We Bought a Zoo

Family, Drama
3.5 stars
Cute film starring Matt Damon as a recent widower who moves his two kids to a rundown zoo for a fresh start of a new life. Scarlett Johansson co-stars as the head zookeeper and Thomas Haden Church is his usual lovable self as Damon’s brother. The adorably cute little girl (Maggie Elizabeth Jones (Footloose)) gets some of the best lines while her sullen older brother (Colin Ford of TV’s Supernatural) cheers up a bit around Elle Fanning, who is like a ray of sunshine. It’s a cute film with some tearful scenes (crying is just so darned messy!) and good movie for all.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

Drama, Mystery
5 stars
Well done. A disgraced journalist (Daniel Craig) is hired by a retired corporate mogul (Christopher Plummer) to look into the 40 year old missing person’s case of his favorite niece. Rooney Mara plays the title character who is a freelance PI (and also a ward of the state) hired by the same mogul to investigate the journalist’s background and then decides to continue investigating on her own. Of course several of the details and clues from the book and the previous film have been changed to streamline the story. Some scenes include violent sexual abuse. Thankfully, the Hollywood version doesn’t shy away from certain scenes that I was sure they would tone down. Noomi Repace of the original Swedish version will always be my hero, but Rooney Mara is a pretty damn good replacement. Loved it.

Mission Impossible

Action
4.5 stars
Loved it; in fact it may be better than the previous films in the series. Tom Cruise and his crew go rogue to try to exonerate themselves from a terrorist crime they did not commit as well go on a mission to prevent a nuclear war. Lots of chase scenes, fight scenes and even a girl fight. I have to say the part with Cruise hanging off the side of the building in Dubai is both nail biting and funny too. I don’t recall the previous films infusing a little humor into the action but it works very well here. Simon Pegg, Paula Patton and Jeremy Renner (Hurt Locker) consist of Cruise’s team while Michael Nyqvist (from the Swedish Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series) play their antagonist. Fun movie.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Action, Comedy
4 stars
Fun film with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law reprising their roles as Sherlock and Dr. Watson. This time the evil Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris) hits below the belt and they must thwart his sinister plans. Noomi Rapace (who absolutely rocked in the original Swedish version of Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series) costars a mysterious gypsy. I loved Stephen Fry as a fun sidekick. Honestly, so much happened so fast it felt a bit overwhelming; not to mention trying to decipher the British accents that were spitting out witty one-liners faster than I could keep up. It was still a very enjoyable film.

New Year's Eve

Comedy
2.5 stars
Cute but predictable and logistically impossible. A large cast of characters get sidelined a bit on their way to New Year’s festivities in Manhattan. Michelle Pfeiffer plays a frumpy woman who enlists Zac Efron to help her with her bucket list; Ashton Kutcher gets stuck in an elevator with Lea Michele; Abigail Breslin sneaks out on Mom Sarah Jessica Parker; Robert DeNiro is dying and just wants to see the ball drop with his nurse Halle Berry; these are only a few of the many stories in this film. Sofia Vergara, Katherine Heigl, Jon Bon Jovi, Hillary Swank, Jessica Biel and Josh Duhamel are among the many other stars. Garry Marshall’s direction wasn’t terrible, but not nearly as good as his work on Valentine’s Day. So so.

Young Adult

Drama, Dry Comedy
4 stars
Good movie starring Charlize Theron as an author of young adult books who never really grew up herself. Once she learns her old high school beau (Patrick Wilson) is married with a baby on the way, she decides to try to win him back (Elizabeth Reaser as Wilson’s wife). She is the only one oblivious to how insane her quest is. Though the results are predictable, it’s a good ride. Very good acting, especially by Patton Oswalt as the guy Theron confides in. A little dark, but good.

Hugo

Drama, Adventure
4 stars
Very good though hard to describe. Hugo is an orphaned boy living in a Paris train station who finds mystery and adventure with a girl he meets. Part of the mystery has to do with a shopkeeper at the station, played by Sir Ben Kingsley. Asa Butterfield (star of The Boy With The Striped Pajamas) stars as Hugo and Chloe Grace Moretz (Let Me In and (500) Days of Summer) costars as his cohort. I usually hate Sasha Baron Cohen, but he is perfect as the security guard at the station. It’s really best not to know anything going in. The first half of the film is visually stunning and incredibly cool. The second half slows down which may cause tots to get restless, but I loved how the film transitioned to the sweet interplay between the various employees at the train station as well as the exploration of early moving pictures. I can see how critics would have a problem with how Hugo’s pace changes midway through, but it all ties together at the end. There are a couple of scenes that may be too intense for young kids. I loved it, but it may not be for everybody. Art House fans should like it as well as older kids with big imaginations and a sense of adventure.

My Week With Marilyn

Indie, True Story
4.5 stars
Excellent acting. Based on the diary of Colin Clark, this film captures the tragic beauty of Marilyn Monroe while filming in England with Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) as she simultaneously captivates and infuriates the entire cast and crew. Michelle Williams is a superb actress whom I have great respect for, and she captured Monroe’s facial expressions and body language flawlessly. Eddie Redmayne (Savage Grace and The Other Boleyn Girl) stars as Colin Clarke, the low-level director’s assistant whom Marilyn entranced, seduced and confided in. Of course this is not the most flattering portrait of Monroe, who’s need for love and acceptance was surpassed by her ability to recognize how much she hurts those around her. Costars include Dougray Scott as Arthur Miller, Dominic Cooper as the director of the film and Judy Dench. Very well done.

Arthur Christmas

Family, Animated
3.5 stars
Cute futuristic take on North Pole organization. Santa’s eldest son Steve (Hugh Laurie) runs the North Pole with high-tech efficiency but when one gift is left undelivered, Steve’s enthusiastic little brother Arthur (James McAvoy) turns to the old school approach to get the job done. I love the animated artistry of the characters, and the Grandpa Santa (Bill Nighy) had all the best lines, but I personally wasn’t happy that the only character in the movie with any Christmas spirit was Arthur, and everyone else had a jaded attitude. Even Santa was portrayed as a big dummy (Jim Broadbent). This is the same reason I didn’t like Jim Carrey’s version of the Grinch. So if you don’t mind all the jaded attitudes from that film, then you’ll probably like this film. I didn’t hate, I just wish at least a couple more characters had portrayed that sweet innocence and Christmas cheer. Cute, but not one of my favorites.

The Muppets

Family, Musical
3.5 stars
Cute; brings out your inner dork. Kermit The Frog tries to reunite the gang to raise money to save the old Muppet Theater. Jason Segel and Amy Adams play the humans who assist, as well as Segel’s “brother” Walter, a wannabe Muppet. Chris Cooper plays the bad guy who wants to tear down the theater. It is cheesy on purpose with funny sugar coated scenes as well as Kermit’s trademark sentimental songs. There are many, many celebrity cameos. I will always have a soft spot for the Muppets, so therefore I loved it, but I’m biased. The kids in the theater were happily singing along with the closing credit song “Mahna Mahna” as they exited.  Appropriate for kids of all ages.

Descendents, The

Indie, Drama
4 stars
Bittersweet film starring George Clooney trying to raise two difficult daughters while his wife lies in a coma and he feels his life begin to unravel. The previews made it look like a quirky, wry comedy and while some parts are funny, it is mostly a somber film with a few sniffles. Excellent acting as well as another interesting plot twist make this a worthwhile story of bonding, healing, closure. Nice story.

Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1

Sci-Fi, Teen Romance
3.5 stars
Decent, follows the book well. In part one of the fourth book in the saga, sad faced Bella and brooding Edward get married; Jacob pouts has temper tantrums. Kristen Stewart, Rob Pattinson, Taylor Lautner. There’s good and there’s bad. The good is that the wolves are just totally cool, the labor scene was pretty intense, and I loved the honeymoon retreat. The bad is, well, Kristen Stewart’s acting, her ugly engagement ring, the sappy wedding and all the brooding and pouting! Oh, and I was really looking forward to an intense sex scene after three books/movies of chaste anticipation. They could have at least spent as much time on some animalistic sex as they did on the sugar-coated wedding! Well at least I have a sense of humor about it. Twi-hard fans should love it.

Puss in Boots

Family, Animated
3 stars
Cute, better than most kid’s movies, just not as good as Schrek. Antonio Banderas reprises his cocky cat role from the Schrek franchise, only instead of taking place in the fairytale renaissance era, it appears to take place in Mexico. It’s another cute compilation of fairytales where Puss, Humpty Dumpty and a love-interest feline, Kitty Softpaws, try to get the magic beans meant to grow the giant beanstalk and steal a golden egg. Zach Galifianakis voices Humpty and Salma Hayek voices Kitty. I just thought since Puss is pretty feminine looking, that Kitty should look even more so to distinguish her as a girl. But that’s just me. It’s a very cute movie, it’s just not as good as Schrek. Kids should love it, adults should be mildly amused by it.

Like Crazy

Indie, Chick Flick
3.5 stars
Good, but I didn’t like the somewhat ambiguous ending. Two college seniors in LA fall madly in love, but the girl is British and overstays her student visa, putting a big wrench in their budding romance when she tries to return. Of course I loved the falling in love scenes, then it was difficult to watch the long distance romance struggles (having been through some of them myself), but mostly frustrated at how it was their own fault! Also, it was difficult to ascertain the passage of time; it wasn’t until after I saw the movie and read a write-up that I learned the film spanned 7 years – it seemed to be a lot less than that. The lovers are played by Anton Yelchin (Star Trek 2009, Fright Night) and relative unknown Felicity Jones (Cheri, Northanger Abbey). Other characters who complicate things are Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone and the upcoming Hunger Games) and Charlie Bewley (the Twilight series). Moral of the story: don’t overstay your visa if you plan on traveling between different countries again - Duh! Only for diehard romantics.

