, then you will be disappointed (like me!). As I said: disappointing.

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

Comedy
3 stars
Cute sequel; not as good as the original, but more cool effects as some modern art and paintings come to life. Ben Stiller goes to find his old friends at the Smithsonian and more battles among the characters ensue. Amy Adams is cute and spunky as Amelia Earhart. The movie left me wondering what happened to Hank Azaria’s Egyptian king character from the last movie, since Azaria now plays the king’s evil brother in this one. Good for a few laughs.

Everlasting Moments (Maria Larssons eviga ögenblik)

Indie – Foreign
4 stars
Excellent movie - subtitles. A Swedish film about an abused wife in the early 20th century and how she copes by using photography as an outlet. It’s not what I’d consider a depressing movie, given the subject of marital abuse. Though she makes decisions many would not agree with, you have to admire that she is a strong woman who does the best she can for her large brood of children in times of poverty. Very well done.

Shall We Kiss? (Un baiser s’il vous plait?)

3.5 stars
Indie – Foreign
Good movie about the slippery slope of infidelity – and it sure made me want to come home and kiss my honey! This French (with subtitles) movie is a story within a story where a man and a woman meet and would like to kiss, but to ward off temptation she tells him the story of her friends' infidelity and the consequences thereafter. There are several humorous awkward moments and others filled with sexual tension (thus, you will want to kiss somebody after seeing this!). Cute story about a serious subject.

Angels & Demons

Drama/Action
4 stars
Excellent portrayal of the book – much better than The Da Vinci Code. Tom Hanks is at it again as a famous symbolist who is brought to Rome to solve a puzzle from a centuries-old group called the Illuminati to save 4 cardinals from being murdered and prevent the Vatican from being blown up. It’s pretty exciting, and they did have to omit a few things from the book – most notably the seemingly evil CERN boss in the fancy wheelchair. A few minor details were changed at the end, and I was disappointed they had to omit the description/details of the statue representing “fire”: the statue is called The Ecstasy of St. Teresa who appears to be in the throws of an orgasm that the church had found offensive. They do show the statue in the movie though, just no time for descriptions. I’ve read that Vatican City did not allow the filming of the movie there, but you could have fooled me – maybe they filmed some of the actual cardinals’ processions prior to the voting of the most recent Pope? Very exciting and well, it’s Rome! Good Movie.

Star Trek (2009)

Sci-Fi/Action
4.5 stars
Fun, fun, fun!!! The movie starts out with Kirk’s rebellious childhood and his beginnings on the Starship Enterprise. I was never a fan of the series nor the subsequent reunion movies, but this prequel to the series has great special effects along with familiar sounds (like the sirens) and a great story to boot. Haven’t I always said that movies with mostly unknown cast members often turn out to be the best? There are a few cast members you may recognize, including Leonard Nimoy (Yay!), Tyler Perry, Winona Rider (Spock’s Mom), Simon Pegg (as Scotty), Bruce Greenwood (as Capt. Pike) and a barely recognizable Eric Bana as the bad guy, Captain Nero. (Where the heck was William Shatner? Not even a cameo?!!) All the primary characters are pretty much unknowns. I am sure with this young cast that there will be more to come. Fun summer movie.

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

Comedy, Chick Flick
2.5 stars
OK comedy about womanizer Matthew McConaughey who has three ghosts visit him the night before his brother’s wedding (ala A Christmas Carol) to show him the errors in his ways lead him on the path to childhood friend Jennifer Garner. There are some funny scenes, but the bride, Lacey Chabert, is obnoxious to watch. This is not exactly what I would categorize as a “Chick Flick”, it is more of a “Guy Flick” where McConaughey’s beloved uncle Michael Douglas gives him advice on how to pick up women – and those scenes are quite funny. The “Chick Flick” parts are the inevitable scenes with Garner. Wait for it to come out on TV.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Sci-Fi, Action
3 stars
This is my first X-Men movie. Since it was a prequel, I was expecting it to explain where Hugh Jackman’s character got his powers – you know, maybe a family curse or a crazed scientist – but, alas, no explanation, so no real “Origins” are revealed. Plenty of killing and explosions for those who get excited about that sort of thing. Liev Schrieber plays Jackman’s brother but his fate is left a mystery; perhaps a sequel to the prequel? I think I’ll skip it. I would have been more interested in seeing more of the special powers of the mutants, especially the one they located in New Orleans. Maybe he’ll be in the sequel to the prequel as well. Not my sort of movie, but Marvel Comic fans will probably like it.