Immortals

Action, Fantasy
2 stars
Dumb, but Jim liked it. A CGI-heavy rendition of the ancient Greek hero Theseus, played by hunky Henry Cavill, in which Hollywood takes many liberties with the Greek myth. In this Hollywood version, Theseus is a peasant mentored by Zeus (Luke Evans from The Three Musketeers 2011) to lead his people against the blood thirsty Heraklions, led by Mickey Rourke as King Hyperion. Theseus also gets help from a gorgeous oracle played by Freida Pinto, whose character’s name is Phaedra. (In case you are curious, in Greek mythology Phaedra was not a pure hearted, virginal oracle, but was Theseus’s deceitful wife). Lots of blood and gore – it mostly felt like a video game to me – but Jim liked all the battle scenes and was happy to see Freida Pinto naked. Only for those who like overly dramatic action films filled with CGI effects.

J. Edgar

 Drama, True Story
4.5 stars
Very good movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio as J. Edgar Hoover, during his 37 year reign of the FBI, as well as the 11 years preceding that as director of The Bureau of Investigation (the FBI’s predecessor). The film jumps back and forth in time and felt a bit scattered in the beginning but eventually smoothed out. Of course I was distracted because the aged version of DiCaprio looked so much like my Dad! Co-stars include Armie Hammer (Social Network) as Clyde Tolson, Hoover’s right hand man with whom, it is suggested, he had a complicated relationship, and Naomi Watts as Hoover’s longtime secretary. Very well done.

Double, The

Indie, Action
4 stars
Good movie starring Richard Gere as a retired CIA agent who is brought back into the fold by the head of the CIA, Martin Sheen, to work on the case of a Soviet assassin who was thought to be dead. Richard Gere reluctantly takes the assignment and is annoyed he has to work with a cocky young agent who has no field experience, Topher Grace. The plot has some nice twists and turns with danger and intrigue around every corner. Good movie.

Anonymous

Drama, Period
4 stars
Compelling argument that William Shakespeare did not actually write the plays that bear his name. Jim and I both thought it was well done though we both found it difficult to keep all the characters names straight, especially since there were two sets of actors playing the same characters at different ages. The film also went back and forth in time a lot which got me confused every time I thought I had all the names straight. Vanessa Redgrave and her real life daughter Joely Richardson played Queen Elizabeth I at different ages. Rhys Ifans played –I swear it was Earl of Essex but I’m looking at the cast credits now and it was the Earl of Oxford (see what I mean?!!) and Rafe Spall (who co-starred in One Day this year) plays Shakespeare. My complaint? It’s one thing to surmise that someone else wrote the plays, but it’s quite another thing to defame Shakespeare by portraying him as a selfish, sleazy buffoon. Good movie, but go in with a clear mind to keep track of all the characters.

In Time

Drama, Action
3.5 stars
Interesting concept. I’m not sure if this was supposed to be a parallel universe or the just future without cell phones, but people are genetically engineered to not age beyond 25 and any years beyond that are earned or spent as currency. Justin Timberlake stars as a working class guy from the poorest community or “time zone” who gets lucky by receiving 100 years from a rich guy who’s decided to call it a day (pun intended). Amanda Seyfried co-stars as his love interest. I thought the concept seemed like a combination of Robin Hood, 1984, the Patty Hearst saga (young people will have to Google that) and even Bonnie & Clyde. There were lots of chase scenes and action. Decent movie, but you should probably wait for video.

Tower Heist

Comedy
3.5 stars
Cute movie, though most of it has been given away already by the previews. Alan Alda stars as a Bernie Madoff type character and the staff at his NYC high-rise decides to steal back the money he swindled from their pension funds. Co-stars include Ben Stiller, Casey Affleck (who always sounds like he has marbles in his mouth), Matthew Broderick, Gabourey Sidibe, Michael Pena as well as Eddie Murphy making a long awaited comeback to the big screen. There are some good laughs, I just wish the previews hadn’t given away the whole story. Fun movie.

The Rum Diary

Indie, Comedy
4.5 stars
Very good film starring Johnny Depp who is hired as a journalist in Puerto Rico in 1960. Part comedy and part drama. The film covers the underbelly of San Juan including cock fighting, dirty dealing developers and dangerous locals. But it was a very interesting few weeks as Depp finds different ways to get himself into trouble. Aaron Eckhart, Giovanni Ribisi and Richard Jenkins costar. Good movie.

Margin Call

Indie, Drama
5 stars
Very well done portrayal of the day the house of cards fell on Wall Street with Mortgage Backed Securities. During a very tense 36 hours we watch as an investment firm struggles with both the moral and financial dilemmas they must face as they try to decide how to handle the situation. Includes an impressive cast of Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany Zachary Quinto (Star Trek 2009), Jeremy Irons, Simon Baker, Demi Moore and Stanley Tucci. Excellent film.

The Three Musketeers

Action, Comedy
3.5 stars
Cute, but not as good as I’d hoped. A brash young kid (Logan Lehman who was the title character in Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightening Thief, as well as the indie My One and Only) goes on an adventure with the famed musketeers to try to prevent a war between England and France. The costuming and the setting at Versailles were lush and opulent. However, the aerial scenes looked phony, like the landscaping that goes with those fancy miniature train sets. The characters were enjoyable, especially Freddie Fox as the flamboyant King Louis the XIII of France, as well as James Corden who played the musketeers’ chubby sidekick. Christoph Waltz and Orlando Bloom also co-star. The plot felt thin – I thought the whole story with the diamond necklace was a stretch. I also thought the brash young kid looked like a girl – though I really liked him My One & Only. I’m also not a fan on Milla Jovovich with her 17th century Mission Impossible-type antics. Despite my nitpicky complaints, it was a fun, frivolous film.

Footloose (2011)

Drama, Dancing
3 stars
Cute remake which follows the original very closely. The first film had much better actors, but the new version has better dancing – too bad we couldn’t have both. For those who weren’t around when the original came out: a city boy moves to a strict religious small farming town where public dancing became prohibited after a tragic accident. Kenny Wormald stars as Ren, Julianne Hough plays sexy rebel Ariel, and Dennis Quaid plays her preacher father. I liked the amiable Miles Teller as Ren’s buddy. Scene by scene this film is faithful to the original with only 3 minor deviations: 1) the location is set in Georgia and Ren hails from Boston, rather than the original’s Midwestern locale with Ren arriving from Chicago 2) that crazy tractor racing scene was changed to souped-up school buses and 3) the tragic accident that defined the town is played out for the audience. Even many of the original songs were used, which surprised me. Cute but corny movie with lots of dancing.

Killer Elite

Action
3.5 stars
An exciting “guy movie” starring Jason Statham as an assassin forced to avenge the deaths of an Oman sheik’s three sons. The three killers Statham must kill are in a branch of the UK Special Forces called the SAS (Special Air Service). Clive Owen plays an ex-SAS who wants to know who is killing off his former colleagues. Robert De Niro co-stars as Statham’s mentor. The story is a little complicated with many characters (I got two who looked similar confused) and the location bounces back and forth from Australia to Oman to London to Paris. Jim loved it.

The Big Year

Comedy
3.5 stars
Enjoyable film about “birders” –they don’t like to be called “bird watchers”. Jack Black, Owen Wilson and Steve Martin are all avian enthusiasts who compete against one another to win a contest of who sees the greatest number of bird species within a year’s time. Owen Wilson plays the smug reigning champ, Martin plays a NYC tycoon who retires to live his dreams and Jack Black sees this contest as a way to make a name for himself. Despite starring three well known comics, this is not a slapstick, falling down, silly comedy, although they do try to trip each other up from time to time. It’s a nice story of three men from differing backgrounds with their own sets of baggage and obligations who share a passion for birding. It also opens our eyes to the world of competitive birding. An interesting film based on a true story.

The Way

Indie, Drama
5 stars
Excellent film starring Martin Sheen who after learning that his son died on the first day of a 400 kilometer hike across northern Spain, decides to carry his ashes on the journey his son had planned. The hike is a pilgrimage called Camino de Santiago, also known as The Way of Saint James where people journey for their own personal reasons to arrive at a cathedral, Santiago de Compostela, where it is believed St. James’s remains are interred. Sheen’s character is a grumpy old man who wants to be left alone, but he reluctantly takes on three travel companions: a jovial Dutchman, an odd Irishman, and Canadian woman with a chip on her shoulder. The scenery is gorgeous, the story is poignant and the characters are quirky. Emilio Estevez produced, directed, and wrote the screen version of the story, as well as appearing in the film as Sheen’s son. Excellent, excellent film.

Ides of March, The

Drama
3.5 stars
Decent, but not as good as I expected. Ryan Gosling stars as a deputy campaign manager for George Clooney’s run for the Democratic nomination for the Presidency. It starts out really slow with typical campaign stuff, gets interesting when the double crossing begins, but then ends a little ambiguously. Co-stars include Evan Rachel Wood as Gosling’s love interest, Philip Seymour Hoffman as Gosling’s boss, Paul Giamatti as the campaign manager for Clooney’s opponent, and Marisa Tomei as a reporter. Wait for cable.

50/50

Comedy, Dry
4 stars
Very good movie, as long as you don’t mind Seth Rogen playing his usual lewd and crude self obsessed with getting laid. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as a regular guy living a healthy lifestyle when he learns his back pains are caused by spinal cancer. His best friend Seth Rogen tries to cheer him up, his Mom, Angelica Huston, drives him nuts and his psychologist, Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air), is woefully inexperienced. Although it's a comedy, this film still treats cancer with sensitivity and tact as you root for Gordon-Levitt, a young man whose future may be cut way too short. Well done.

Money Ball

Drama, True Story
4 stars
Really good movie starring Brad Pitt as the Oakland A’s GM Billy Beane who changed baseball’s player evaluation techniques by hiring an assistant (Jonah Hill) who used statistical methods which were frowned upon by scouts, owners and managers with disdain. I only have limited knowledge of baseball, but the techniques were explained well and I even recognized most of the players featured in the film. The most fun was watching Beane’s uphill battle in convincing both the team’s owner and its manager (Philip Seymour Hoffman) to play along with the new philosophy. Jim loved it too. Good movie.

Abduction

Action
3.5 stars
Exciting action film but the teen romance was kinda sappy. Taylor Lautner stars as a teen who discovers his own photo on a missing children’s website. As soon as he makes an inquiry on the listing, the CIA and some bad-ass Russians descend on his quiet suburb and the people around him start getting killed off. He goes on the run with his love interest (Lily Collins of The Blindside and musician Phil’s daughter) and doesn’t know who to trust. It’s a pretty cool action movie with lots of fight scenes and I loved the action scenes at the Pittsburg Pirate’s stadium. The teen romance could have been skipped and the ending felt a little cheesy, but on the whole I thought it was a fun action film.

Dolphin Tale

Family
3 stars
Inspired by a true story, a cute film about a boy (Nathan Gamble) who convinces a doctor specializing in prosthetics (Morgan Freeman) to create a tail for an amputee dolphin. Ashley Judd stars as the boy’s mom, Harry Connick Jr. stars as the marine biologist and Winter the dolphin stars as herself - the real amputee on whom this story was inspired by. I thought the story of the young soldier was moving, but the actor was too cheesy to be taken seriously (Austin Stowell of Secret Life of the American Teenager). Some scenes are pretty goofy, but I really loved the scenes of the boy swimming with Winter and it was very moving when amputee vets and young children began to support Winter’s cause. A nice movie kids of all ages will be sure to love.

DVDs for Halloween

Here's a list of films to get in the mood for Halloween:


The first section is lighter films, lots of comedies dealing with the usual monsters, nothing too scary.

The second section is more serious movies but no hardcore horror.


Trilogy of Terror
Karen Black
The last story is the best!

Young Frankenstien
Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman
“It's Alive!”

Poltergiest
“Don't go into the light!”

Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Johnny Depp
Classic creepy tale

Death Becomes Her
Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, Isabella Rosselini
Women who want to live forever but with nasty side-effects

Cirque du Freak
John C. Reilly
Two teens get mixed up with a vampire-run circus

Dracula
Frank Longella
Classic, quintessential story of Dracula. Bad special fx, but still fun

Practical Magic
Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock
Two sisters use witchcraft to hamper a bad guy

Shaun of the Dead
Simon Pegg, Nick Frost
So funny, but gory, parody of Dawn of the Dead

Zombieland
Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg
Let's kill some zombies! Wryly funny and gory.

Cursed
Christina Ricci, Jesse Eisenberg
Werewolves in LA

**********************************
Serious movies concerning demons and the Devil, unless otherwise stated

Constantine - Keanu Reeves

The Crucible - Daniel Day Lewis, Winona Ryder – Salem witches

The Devil's Advocate - Al Pacino, Keanu Reeves, Charlize Theron

The Exorcist - Linda Blair

Fallen - Denzel Washington

Interview With The Vampire - Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise

The Ninth Gate - Johnny Depp

The Omen - Gregory Peck, Lee Remick

The Rite - Anthony Hopkins

The Serpent and the Rainbow – Bill Pullman - creepy voodoo

The Seventh Sign - Demi Moore – the apocalypse

Drive

Indie, Violent Drama
3.5 stars
Good, but really slow with lots of long silences – and has a terrible soundtrack. Ryan Gosling stars as a nameless character whose past remains a mystery. He works as both a stunt driver and as a getaway driver for bad guys. His loner routine is interrupted when he falls for and begins helping out his neighbor, Carey Mulligan (An Education, Wall Street) whose husband (Oscar Isaac, Robin Hood 2010) is mixed up with some seriously bad dudes. As I said, this film really takes it’s time and depends more on facial expressions rather than the spoken word to convey emotions. By contrast, the violent scenes are very gory. Costars include Albert Brooks and Ron Perlman (Hellboy) as mean thugs as well as Bryan Cranston (Malcolm in the Middle) as Gosling’s crooked employer. Let me put it this way, if you didn’t like 2010’s superb (but also slow and silent) George Clooney film The American, you probably won’t like this one either. Good, but gory and really slow.

I Don’t Know How She Does It

Chick Flick, Comedy
3 stars
Passable chick flick staring Sarah Jessica Parker as a harried Mom, wife and business woman. Parker’s life is extra chaotic because her job requires frequent travel as well as competition from her co-workers which strains her marriage to (the always dependable) Greg Kinnear as well as her relationship with her kids. Comic relief came with brief (but not enough) input from Busy Phillips (Cougar Town) as an organized but judgmental stay-at-home Mom. Pierce Brosnan co-stars as Parker’s VIP client. I give it credit for taking place in Boston, but that's my own bias. :) It’s a cute movie, but I think just watching such a hectic lifestyle made my blood pressure rise.

Contagion

Drama, Pandemic
3.5 stars
Good, but I wouldn’t recommend running out to the theaters to see it either. Gwyneth Paltrow returns from a trip to Hong Kong with a deadly flu that quickly spreads around the world. We’ve all seen these epidemic and pandemic movies before with the quarantines, panic and paranoia, etc., etc. Good acting by a fine cast separates this film from the pack, but the ambiguous outcome of several storylines just pissed me off. What happened with Laurence Fishburne’s character? What about Marion Cotillard? Why did Jude Law suddenly stop wearing his Hazmat spacesuit? Matt Damon and Kate Winslet also co-star. Wait for cable.

Colombiana

Action, Drama
3.5 stars
Exciting, but only if you can temporarily suspend your disbelief. Zoe Saldana (Avatar, Star Trek) stars as an assassin who began her training after seeing her parents murdered with the goal of avenging their deaths. It was fun to watch, even though you know in the back of your mind that things just couldn’t haven’t worked out so smoothly in real life. I liked watching Saldana slink around like Cat Woman and think she would make a great addition to the Mission Impossible franchise. Michael Vartan co-stars as her boyfriend and Jordi Molla (Blow, Knight & Day) is perfect as one of the main bad guys. A fun temporary escape from reality.

The Debt

Drama, Intrigue
4 stars
Very good movie starring Helen Mirren as one of three Israeli spies sent into East Berlin in 1966 to capture a former Nazi surgeon who performed gruesome experiments on the death camp prisoners, a la Dr. Josef Mengele. It is a very good movie, though the previews had led me to believe there would be a lot of undercover espionage and sneaking around in East Berlin. Instead, the film spends more time with the trio and their prisoner in a safe house, waiting for safe transport back to Israel. Still a very good film; just different from what the previews led me to believe. Also, there is a dark secret that haunts the trio long after the mission ends. Jessica Chastain (The Help) costars as Mirren’s younger self. Very good movie.

Our Idiot Brother

Comedy

3.5 stars

Cute movie starring Paul Rudd as an affable, but naively honest, brother to three high-strung sisters: Zooey Deschanel, Elizabeth Banks and Emily Mortimer. After his girlfriend kicks him out, Rudd rooms with each of his sisters and disrupts each of their lives. Cute movie.

One Day

Chick Flick, Romance
3.5 stars
Decent portrayal of the best selling book. July 15 is the one day each year for 20 years that we check in on Dexter and Emma, a privileged cad and bohemian idealist respectively, whom the audience knows full well were meant for each other, if only they could figure it out for themselves. Jim Sturgess and Anne Hathaway star as friends since college graduation who are attracted to each other, but instead make bad decisions and waste many years seeking other options. I read the book and was frustrated with the years these two with so much potential had wasted. And the end of the book just pissed me off. Still, I’m a sucker for romance and wanted to see the big screen version which stayed true to the original story, and the few things that were omitted weren’t missed. To those who didn’t read the book it may feel choppy (the book was too) and they may feel slighted from some of the details that were glossed over. Good movie, albeit bittersweet.

Fright Night

Sci-Fi, Camp
3.5 stars
Loved it, but then I love vampires :). Colin Farrell swaggers as a sexy vampire who moves in next door to an inquisitive teen, Anton Yelchin (Star Trek 2009, Charlie Bartlett) in a small hamlet outside Las Vegas. The film starts out feeling like a spooky supernatural version of Disturbia, and then turns full on camp later on. By camp I mean funny in a good way. Christopher Mintz-Plasse, aka “McLovin”, has a great comical role as a nerdy teen and friend of Yelchin. Costars include Toni Collette as Yelchin’s Mom and the not so well known David Tennant as a magician and so-called “vampire expert”. Fun movie for lovers of supernatural camp.

The Guard

Indie, Dark Comedy
4 stars
Good Irish movie about a police investigation of an international drug ring. Brendon Gleeson (In Bruges, another good movie and Harry Potter) stars as a small town Irish cop in Connemara investigating a local murder when he learns he must work with American FBI agent Don Cheadle (Traitor, Hotel Rwanda, Crash). Lots of profanity and racist remarks - Gleeson puts it best by saying “I’m Irish. Being racist is part of my culture!”. Very good movie.

The Devil’s Double

Drama, True Story
4 stars
Disturbing true story based on the memoir written by Latif Yahia, Uday Suddam Hussein’s lookalike decoy/body double. Dominic Cooper brilliantly (Mama Mia, Captain America) stars as both Latif and Uday as we get an up close look at true evil. The volatile Uday sleeps with whomever he wants, whether it be a school girl or a bride on her wedding day. He kills whomever he wants and has others clean up his dirty work. This film has the same feel as The Last King of Scotland that had an up close view of Idi Amin – another good but horrible story I recommend. Very good movie on a disturbing topic.