Observe and Report

Comedy, Dry
2 stars
A depressing comedy about mall workers who are cast as a bunch of losers. I’m afraid I don’t share such a low opinion of mall workers, especially in this economy. I really love Seth Rogen, but his movies are usually hit or miss with me, and this one is a miss. I only went to see this because a critic source I respected recommended it (CBS Sunday Morning – great show by the way). Anyway, Seth Rogen plays a mall cop trying to catch a flasher that terrified Rogen’s crush, Anna Faris. Ray Liotta plays the detective at odds with Rogen. TV will chop this movie to bits, so if it’s your kind of comedy, rent it.

The Soloist

Drama/Based on True Story
4.5 stars
Excellent movie about a homeless man and the reporter who tries to help him. Robert Downey Jr. is excellent as usual as newspaper columnist Steve Lopez who meets Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx, in another outstanding performance) while looking for new material for his column. It’s nice to have another movie out there about the dying newspaper industry and the difference the stories can make in people’s lives. I liked that the film did not gloss over the tragedy and complexities of homeless people. Excellent movie.

Obsessed

Drama/Suspense
2.5 stars
Not as good as Fatal Attraction, but a passable suspense thriller. Idris Elba stars as a successful businessman targeted by a stalker (Ali Larter). There’s plenty of suspense and men will like the big cat fight between Beyonce (as Elba’s wife) and Larter. The problem I had with the movie was that there was no background given of any of the characters, especially Larter’s and why she honed in on Elba in the first place. He seemed like a random victim that she targeted on first sight. Even her motivation wasn’t clear; you are left to assume it was just sexual attraction. I would have preferred something more sinister, say blackmail or an old grudge, or at the very least a real relationship between the stalker and “stalkee”. Still there’s some good suspense, and it wasn’t a terrible movie. It just didn’t live up to its potential.

Earth

Documentary / Nature
5 stars
Absolutely stunning. Gorgeous photography, jaw dropping landscapes, breathtaking beauty. This film covers everything: both poles, the oceans and everything in between. It moves along at a pace that is never dull and is narrated by the smooth baritone of James Earl Jones. Almost every scene is worthy of being displayed in an art museum and even the music is wonderful and soothing. The movie loosely follows the journeys of three families in different parts of the world: polar bears, elephants and humpback whales. Many other species are featured as well. Stay through the closing credits to see the camera crews and their own close encounters. Just go see it and bring the kids too; it must be seen on the big screen.

Race To Witch Mountain

Sci-Fi/Action
3 stars
Fun action movie about two “tween” aliens who pay cab driver Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson take them on an adventure to pretty much save both our world and theirs. Lots of explosions and chase scenes and shoot-outs; therefore it is too violent for sensitive young ones. Hunting down the protagonists are a killer alien and of course the never to be trusted Dept. of Defense. Adults should enjoy this as well as the “tween” audience this seems to be geared at. Fun movie.

State of Play

Drama
5 stars
Excellent movie. Russell Crowe stars as an investigative reporter looking into some recent murders which include the research assistant of Crowe’s old college buddy, U.S. Congressman Ben Affleck. There are more twist and turns than a Hitchcock movie. I like that the movie pays homage to the dying newspaper industry and the value of good old fashioned research and investigative reporting. Affleck is showing potential of being a fine actor (for the longest time I could never take him seriously), Crowe is talented as always, and also starring are Helen Mirren, Jeff Daniels, Rachel McAdams and Robin Wright Penn. Excellent movie; well worth a visit to the multiplex.

17 Again

Comedy, Teen
2.5 stars
Corny but cute. Matthew Perry wishes he could relive his glory days as a 17 year old basketball star (Zac Efron) and the magical Bill Murray makes his dream come true – except the wish places him in the present day and he must attend school with his own teenage kids and try to correct where he went wrong as a Dad. It’s pretty corny, especially Thomas Lennon (I Love You, Man) who plays Perry’s wacky best friend and dresses like the your worst 1980’s nightmare. I got a few laughs out of it though and I guess it makes me a cougar to admit that Efron is pretty easy on the eyes. Wait for it on TV.

Knowing

Sci-Fi / Action
3.5 stars
Really cool special effects. A disturbed young girl places a series of numbers in a time capsule in 1959, only to be retrieved 50 years later by Nicholas Cage’s son. Cage plays an MIT astrophysicist professor who deciphers the numbers as prophesies of world tragedies and their respective death tolls. Interesting premise; though parts of it are reminiscent of another famous sci-fi flick from the 70’s, but I don’t want to give it away. I enjoyed the special effects, though the final scene of the movie was a bit corny – they should have left well enough alone. Good movie.

Adventureland

Drama/Romance
3 stars
Something about the melancholy losers in this movie attracted me, but that’s all it is: melancholy losers. A college grad (Jesse Eisenberg) gets a summer job at a carnival and falls for a girl, Kristen Stewart (Twilight). Stewart seems to excel at playing bored, unhappy characters who never smile. I missed the first 10 minutes (mapquest.com gave me bad directions!) but I was confused by what ages the carnival workers were supposed to be? They all lived with their parents and borrowed their parent’s cars, yet they all seemed old enough to drink at bars. Very Strange. There are some amusing scenes, but I found it unlikely the schleppy, unattractive (in my opinion) protagonist attracts all the hot chicks at the carnival. It’s not a bad movie, but there was nothing really exciting about it either. Wait for the DVD; the TV version will be annoying when it covers up the swear words – but don’t worry, it’s not a crass vulgar movie.

Duplicity

Drama
3 stars
An OK movie about corporate espionage. Julia Roberts and Clive Owen star as former CIA and MI6 agents who try to dupe two companies by stealing a secret product being developed and selling it to a third party. I just couldn’t get excited about companies that produce things like shampoo and car wax – it’s not exactly Bourne Identity excitement. While I’m sure corporate espionage exists, I find it hard to believe they would go to the extreme lengths to steal secrets as these fictional companies do. All the best parts were given away in the previews. Tom Wilkinson (The Full Monty) and Paul Giamatti (Sideways) co-star as the CEO’s who hate each other. It’s not a bad movie, but I’d say wait for it come out on TV.

I Love You, Man

Comedy
3 stars
Funny movie. Paul Rudd (Role Models) has no male friends and needs a best man for his wedding to Rashida Jones. Enter slacker and Jason Segel (How I Met Your Mother) whom he meets while trying to sell Lou Ferrigno’s house. Thankfully, there are only a handful of gross-out jokes and despite Rudd’s character’s awkwardness that can feel painfully overdone at times, I laughed out loud quite a bit during this movie. Surprising cast including Jane Curtin, J.K. Simmons (Juno), Jon Favreau, Jaime Pressly (My Name is Earl), Andy Samberg, the band Rush and the Hulk himself, Lou Ferrigno. Very funny.

Sunshine Cleaning

Chick Flick/Drama
4 stars
This movie was so good on so many levels. Amy Adams (Doubt, Enchanted) and Emily Blunt (Devil Wears Prada) as sisters who live in a nowhere town with no prospects and start a business together cleaning up after crime scenes (a little gross with the left over blood and stuff). There are some laughs but the movie goes deeper into the sisters’ past and what is troubling them. As always, Adams perfectly expresses all her emotions through her eyes. I had trouble categorizing this movie as a chick flick because it is not a happy-feel-good romance type of movie. It is more a movie about trying to get your life together and improving it. Alan Arkin and Steve Zahn also star, as does Jason Spevack as the adorably cute son of Adams. Great movie.