30 Minutes Or Less

Comedy
3 stars
An OK movie with some raunchy language. Danny McBride (Pineapple Express) and Nick Swardson play two buffoons who force pizza delivery guy Jesse Eisenberg (Social Network) to steal $100,000 so they can hire a hit man to kill McBride’s Dad (Fred Ward). Along for the ride is Eisenberg’s snarky friend played by Aziz Ansari (TV’s “Parks and Recreation”). It wasn’t a bad movie, but none of the characters were likable enough to root for. They seemed to be trying really hard to make this film as good as Pineapple Express, but it just wasn’t. Good for a few laughs after a few beers.

The Help

Drama
4 stars
Very good. Based on the bestselling book (that I never got to read!), Emma Stone stars as a young white woman in 1963 Jackson Mississippi who wants to write a book from the perspective of the black women employed by her peers who cook, clean and raise their children for less than minimum wage. I guess I’d have to read the book to find out why these woman who are loved by the children they raise, are then treated so badly by those same children once they are grown? And were those debutantes really such superficial caricatures in real life? I can’t compare the movie to the book, but I can tell you that the people in my theater applauded after it finished. Bring tissues. I really liked this movie.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Drama
4 stars
Very good story of Caesar the ape: his upbringing and what went wrong. James Franco stars the scientist devising a cure for Alzheimer’s, motivated by his father who is suffering from the disease (John Lithgow). Mostly it is the story of Caesar the lab ape who neither fits into the human world nor the ape world because of his higher intelligence. I thought the story was well done, and the the apes themselves were very realistic. I liked it.

The Change Up

Comedy, Raunchy
3 stars
Good for a few laughs but has a ton of raunchy profanity. Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds play best buddies who swap bodies and lives. Reynolds plays the slacker and ladies man and Bateman plays a successful lawyer and family man married to Leslie Mann. I laughed out loud a few times, but the language was too crude for me.

Crazy, Stupid, Love.

Comedy, Romance
4 stars
Good movie. Steve Carrell becomes separated from his wife, Julianne Moore, and Ryan Gosling tutors him on how to pick up women. Emma Stone co-stars as Gosling’s love interest. It was really refreshing to see Gosling play a slick womanizer rather then his usual tormented, sad sack characters. I can’t help but compare this film to Friends With Benefits since both films highlight casual sex. Hands down, Benefits is the funnier film of the two, but Love has a more rounded-out story line with interesting characters and comical tangents, although the tone is more bittersweet, even somber at times, and I kept hoping the music would become more upbeat. Both are good movies, each with a different feel.

Cowboys & Aliens

Sci-fi, Western
5 stars
Awesome and so cool! The title says it all: space aliens invade the Old West. It was so cool to watch the humans fight the aliens and spaceships with Old West weaponry. You can’t lose with Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford, plus I love the diversity of Sam Rockwell (Iron Man 2, Conviction). It’s much better than your average Western film. I’m not going to give away any of it, it’s best to just go and see it for yourself. Loved it!

Captain America

Action
3 stars
Very slow to start. I was looking forward to Chris Evans’s transformation from a geeky, skinny kid to a super soldier who kicks butt in WWII. Unfortunately the film wastes a lot of time before that happens. I am all for a good, solid background story, but I was bored at the start of this film with evil Nazis and a creepy scientist acquiring the magical element that can give people super strength. When Chris Evans is finally transformed into a super soldier, they waste even more time with the WWII US Treasury Bond Drive. I understand the chain of events was necessary to give him the patriotic costume and title of Captain America, but I think it could have been done better (Robert Downey Jr.’s transformation into Iron Man was so much better). Then there is the evil nemesis, whose cartoony face immediately reminded me of a red version of Jim Carrey’s character in The Mask. The film was OK. I’m sure some people would love it, but it just wasn’t my thing. I am hoping the inevitable Captain America 2 will be better.

Friends With Benefits

Comedy
4 stars
Funny, witty and charming; much better than I expected. Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis (Black Swan) attempt to take the emotion out of a relationship and just be sex-buddies. The plot is stolen from No Strings Attached, but is put together much better - plus I like the actors better in this film. Excellent supporting cast includes the magnificent Richard Jenkins as JT’s Dad, the talented Patricia Clarkson as Kunis’s Mom, as well as Jenna Elfman, that little kid from “Modern Family” plus “The Flying Tomato”: Olympian Shaun White. Very good.

A Better Life

Indie, Drama
4 stars
Very good story about an illegal Mexican immigrant living in East LA doing everything he can to make a better life for his teenage son, who his tempted by the gang life. Demian Bichir (TV’s “Weeds”) stars as the Dad who works as a landscaper whose truck and tools are stolen and does whatever it takes to get them back. A great story of perseverance and a father’s love for his son. Very well done.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Fantasy
4 stars
Very good! So much better than the slow moving Part 1. This is the conclusion and probably the darkest of the Potter series where Harry finally faces down the evil Lord Voldemort and learns the truth about Professor Snape (Daniel Radcliff, Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman). Both exciting and sentimental, I was in theater full of mostly adults who cheered and clapped at a few exalting scenes and even applauded at the ending where one theater-goer proclaimed “Mischief Managed!”. I wish I had prepped and watched the previous episodes again since I have a failing memory (I had mostly forgotten the details about Dumbledore’s family), but from what I can recall the film stayed true to the book as all the others did. It makes me want to read the final book again. Good movie.

Horrible Bosses

Comedy
3.5 stars
Good for a few laughs. Three buddies make a pact to kill off each other’s bad bosses so their lives will be less stressful. Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis star as the buddies, and Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Aniston and Colin Farrell play the horrible bosses. Much of this film was unfortunately given away already in the previews. Most guys will probably just be happy to see Aniston wearing almost nothing and talking dirty. It’s not as funny as Hangover 2 or Bridesmaids, but it’s good for a few raunchy laughs.

Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon (3D)

Sci-Fi, Action
3 stars
Mindless action film + a hot chick = Guy Movie. I never saw the first two Transformers films and only saw this one because they tore up my local neighborhood in Chicago for four months last summer filming so I wanted see to the end result. A giant robot found on the moon is brought back because he possesses some pillar thingies that were supposed to save his and the other “Autobots” planet (even though their planet was already destroyed by the bad robots, so that doesn’t make much sense to me, but then I was kinda bored and not really paying attention). Oh yeah, something to do with time-travel and bringing some badass through. Whatever. The beginning was interesting with the whole conspiracy theory behind the US putting the first people on the moon (Buzz Aldrin has a small role). Then, it was just lots of robots shooting at each other, and people who should have easily been squashed like bugs, joining in the fight. I knew the colored robots were good guys, but I couldn’t tell apart all the silver ones. Shia Labeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whitely, Patrick Dempsey. Jim liked it. I didn’t. It was really, really, long (157 minutes)!

Larry Crowne

Comedy
3.5 stars
Better than I expected. Tom Hanks stars as a hard worker who is laid off who goes back to school and falls for cranky, alcoholic Julia Roberts. I liked that there were lots of other characters, with other storylines making the film more interesting. Mostly, I liked that although the characters’ circumstances are sad and relevant to today’s economy, the film’s tone is very positive and upbeat. A good date movie.

Summer/Beach Movies on DVD

I really, REALLY, miss my summer vacations on Cape Cod. Renting beachy films is my substitute. I'm looking for films with wistful moments on the beach.
Please offer any good suggestions – no war movies!

December Boys
Daniel Radcliff
Summertime coming of age on the beaches of Australia.

Dirty Dancing
Jennifer Grey, Patrick Swayze
A summer resort on a lake. "Nobody puts Baby in a corner!"

Jaws
Richard Dreyfus
Killer shark hits Martha's Vinyard during summer season

Mama Mia
Amanda Seyfried, Meryl Streep
A musical on the sandy beaches of a Greek Island

Summertime
Katherine Hepburn
Hepburn spends the summer in Venice and finds romance

The Love Letter
Tom Selleck, Kate Capshaw
An unsigned love letter spurs imagination among the folks of coastal Rockport, MA

Lake Placid
Betty White, Oliver Platt, Bill Pullman, Bridget Fonda
Something is killing the beachgoers in a tranquil lake in this comedy/thriller.

Summer of '42
Jennifer O'Neill, Gary Grimes
Bittersweet romance between a young woman & teenage boy.

A Month By the Lake
Vanessa Redgrave, Uma Thurman
A snooty woman spends every April on Lake Como and competes for a man's affections with Uma Thurman. A little dry and slow, but good.

Something Borrowed
Kate Hudson, Ginnifer Goodwin
Hudson plans her wedding with Goodwin's crush as they spend weekends on the Hamptons

How Stella Got Her Groove Back
Angela Bassett, Taye Diggs
Romance on a Jamaican Resort

To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday
Peter Gallagher, Michelle Pfieffer
A greiving husband holds a weekend party in honor of his dead wife at his Nantucket beach home.

Masquerade
Rob Lowe, Meg Tilly
An heiress in East Hampton has folks conniving for her millions.

Something's Gotta Give
Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton
A playboy & his young girlfriend's Mom contend with each other at her beach house.

Corny, But still like them:
Summer Rental
John Candy
Corny, but I still love it. Candy's family make the most of a crappy Florida beach rental.

Fools Gold
Kate Hudson, Mathew McConaughey
Dumb, but fun treasure hunt on a tropical island.

50 First Dates
Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore
Really Dumb, but I always cry at the end. Hawaiian romance with a girl who has no memory beyond 24 hours.