Fired Up

Comedy
3 stars
Cute tongue-in-cheek movie about a couple of high school football players who sign up for cheerleader camp to score chicks. The plot is very similar to Wedding Crashers (only without Crashers’ excruciating weekend at a family’s estate) only with less profanity and nudity. Stars Nicholas D'Agosto and Eric Christian Olsen. I got a few laughs out of it and the characters were likable enough. Probably best to wait for it to come out on video.

Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail

Comedy/Drama
3 stars
More drama than comedy. Not enough of Madea (the previews cracked me up) and too much of some serious story about a junkie-hooker who once had a promising future and the lawyer who strains his engagement by trying to help her out. The few scenes of Madea (Tyler Perry in drag) were hilarious, but I was bored with the whole hooker story I hadn’t signed up for. So so movie. Rent it and just fast forward to the Madea scenes :).

Confessions of a Shopaholic

Chick Flick
3 stars
Silly, frivolous, and ridiculous but adorably cute and fun. Isla Fisher stars as the girl in major debt who is in love with shopping and part of the fun is seeing her wardrobe which is partly garish and partly fabulous. I read a scathing review of this film that complained about its bad timing with the current economic crisis, blah, blah, blah. But you know, most of my own clothes are from Sears, Marshall’s, and – dare I say it? – Walmart! - but I had fun living vicariously through Fisher’s world of designer excess and her breezy outlook on life. Surprisingly, co-stars include Kirsten Scott Thomas, John Lithgow, John Goodman, Joan Cusack and Hugh Dancy as the dreamy love interest. Good clean frivolous fun.

Friday The 13th (2009)

Horror
3 stars
Fun horror movie :). Ok, I admit I am quite strange and was the only one in the theater laughing out loud (truly busting my sides!) while Jason Voorhees slashed and chopped up his victims. I got a real exhilarating rush out of it, like when you just get off of a roller coaster ride. Of course the twenty-somethings were obnoxious and it is fun to root for the bad guy. After so many disappointing sequels in this series, this was one of the better ones as some dim-witted adventurers once again return to Camp Crystal Lake in search of a field of marijuana. Hey look! A dilapidated cabin that looks like it will fall over! Lets go inside and creep around in the dark! Ha, ha ha… such stupidity deserves a swift death sentence. OK, two of the victims were fun and sort of loveable and I was sorry to see them go. Jared Padalecki (from TV’s Supernatural) stars while searching for his missing sister. I’d like to give this one a higher rating because it really elevated my spirits, but I guess I have to be realistic. David will like it (topless girls! I probably laughed the hardest when the topless water skier got it…) and I think Laura will get some giggles out of it too.

He’s Just Not That Into You

Chick Flick
3.5 stars
Fun chick flick. “You love her, but she loves him, and he loves somebody else, you just can’t win… Love stinks! Yeah, yeah.” That is pretty much the plot with this all-young-star cast including Ginnifer Goodwin as a pathetically adorable and excessively desperate singleton. Scarlett Johansson plays a vampy temptress, Jennifer Connolly plays a controlling wife, and Jennifer Aniston impressed by truly capturing her character’s hurt and pain in her eyes. I won’t name the entire cast, but if you like chick flicks then this is a good one. A good date movie for Valentine’s Day.

Taken

Action
3.5 stars
Exciting action movie. Liam Neeson goes to Paris to find (and kill) his daughter’s kidnappers. It wasn’t the best or most original (I still love Harrison Ford’s similar Frantic from 1988) but it was exciting as Neeson drew from his experience as a former spy (assassin?) and jumped from one hair-raising situation to the next leaving a trail of carnage in his wake. I just wish he could have done more regarding the corruption and other victims.

Defiance

Drama, True Story
4 stars
Excellent portrayal of the Bielski brothers who helped 1200 Russian Jews evade the Nazis by hiding in the woods from 1941-1944. Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber star. I only wish the movie included their liberation; instead of leaving the viewer with a written summation. Also worth seeing is the History Channel’s program on the same subject.

Hotel For Dogs

Family
2 stars
Cute kiddie flick about 2 foster kids with a soft spot for strays who make a home for them in an abandoned hotel. The dogs are adorable, but most of the characters are forgettable, especially Kevin Dillon and Lisa Kudrow as deadbeat foster parents. Kids will like it, unless they start asking what happens to dogs that are left at the pound too long.

New In Town

Comedy
3 stars
Cute movie where Renee Zellweger is sent to small town Minnesota to cut jobs at a local plant. Again, the previews have given away many of - what would have been - some of the funniest scenes. Folks from Minnesota may not like being portrayed as such hokey people with funny accents, but they did seem awfully cute and lovable! Harry Connick Jr. also stars as a predictable love interest, and Siobhan Fallon-Hogan is adorable as Renee’s personal secretary. Cute movie; nothing too deep, just simple fluff.

My Bloody Valentine – 3D

Horror
2 stars
So-So slasher film. I like a good slasher film once in a while, but this one wasn’t it. A miner is rescued from a cave-in and goes on a bloody rampage. The movie wastes no time in creating phony looking carnage but never explains any of the background of the miner and why he went berserk. Jensen Ackles (from the TV show Supernatural) stars as the killer miner’s victim who got away. Men will like the naked chick who romps around fully in the buff for a bit before getting picked off. I’d say go rent the latest Halloween movie that came out in 2007, or Hannibal Rising instead of wasting your money on this one. Hopefully the latest Friday the 13th coming out in February will be better.

**Chick Flick Alert**

Yay! Chick Flick Alert!!! I just saw previews for – count them! - TWO new chick flicks, and both of them look like quality chick flicks (not throw away garbage, like Bride Wars or 27 Dresses, or even worse, Made of Honor). First up: Nia Vardalos (from one of the best chick flicks EVER: My Big Fat Greek Wedding !!) will be starring in My Life in Ruins, about a Greek tour guide in -where else?- Greece (Yay!!!) who has man troubles.
The next one is a bit more macabre, starring Amy Adams (Doubt, Enchanted) and Emily Blunt (Devil Wears Prada) and Steve Zahn (You’ve Got Mail, Sahara) in a movie called Sunshine Cleaning. Amy and Emily play two girls in a nowhere small town who find a niche by cleaning up after – eww! - dead bodies (I’ve actually read that this is a lucrative business…). But it looks like a good movie; you’ll have to see the previews!

Oh yeah, I finally saw previews for the next Harry Potter movie too, but it doesn’t come out until July!

Last Chance Harvey

Drama, Romantic
3 stars
Cute movie. Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman play two lonely hearts who meet in London after both have had a really bad day. It is a sweet movie, but there is nothing new or surprising or original. But it is still nice to see a romance involving people a little older than 20 or 30 somethings. Stick around after the closing credits begin; there is one more cute scene - only one, once you've seen it, no need to linger any longer. Good movie.

Inkheart

Fantasy
3 ½ stars
Fun movie! Dusty old books whispering secrets on the shelves; crumbling medieval towns with a labyrinth of narrow cobblestone passageways; creepy storybook characters that escape the written page and emerge from a dark and stormy night. How cool is that? Brendan Fraser takes his daughter and Helen Mirren on an adventure amongst storybook escapees (Paul Bettany is one). May be too scary for sensitive little ones. If you like this sort of thing, go for it!