Sappy Nicholas Sparks love stories only for die-hard chick-flick lovers:
Nights in Rodanthe
Diane Lane, Richard Gere
Romance in a beach B&B on the Outer Banks
The Last Song
Miley Cyrus, Greg Kinnear
Teen romance on the beach, surprisingly the best of these 3
Dear John
Amanda Seyfried, Channing Tatum
Sappy teen romance by the beach - even too sappy for me

Corny 60's Musicals:
Beach Blanket Bingo Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello
How to Stuff a Wild Bikini Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello
Bikini Beach Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello
Blue Hawaii Elvis

Really dumb movies I do not recommend:
One Crazy Summer
John Cusack, Demi Moore
It was so bad I forgot what it was about.
Weekend at Bernie’s
Andrew McCarthy
I enjoyed this in the 80’s, then cringed when I saw again it recently. 2 office workers are invited to the boss’s home on the Hamptons only to learn the boss is dead and they may be next.

QUESTIONS:
Beaches
Bette Midler, Barbara Hershey
Can't remember this at all! Hopefully there are beaches in it? Is it depressing or happy?

A Summer Place
Sandra Dee, Troy Donahue
Never saw this one - Any good?

The Trip

British, Dry Comedy
3 stars
Funny, but slow moving. British actors Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon play themselves on a road trip through Northern England. Coogan reluctantly asks Brydon to join him on the trip after his girlfriend backs out. The two bicker and jab each other while they impersonate their favorite actors over and over again. I did laugh out loud several times, but it does move along a bit slowly. Only for people who have patience for the slower pace of some independent films.

DVD Comedy recommendations

A quirky list of my personal favorite comedies you probably haven't seen or thought of in quite awhile:

A Fish Called Wanda
Kevin Kline, Jamie Lee Curtis
British caper/heist with American actors. "Don't call me stupid"

All of Me
Steve Martin, Lily Tomlin
Martin's body is partially possessed by Lily Tomlin

Bad News Bears
Tatum O'Neil
Best Little League movie

Bandits
Bruce Willis, Cate Blanchett, Billy Bob Thornton
Cate Blanchett bonds with her kidnappers, love it!

Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
Keanu Reeves
Two dopey teenagers enjoy a time-machine adventure.

City Slickers
Billy Crystal, Jack Palance
City boys play cowboy while on vacation

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
Spencer Tracy, Milton Berle, Sid Caeser
Competitve but comical treasure hunt

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer
Modern day film noir murder mystery, so funny

Oh God
George Burns, John Denver
Classic. George Burns plays God

Paper Moon
Tatum O'Neil, Ryan O'Neil
Father/daughter con-artist team

Stir Crazy
Richard Pryor, Gene Wilder
The comic pair are framed for bank robbery and go to prison

Young Frankenstein
Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman
"It's Alive!!"

An Ideal Husband
Rupert Everett, Cate Blanchett
A government minister who is being blackmailed turns to his philandering buddy for help.

The Gods Must Be Crazy
N!xau
An African bushman discovers a discarded Coke bottle and thinks it’s a gift from the gods.

Bad Teacher

Comedy
3.5 stars
Good, but not as funny as I’d hoped. Cameron Diaz stars as the title character who’s set on landing the rich but nerdy Justin Timberlake. Good supporting cast includes Phyllis Smith (“The Office”) and Lucy Punch (Take Me Home Tonight) as fellow teachers as well as Jason Segel as the gym teacher. It’s unfortunate so much of it was given away in the previews. It’s a decent flick, but I didn’t laugh as much as I expected to.

The Art of Getting By

Indie, Teen Angst
3 stars
Good acting, but an unexceptional film. Freddie Highmore stars as privileged teen with a seemingly high IQ, artistic ability, and a good support system, who chooses not to apply himself and moons over dream girl, Emma Roberts. The impressive cast includes Rita Wilson as his mom, Blair Underwood as the school principle, and Alicia Silverstone (!) as his frumpy English teacher. We’ve all been through teen angst to varying degrees, but with this kid I just wanted to shake him by the shoulders and scream "Get over yourself!". Clearly Highmore’s character belongs in a school for gifted students, but his trials and tribulations are no more exceptional than anyone else’s. The ending was predictable, but I found myself hoping Robert’s character would decide differently than the outcome. A much better independent teen angst film, which also co-stars Emma Roberts and is available on DVD, is It's Kind of a Funny Story, where the teen checks himself into a mental ward and gets a good education on life. Skip this movie and rent It's Kind of a Funny Story instead.

Mr. Popper’s Penguins

Comedy, Family
3.5 stars
I actually liked this one. Jim Carrey stars as a successful real estate agent who inherits penguins from his Dad and makes a home for them in his NY high-rise condo. Of course the concept is ridiculous, but the penguins were so darned cute that I fell in love with them! Jim Carrey himself was more restrained in this role, rather than his usual full-out kooky self in films like Ace Ventura. The kids in the theater loved it and I think the parents will be relieved to watch a heartwarming comedy that skips gross-out gimmicks (aside from the penguins pooping a few times, but then, what would you expect from a wild animal brought indoors?). Real penguins combined with very realistic computer graphics were used. Appropriate for all ages. Really cute.

Green Lantern

Sci-Fi, Action
3.5 stars
Fun movie with great special effects. Ryan Reynolds plays a Top Gun type pilot who receives the powerful green ring from a dying alien, and is now obliged to fight the bad guys of universe. The talented Peter Sarsgaard is great as the schleppy professor called in to examine the dead alien. I enjoyed all the imaginative aliens and their creative tricks. The only weak link was the choice of using Blake Lively as Reynolds’s boss/love interest. She’s not a bad actress, but she’s way too young to be believable as his superior in the Air Force. Also, the romantic scenes were way too syrupy and slowed down the pace of the film. I would have loved to have seen another Kelly McGillis-type actress (Top Gun) steam up that role. Otherwise, it’s a fun ride. There is a small scene partway into the closing credits that open up the story for a sequel. Not an award contender, but a fun ride nonetheless.

Super 8

Sci-Fi, Adventure
4.5 stars

Excellent movie, I loved it. After a terrible Air Force freight train crash, strange things start to happen in a small Ohio town, taking place in 1979. A group of kids who were filming an amateur film witnessed the crash and knew there was something very wrong about it. I won’t give away anymore. The kids were great actors, especially Elle Fanning. It is very reminiscent of classic Spielberg films like E.T. and The Goonies with children playing the lead roles and pursuing dangerous adventures. Too scary for smaller kids. Make sure to stay after the credits role for some priceless extra scenes. Loved, loved, loved this movie.

Midnight in Paris

Indie, Romance
4.5 stars
Loved it! Owen Wilson stars in this Woody Allen film as man longing for the 1920’s era of Paris, and finds it after the clock strikes midnight. While his fiancée (Rachel McAdams) has different goals in mind for the future, Wilson finds himself at home rubbing shoulders with legendary expats of 1920’s Paris and develops an attraction to Marion Cotillard. The film feels like a love letter to Paris with beautiful scenery and that je ne sais quoi... Sorry, I got a little carried away for a moment. For romantics, Francophiles, and lovers of the artists and writers of that era. I plan on buying the Blu-Ray when it comes out. Loved it!

The Hangover Part II

Comedy, Raunchy
4 stars
Very funny, very raunchy. This time around, Ed Helms, Bradley Cooper, and Zach Galifianakis wake up in a squalid hotel in Bangkok with no recollection of how they got there, and with Helm’s future brother-in-law missing. The same formula as last time, with some of the same characters making a return visit, so I didn’t find as shockingly original as the first film. It’s very funny though. Part of me thinks it would have been funnier to just watch the entire crazy night enfold rather than just see snippets as they find clues to their whereabouts. Fans of the first film will love this one too.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Adventure
3.5 stars
Cute, but not as good as previous efforts. Johnny Depp reprises his role as Captain Jack Sparrow, this time racing against his nemesis, Geoffrey Rush, as well as the Spanish on a quest to find the Fountain of Youth. Penelope Cruz helps spice up the cast, and I liked the vampire-like mermaids. Mostly, I think the actors were just having a good ole time playing pirates and I just didn’t get caught up in the story as I have with the previous films. Maybe it’s just me, but I had trouble deciphering the thick British accents in the London scenes. As with the last film, there is a very brief final scene after the seemingly endless closing credits. The scene is cute, but not really worth the long wait – there’s plenty of time to visit the restroom and come back to catch it (or you can just ask me and I’ll tell you what happened in the 5 second scene). Of course, the ending is set up for yet another sequel. Only for fans of the previous Pirate films.

Everything Must Go

Drama, Dry
3.5 stars
Good, but a little depressing. Will Ferrell stars as a man who after being fired from his job, comes home to find his belongings strewn about the front lawn and the locks have been changed. Having nowhere to go, he camps out on his front lawn hoping to speak to his now estranged wife. Learning that it is illegal to live on your front lawn, he has a five day yard sale to buy himself some time. There is some dry humor, but mostly he is just a sorry sack with an alcohol problem and it’s kinda depressing to watch. It’s good though.

Priest

Sci-Fi, Action
2 stars
Disappointing. Paul Bettany (Young Victoria, Legion, The Tourist, Da Vinci Code) stars as a “warrior priest” out to save his niece from vampires. The priests somehow possess special powers so they can fight like one-man-vampire-killing-machines. The whole thing was weird. The film takes place in a futuristic world, taken straight out of George Orwells’ 1984, complete with “Big Brother” watching everyone’s movements. Only in this world, instead of being ruled by a corrupt government, they are ruled by “The Church”, this concept taken straight out of The Golden Compass. Even though it’s in the future, the peasants wear medieval style clothes, except those living outside the city among the “Godless Heathens”, those folks dress like the Old West. The vampires look more like slimy monsters with just a mouth for a face, which I am sure I’ve seen in other movies, I think in I Am Number Four, among others. There are other beings called “the Familiars” who are people infected by the vampires, but resemble bald Goths, like from one of those old black and white Dracula films – these Goths can walk in the daylight and protect the vampires while they are sleeping. The leader of these Goths (Karl Urban from 2009’s Star Trek, The Bourne Supremacy) is an infected priest who now dresses like Clint Eastwood. So stupid. And they left it wide open for a sequel. Jim and I both like this genre, but we were both sadly disappointed in this film.