Revolutionary Road

Drama, Domestic
4 stars
Excellent movie. Leo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet (in my opinion, two of the best living actors today) star as a troubled couple stuck in a life they hadn’t planned on. Director Sam Mendes (American Beauty) knows how to hit the nail on the head regarding domestic discontent. I have to give a special mention to the small role played by Michael Shannon as a scarily insightful character on furlough from the “funny farm”. He stole every scene he was in. This movie isn’t for everyone - there is a lot of fighting and arguing - but something about it kept me fascinated; you could never be too sure how the movie would turn out. Outstanding performances, excellent movie.

The Reader

Indie – Drama
4 Stars
Very good movie. Ralph Fiennes reflects back on his teen years (David Kross) when he had an illicit affair with a mysterious older women (Kate Winslet). Later on some of her secretive past comes to light. I won’t give away any more, and don’t watch the previews because they give away too much. Kate Winslet is amazing as usual; she deserved the Golden Globe for her performance in this film. Very well done.

Gran Torino

Drama
5 stars
Excellent movie. I really wasn’t expecting to like this movie, but it surprised me. Clint Eastwood is living in a neighborhood that has evolved into an Asian neighborhood and feuds with the local gangs. But the movie is less about the gangs and more about his relations with the neighbors. He doesn’t mince words and is prejudiced against pretty much every race, creed and color. The movie is surprisingly funny as every ethnic insult is slung; he is like a profane Archie Bunker. Everyone in the theater was laughing. But there are serious situations as well. Just go see it.

Bride Wars

Chick Flick
3 stars
OK movie, but if you saw the previews then you’ve already seen the whole thing. Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway as lifelong friends who go to extreme lengths to sabotage each other’s weddings. It was amusing, but the constant previews didn’t leave any surprises except for how it ended (and that wasn’t exactly a surprise). If you are in the need for a chick flick, go for it. Otherwise, wait for the video.

Doubt

Drama
3 stars
Good movie, but I’m not saying you should rush out to see it either. Meryl Streep stars as an overzealous nun set on kicking out the school’s priest (Philip Seymour Hoffman) for improper conduct with an alter boy – but was it improper? Excellent performances by Streep, Hoffman and Amy Adams, but the movie felt long and the ending felt lame. I’m not sure where this was supposed to take place (I’m afraid it may be Boston) but Streep’s accent sounded more like an exaggerated impersonation of Barbara Walters. The acting will probably get some award nominations, but the movie itself isn’t really worth it. Wait for it to come out on TV.

Valkyrie

Drama
4 Stars
Very good movie. Tom Cruise as Col. Stauffenberg, who organized a failed assassination attempt of Hitler. I found the planning and plotting and the number of high level officers involved extremely fascinating. Thankfully, the movie makers assumed the viewers are already acquainted with Hitler’s atrocities and didn’t show any of the torture and savagery of WWII. My only complaint is that all the actors were American and British and they didn’t even attempt to speak with a German accent which I think would have made it feel more authentic. Also, Col. Stauffenberg was missing several fingers on his left hand, yet we saw Cruise use all five to button up his shirt. But these are just picky details – I am a detail oriented person. Very interesting film.

Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Drama, Romantic
4 stars
Really good movie. Brad Pitt is born as an old man and ages backwards while the love of his life, Cate Blanchett ages normally. My brother defined it as a “really long chick flick”, but my hair stylist said he loved it so much he didn’t want it to end. I thought it was an excellent movie rich in atmosphere and quirky characters that takes place mostly in New Orleans. I thought whatever special effects/make up they used on Brad Pitt to transform him into a little old man were cool. While this is a love story, I still wouldn’t call it a chick flick. Just a long saga that spans about 80 years and Brad Pitt’s journey in a backwards life. I really enjoyed it.

Marley & Me

Marley & Me
Comedy/Drama
3 ½ stars
Good movie about a bad dog. I liked the book better, but who can resist all those cute puppies? There were a couple of poignant moments in the book where Marley rose to the occasion but though they were included in the movie, those scenes didn’t resonate well on the big screen. This was a cute movie and I did cry at the end, but I think Owen Wilson should have too, darn it! Jennifer Aniston and Eric Dane also co-star. Good movie.