Bridesmaids

Comedy, Slightly Raunchy
4 stars
Very funny –definitely NOT a chick flick - the guys in the theater were laughing even harder than the females. I laughed out loud many, many times though some scenes I found excruciating, such as the bridesmaids’ dueling toasts but, to be fair, the other theater-goers were in stitches. Maya Rudolph appoints best friend Kristen Wiig as her Maid of Honor, which puts Wiig under tremendous stress on top of her bad job situation, bad romance (hilariously with John Hamm) and puts her head to head with Rose Byrne with whom she competes for being the “BFF” of Rudolph. Some jokes didn’t work for me, but I did laugh out loud quite a bit, and as aforementioned, the humor’s a tad raunchy. Funny, funny film.

Thor

Sci-Fi, Action
4 stars

Fun. After being banished from his home planet, stripped of his powers and stranded on Earth, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) searches for his magical hammer with the help of a local scientist, Natalie Portman. Jim and I enjoyed the special effects, costuming and fight scenes. Anthony Hopkins co-stars as Thor’s father, virtual unknown Tom Hiddleston as Thor’s brother, and Stellan Skarsgard (Mama Mia) as Portman’s colleague. Fun movie.

Something Borrowed

Chick Flick, Romance
3.5 stars
Much better than I expected. Ginnifer Goodwin (He’s Just Not That Into You) pines for her best friend’s fiancé (Kate Hudson, and Colin Egglesfield from “All My Children” who looks like a younger, hotter, and much taller version of Tom Cruise). Kate Hudson, as usual, plays a self-centered attention whore who had heartlessly stolen away Egglesfield before Goodwin could make her feelings known to him. John Krasinski co-stars as a life long friend of the two girls. I was afraid this would be another tacky waste of time like Bride Wars, but since the focus was more on Goodwin than Hudson, it seemed to have a lot more heart. I would have liked some steamy flashbacks of a certain one night romance, but even without it was a decent chick flick that thankfully spared us from any raunchiness. Decent chick flick.

Jumping the Broom

Comedy, Romance
2.5 stars
Kinda dumb. Paula Patton and Laz Alonzo fall madly in love but their families hate each other. The real focus is on the two mothers: pretentious, bourgeois Angela Bassett who looks down upon those less fortunate, versus the stubborn, angry and selfish Loretta Devine who is just plain rude. Both women play caricatures of the extremes and it’s too bad because if the director had had them tone it down a bit, the film could have been so much better. I liked the theme of Devine’s blue collar character wanting to keep the tradition of jumping the broom and trying to explain the importance of tradition to the more contemporary minded Basset and her daughter, Patton. To be fair, some of the other theaters-goers seemed to really enjoy it. Not terrible, but could have been better.

Prom

Drama, Teen
3.5 stars
I liked it. “Drama” seems so serious, but it wasn’t really a comedy either: I suppose “Light Drama” would be the best way to characterize it. Various teens in a Michigan high school prepare for the prom: the perfect class president (Aimee Teegarden) in charge of the prom committee must work with the handsome bad boy (Thomas McDonell) whose punishment is to work with her; a nerdy kid (Cameron Monaghan) gets jealous as his nerdy friend (Nolan Sotillo) pursues a pretty girl (Danielle Campbell) while the football hero (DeVaughn Nixon) has his own interests in mind; another likable nerd (Nicholas Braun) asks out every girl he meets; and my favorite, a funny and lovable student (Joe Adler) tells everyone about his perfect, mystery girlfriend. The students aren’t wacky as in John Hughes’s films, and there is no raunchiness at all (I don’t even recall any profanity), it’s just teen angst with some lovable nerds and a predictable plot. It’s like a combination of The Breakfast Club and American Pie, without being raunchy or focusing on sex. It’s cute though, I liked it.

I Am

Documentary
4 stars
Very good. After a life altering health scare, Tom Shadyac (the director of Ace Ventura, Patch Adams and Bruce Almighty, among others) interviews scientists, historians, scholars and spiritual leaders to learn what is wrong with the world and how we can improve it. Theories of Darwin, Einstein and many others are explored. Most interesting was his time spent at Heartmath, where they’ve proven that the magnetic waves our bodies emit can affect those around us negatively or positively. I only wish some of his footage wasn’t so grainy! Very interesting and well worth it.

Dylan Dog: Dead of Night

Sci-Fi, Camp
3 stars
Only for Sci-Fi fans (like me). Brandon Routh (Superman Returns) stars as a modern-day film noir-ish private investigator who has had prior experience with vampires, werewolves and zombies (oh my!) and unwillingly becomes entangled in their dramas once again as they begin killing off “breathers” in search of a mysterious “heart”. Only fans of the campy films you see on SyFy or those who enjoy shows like “Supernatural” or “Being Human” will enjoy this tongue-in-cheek film. I happen to love vampires, werewolves and zombies (oh my! – sorry, I just can’t help myself:) ) and I enjoyed this film even though Routh is way too pretty for this role and you have to wonder why the more powerful beings don’t just easily kill him off to get him off their backs. Co-stars include Sam Huntington (“Being Human”) as Routh’s best friend, Peter Stormare (Constantine, Fargo) as the sort-of “Godfather” of the werewolf clan, and Taye Diggs as the leader of the vampire coven. Fun, fun, fun!!

African Cats

Documentary, Nature
4.5 stars
Excellent; both tense and heartbreaking. This years Earth Day Disney production features three families on the Maasai Mara Wildlife Preserve in Kenya. There is the utopian family of six lionesses and their cubs protected by a single male lion; across a crocodile infested river there is the pride of four male lions who want to conquer the single male and take over his harem; then there is the single mom Cheetah trying to defend and rear her cubs all by herself. There are plenty of tense situations where the cubs are threatened or cats you’ve become attached to get maimed and/or killed. I teared up and sniffled several times. This may be too intense for sensitive young ones. Good movie.

Scream 4

Horror, Slasher
3.5 stars
Much like the previous Scream films. This time around, sole surviving victim Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) returns home to promote her book on crisis survival only to have the murders start up again. I used to enjoy the flirty banter and comic relief of David Arquette and Courtney Cox Arquette, but this time around, they are a cranky married couple resembling their real life personas too much. As usual, the teenagers all think they are smarter than everyone else, as teenagers always do. Luckily, I was in the mood to watch teenagers kill each other off. It seemed like all the new young Hollywood stars of today appeared in the film so I won’t name them all here. It’s an effective slasher flick relevant to today’s younger generations.

Water For Elephants

4 stars
Drama, Romance
Good movie. Robert Pattinson (Twilight) joins the circus as a veterinarian in 1931 and falls for the malicious boss’s wife (Christoph Waltz, just as scary as his Inglorious Basterds Nazi character, and Reese Witherspoon). I tried to read this best-selling book, but just couldn’t get into it, so I can’t compare. The animal abuse scenes were really hard to watch – I even had to cover my eyes. It was a good movie.

Rio (3D)

Family, Animated
4 stars
Cute story with a visually stunning palette and tap-your-foot music. An endangered “cerulean macaw” named Blu is sent to Rio to mate with a female. Parents: be prepared to explain the “birds and bees” (pun intended) to your little ones as well as explaining why a little boy would be impoverished and homeless. Being a former parrot enthusiast I can tell you there is no such thing as a “cerulean macaw”, but there is a gorgeous and endangered Hyacinth Macaw with pretty yellow cheeks and eyelids, so I’m not sure why Disney Pixar didn’t just highlight the real bird? Also, I don’t agree with their choices of Jesse Eisenberg and Ann Hathaway as the voices for the leads; I was distracted by the voices that didn’t seem to fit the characters. Other voices were great (even though none of them were Brazilian!), including will.i.am, Jamie Foxx (who would have been a better voice for the lead) and George Lopez. Nevertheless, Rio is a fun, entertaining and very colorful romp. Now I really want to see the Rio Carnival!!!

Potiche

Foreign, Comedy
4.5 stars
Loved it. Catherine Deneuve stars as a “trophy housewife” in 1977 France who is taken for granted by her husband and children. When her philandering husband becomes ill, she takes over the ailing family business and turns it into a success, much to her husband’s dismay. Gerard Depardieu co-stars as the local Mayor MP whom Deneuve consults and flirts with. I loved that it took place during the advent of women’s rights in France, not only for the politics but for the fashions of the time. Only the French can get away with making light of adultery for an entertaining comedy. The title translates to "figurehead". French, with English subtitles. Very good.

Your Highness

Comedy
3 stars
Funny, but too many genital jokes. Danny McBride reteams with Pineapple Express co-star James Franco as the jealous little brother of the hero prince in Medieval times. Together they go on a quest to save Franco’s fiancé, Zooey Deschanel, from an evil wizard, Justin Theroux. Along they way, they meet up with the sexy Natalie Portman. Sorry guys, there is no more of Portman exposed than what you see in the previews, but there are some other naked chicks in another scene. It’s a cute movie, but nothing great, with too many adolescent jokes.

Arthur

Comedy
4 stars
Fun remake - I liked it even though there was no need to remake the classic. Russell Brand effectively takes the reigns from the late, great, irreplaceable Dudley Moore as the lovable alcoholic man-child with a bottomless bank account. I have to say I like Greta Gerwig (No Strings Attached, Greenberg) infinitely better than Liza Minnelli as Arthur’s love interest. She is a much more believable and a more likable character. I was resistant at first of Helen Mirren taking over the previously male role of Hobson, but she’s such a talented actress she won me over. Jennifer Garner co-stars as the mentally imbalanced Susan, who wants to marry Arthur for the family name and family business. What I like about this version is that it has heart, much more so than the original. The characters feel more real (except for Garner’s silly role), and the romance between Brand and Gerwig rings truer than the original between Minnelli and Moore. Well done.

Source Code

Action,Drama
3.5 stars
Interesting story starring Jake Gyllenhaal as an air force pilot who is inexplicably sent back in time for 8 minute time frames to locate and identify a train bomber. As he keeps repeating the same 8 minute slot in time, he falls for fellow train passenger Michelle Monaghan and hopes to somehow spare her from certain death. There is more to it than meets the eye, but it’s not too hard to figure out. Vera Farmiga co-stars. I still enjoyed it. It’s not quite Groundhog Day; it’s a little more interesting than that. And the views of Chicago were fab, almost makes all those hovering helicopters at all times of the year worth while... A decent flick. But I think Limitless or Lincoln Lawyer are better choices.

Jane Eyre (2011)

British, Period
4.5 stars
Excellent movie. Too bad I never read the book, so I can’t compare. Poor Jane Eyre is almost the original Cinderella with her sad upbringing and station in life until she meets the dashing, but bittersweet Mr. Rochester. At times almost scary, certainly eerie, this version certainly beats those old, dusty PBS numbers. I’ve become a fan of the very talented star Mia Wasikowska after her turns in The Kids Are All Right, the star of Alice and Wonderland as well as her notable role in I Am Love. Michael Fassbender was perfect as the strange and mysterious Mr. Rochester. Excellent film.

Certified Copy

Foreign, Drama
2 stars
“Oy vey!” aptly sums this one up. Juliette Binoche stars as a French woman living in Tuscany who entertains a visiting author (William Shimell) for the day by driving him around the Tuscan countryside and visiting quaint little villages. Sounds quaint and perfect, doesn’t it? Well trust me, it ain’t. After being mistaken as a married couple they play along with the ruse, only they bicker and b*itch at each other the entire time, which is meant to lead you to wonder: are they a pair pretending to be married, or are they a married couple pretending they just met? My guess is they were once a bitter couple who paths have crossed once again. As much as I am a fan of all things Italy, especially the scenery and quaintness of it all, the backdrop couldn’t make up for all the arguing, complaining, and b*itch, b*itch, b*itching they do throughout the entire thing. Spoken partly in English, French and Italian with English subtitles. I want those two hours of my life back!!! Skip it.

Win Win

Indie, Dry Comedy
4 stars
Good movie. Paul Giamatti stars as a sad sack (again!) lawyer who can’t make ends meet so he takes on guardianship of an old man with dementia for the extra cash (Burt Young from Rocky). When the old man’s teenage grandson shows up, Giamatti and his wife, Amy Ryan, end up taking him in. Real-life wrestler Alex Shaffer plays the teenager who turns out to have a talent for wrestling, which Giamatti helps foster. While the story may sound reminiscent of The Blind Side, Win Win holds its own with its wry humor and quirky cast. Very good flick.

Paul

Comedy, Sci-Fi
3.5 stars
Fun movie, Jim & I both liked it. Simon Pegg (Run, Fat Boy Run) and Nick Frost (Pegg’s co-star/co-writer in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) star as two Brits on holiday in the US to visit Comic Con and take a sci-fi themed road trip when they encounter a real alien (voiced by Seth Rogen). Pegg and Frost also co-wrote the story. Much of what was shown in the previews takes place near the beginning of the film, so there is still more to see. Co-stars include Justin Bateman, Joe Lo Truglio, and 2 SNL stars: Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader. To be fair, Jim and I had a couple of drinks before seeing this film and we had a blast, but the alcohol may have enhanced our experience... If you are offended by profanity, then this potty-mouthed film is not for you. Fun movie.

Kill The Irishman

Indie, True Story
4 stars
Well told true story about a 1970’s era man, Danny Greene, who worked his way up through unions and later the mob in Cleveland. Ray Stevenson stars as Greene, a sort of Robin Hood to the folks of Cleveland who was fiercely proud of his Irish heritage. Biggest question is why isn’t Stevenson a bigger star with his brawny physique and his deep baritone of a voice, let alone his talent? Co-stars include Val Kilmer as a cop, Vincent D’Onfrio as a “nice” mobster and Christopher Walken as a powerful man with mob ties. Gritty and realistic, it really brings what I remember of the 70’s back to life. Good movie.

The Lincoln Lawyer

Drama, Crime
4 stars
Good movie with lots of twists and turns. Matthew McConaughey stars as the title character who normally represents tough characters like bikers and drug dealers, but acquires a rich client (Ryan Phillippe) charged with the murder of a prostitute. Nothing is as it seems and the betrayals and double crosses are aplenty. William H. Macy (Fargo) co-stars as McConaughey’s private investigator and Marisa Tomei plays McConaughey’s ex-wife – though I’ve never known a divorced couple to be so flirty, their chemistry sizzles. I expected it to be violent, but it really isn’t, this is more of a clever cat-and-mouse thriller. McConaughey is excellent, as good as he was in A Time To Kill. It’s a fun ride.

Limitless

4.5 stars
Drama, Intrigue
Very good. Bradley Cooper stars as a man who happens upon a miraculous pill that allows him to access 100% of his brain power so he can accomplish anything. But unfortunately, the pills have side affects and there are dangerous people following him. Robert De Niro co-stars as a powerful Wall Street exec interested in Cooper’s capabilities and Abbie Cornish (A Good Year) plays Cooper’s girlfriend. I really liked it. Good movie.

Battle: Los Angeles

Sci-Fi, War
1.5 stars
Jim liked it; I did Not, with a capital “N”. Jim’s only complaint was that it lacked scantily clad hot chicks... A group of marines are sent into Santa Monica to rescue any living civilians before the city is to be wiped out by an air strike in 3 hours. The world is already under attack by aliens when the movie begins, so there is no buildup of suspense as they approach and start to take over major cities. The many characters are introduced all at once in the beginning; not really enough time to keep them all straight or to really care about any of them. The shaky, hand held camera footage drives me absolutely nuts. The only thing that kept me somewhat interested was worrying about the fates the 3 little kids stuck in the middle of it all. It differs from similar films like Skyline and Cloverfield in that those films focused more on the conflict between the survivors. This film feels more like a war film, and you are dropped right in the middle of the action. Stars include Aaron Eckhart, Ramon Rodriguez and of course Michelle Rodriguez (Avatar) reprises her role as a non-sexy tough chick. Please, no sequels! Definitely a “guy” film.

Red Riding Hood

Horror, Romance
2 stars
A sure bet for the Raspberry Awards. A small village is terrorized by a werewolf, the only question is who could it be? Amanda Seyfried is the red-hooded star who has two hotties vying for her affections (hmm, sound much like Twilight?) and her preferred hottie even has a modern haircut much like Robert Pattinson’s, but this actor is Shiloh Fernandez. The underdog hottie is played by Max Irons. Julie Christie has a terrible role as Grandmother. I know many of the better known actors in the film can actually act, so apparently the director, Catherine Hardwicke, also of Twilight fame, should not be allowed to work in film again. There were actually some aspects I liked about this film. The scenery was gorgeous, I loved the cameramen’s scenic angles and shots, I liked the whole Renaissance Faire type wardrobe and village. But, poor direction, unconvincing acting and flat dialogue mire this film. Only for die-hard romantics, Renaissance Faire fans, and maybe some Twi-hard fans would like it too.

The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2011 Animated

Drama, Animated
4 stars
Good, but not as good as last year’s Animated Shorts. Today, 3/10, is the last day this is showing at the Landmark theaters, but the official website says they’re available on iTunes: http://www.shortsinternational.com/ and it looks like they all have previews on youtube.com. France’s “Madagascar” was interesting about burial rituals, but not all that great. “Let’s Pollute” from the USA started cute but became depressing. England’s “The Gruffalo” was a cute children’s story with an all-star cast. Disney’s “Night & Day” was my favorite and I’ve seen it before, I’m pretty sure it was shown before Toy Story 3. The Oscar winner “The Lost Thing” from Australia/UK was odd and somewhat somber. There were two non-nominee “notables”; one from Germany called “Urs” that was rather sad; and one from the USA “The Cow Who Wanted to be a Hamburger” from Bill Plympton that was cute.

Beastly

Drama
2.5 stars
Sappy and strange – only for diehard romantics. Alex Pettyfer (I Am Number Four) stars as a popular, conceited jerk in high school who becomes hexed by a witch (Mary Kate Olsen) to look horribly scarred and tattooed and will stay that way permanently unless he finds someone to love him within a year (Vanessa Hudgins). I liked the whole idea of the witch and Beauty & The Beast theme, but whole the wooing process was odd. The highlight of the film was Neil Patrick Harris as a blind man hired to privately tutor the title character. Lisa Gay Hamilton (“The Practice”, “Men of a Certain Age”) was very sweet as Pettyfer’s maid from Jamaica. As I said, only for diehard romantics.

Adjustment Bureau

4.5 stars
Drama, Intrigue
Very good. Matt Damon stars as a New York congressman who falls for pretty ballerina Emily Blunt. Unfortunately, that puts a cog in “The Plan” and “adjusters” have to intervene. Anthony Mackie (Hurt Locker) plays Damon’s “case worker” and his senior adjusters include John Slattery (“Mad Men”) and Terence Stamp (“Smallville”). Guys should like it for the intrigue and suspense; girls should like it for the romance – nothing sappy, just pure chemistry and physical attraction. The bits of ballet we got to see were beautiful, I would have loved to see a full performance. I was just left with two questions: 1) Why was Blunt crashing that wedding at the beginning anyway? 2) What happened in 2005 to change “The Plan”? Otherwise, well done.

Rango

Animated, Family
3.5 stars
Cute, but long and slow. Johnny Depp voices Rango, a dim-witted chameleon who rambles into a small desert town and unwittingly becomes a hero. As the newly minted sheriff he attempts to solve the town’s water shortage crisis. This is really a film for young boys, as there are no cutesy characters for girls to enjoy and the pace moves along as slowly as an old Western. There was a cameo that I was excited about, with the spot-on voice of the king of all Spaghetti Westerns, Clint Eastwood. This character even carted around a collection of golden statuettes. But alas, as the credits rolled, the voice was that of Timothy Olyphant, of I Am Number Four and TV’s “Justified”. What a disappointment! Overall, it was just OK.

Take Me Home Tonight

Comedy
4 stars
Decent flick, but not quite the epic adventure I was hoping for. Topher Grace tries to win the heart of his high school crush, Teresa Palmer, by pretending to be wealthy and successful. I was hoping for an all-night adventure on par with Superbad, but it doesn’t quite measure up. Still, it’s enjoyable enough; good for a few laughs.

Unknown

Drama, Intrigue
4 stars
Decent mystery with a plausible outcome. Liam Neeson awakens from a coma to find that someone else (Aiden Quinn) has taken over not only his identity, but his wife (January Jones) and memories too. Neeson enlists the help of Diane Kruger, the only person who can somewhat corroborate his story. I was pleased that it all turned out to be plausible, not some outlandish conclusion. Jim and I both liked it.

Hall Pass

3.5 stars
Comedy
Good for a few laughs. Owen Wilson and Jason Sudekis (SNL) receive a one week pass from marriage from their wives (Jenna Fischer of “The Office” and Christina Applegate). Richard Jenkins co-stars but someone should tell him he looks like Freddy Kruger in that hat! I have to say the best laugh was before the hall passes were granted, so keep that in mind. Some raunchy language and nudity, but nothing excessive. Have a couple of beers before viewing to enhance the laughs. I still give it a better than average rating and enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

Another Year

1.5 stars
British, Depressing
So boring!! Also long, slow and depressing. I actually dozed off in the middle of it and didn’t miss anything. Jim Broadbent and Ruth Sheen star as a well-adjusted, happily married couple who entertain their dysfunctional, alcoholic friends - most notably Leslie Manville and Peter Wight. Manville’s character is a desperate singleton who has a cringe-worthy crush on Sheen’s much younger son. The film starts with an excruciatingly long doctor’s appointment of a depressed woman, but then the woman is never mentioned again in the film. Why? Broadbent (Bridget Jones’s dad, and a Harry Potter professor) and Sheen (Run, Fatboy, Run) are both lovable actors, but they couldn’t save this depressing and oh-so-boring story. And to think I wasted a free pass on this loser! Skip it.

I Am Number Four

Sci-Fi, Action
3.5 stars
Fun flick about child-aliens growing up as humans who are destined to unite and save the earth from the ugly evil aliens who want to destroy it. The problem is there were only nine child-aliens saved and the evil aliens have already killed off three. There’s a bit of teen drama and boy-meets-girl drama, but the special effects were fun and I loved the giant monsters near the end. As with most sci-fi flicks, it’s slightly corny, but on the whole I liked it. Stars include Alex Pettyfer (Beastly) as “Number Four”, Timothy Olyphant (“Justified”) as his guardian, Dianna Agron (“Glee”) as his love interest, and Callan McAuliffe (Flipped) as a sci-fi geek. Left wide open for a sequel. Only for sci-fi lovers.

Cedar Rapids

Comedy
3.5 stars
I liked it. Ed Helms (The Hangover) stars as an insurance salesman who’s never been outside of his small town in Wisconsin, and goes to Cedar Rapids for a convention where he meets the loud and crazy John C. Reilly. Helm’s character is a sweetly sheltered man-child who tries to resist the crazy antics of the raunchy Reilly. Co-stars include Sigourney Weaver, Anne Heche, Isiah Whitlock Jr., and Kurtwood Smith (“That 70’s Show”). Reilly’s profane tongue is a bit much, but it’s a good movie.

Just Go With It

Comedy, Dumb
1 star
Truly tasteless and excruciating to watch. Adam Sandler meets the girl of his dreams, Brooklyn Decker, but designs a web of lies to pretend he’s getting divorced from Jennifer Aniston, who is actually his employee. The title refers to an acting improvisation rule of just going with whatever your fellow actor is doing or saying. Since Sandler has created an entire fake family, they all must “just go with it”, or play off one another to fool Decker. When will I learn that Adam Sandler = lousy movie? And why would Nicole Kidman agree to play an excruciatingly bad role as Aniston’s nemesis? I didn’t laugh once.

The Eagle

Drama, Action
2.5 stars
Well, Jim liked it. Channing Tatum as a Roman warrior who brings his slave (Jamie Bell, the star of Billy Elliot) north of Hadrian’s Wall to fight Scottish barbarians (my ancestors!) for a golden eagle that Tatum’s father had lost in battle – as well as losing his life and 5,000 soldiers’ lives. It’s not terrible, but it’s a “guy movie” with lots of journeying through forests with intermittent fighting and bloodshed to regain honor. The scenery was beautiful. Donald Sutherland co-stars as Tatum’s uncle. Wait for cable.

The Roommate

Horror, Psychological
3.5 stars
Decent flick though the plot is blatantly stolen from 1992’s Single White Female. Leighton Meester is one scary psycho b*itch who gets assigned to share a dorm room with Minka Kelly, and doesn’t want to share her new-found friend with anyone. Costars include Cam Gigandet (Burlesque) as Kelly’s new love interest, Alyson Mikalka (Easy A, “Hellcats”) as a classmate and Billy Zane (Titanic) as a handsome professor. While not as good as what I can recall of Single White Female, it’s still fun to see some cattiness and jealousy with a touch of gore.

The Mechanic

Action
3.5 stars
A “guy flick” starring Jason Statham as a hit man who reluctantly mentors a volatile wannabe (Ben Foster). Lots of action and explosions and shootouts. Statham was good as usual as a straightforward butt-kicker. The suspense was waiting for the hot-tempered Foster’s fuse to blow. This is a remake of the 1972 film with Charles Bronson. Jim loved it. I think Jim now owes me a chick flick. Donald Sutherland co-stars. From a girl’s point of view, it was a decent action flick.

Valentine DVD recommendations, with"manly" male leads guys should like:

Chocolat - Julliette Binoche as a mystical chocolatier in a quaint French village, with Johnny Depp as a roving gypsy

A Good Year - Russell Crowe stars as jerk who inherits his grandfather's gorgeous estate in the French countryside and falls for Marion Cotillard.

French Kiss: Meg Ryan goes to Paris to win back her former fiance, Timothy Hutton, but needs the help of dodgy but hilarious Kevin Kline.

Knight & Day: Action adventure with Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise. Lots of explosions and shootouts.

The Love Letter: A love letter appears, and everyone wants to believe it was written for themselves. Very funny, Tom Selleck, Tom Everett Scott, Kate Capshaw, Ellen DeGenerous.

Casablanca: C'mon, it's the best movie of all time! Bogie and Bergman meet again in Morocco after being separated in the war.

An Affair to Remember: Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr meet on a cruise, then agree to meet at the top of the Empire State Bldg on a certain date. Classic!

The Rite

Horror, Exorcism
4 stars
Good movie starring Anthony Hopkins as an exorcist in Rome who mentors a recent seminary school graduate lacking faith, Colin O’Donoghue. It’s really only for people who enjoy this genre (like me). I liked the special effects, especially with Hopkins’s face. While not an original premise, it’s creepy, a little scary and fun!

From Prada to Nada

Chick Flick
3.5 stars

I liked it. Two Mexican-American sisters find themselves moving from a posh lifestyle in Beverly Hills to slumming it in East L.A. I was expecting a comedy, but this is really more of a story of embracing one’s roots. The sisters are opposites: one is bookish (Camilla Belle) and the other is a girlie shopaholic (Alexa Vega), who were never really exposed to their Mexican roots until moving in with their aunt (Adriana Barraza). Wilmer Valderrama co-stars as a tough but sweet neighbor. There is romance and heartbreak, it’s predictable and cheesy, but overall I still liked the story’s message. I’m not so sure East L.A. is as warm and fuzzy as they make it out to be, but the message is about the warmth of family, friends and their culture. Only for chick flick lovers.

Biutiful

Foreign, Depressing
2 stars
I’d rather slit my writs than sit through that film again. More depressing even than Winter’s Bone! Spanish with English subtitles. There is nothing beautiful about this film – the title is a child’s misspelling. Javier Bardem (whom I love) stars as a man living in a squalid section of Barcelona trying to provide for his kids by working as a go-between with a Chinese sweatshop, the Senegalese men who sell the wares and the cops he must bribe. His wife is a whore and his brother is another lowlife. Oh, and he’s peeing blood, so you know that’s not going to end well. The film is raw and realistic and the acting is excellent – the reason I went to see it was because of the raves for Bardem’s performance – but why would anyone want to watch something so depressing? I’d have given it a higher rating, but there is no excitement, just despair as these people get on with their lives in fetid living conditions. And it’s really long too at 147 minutes. Go at your own risk.

The Way Back

Indie, Drama
4.5 stars
Really good. National Geographic produced this film inspired by the true story of a group of (mostly) political prisoners who escaped a Siberian prison during WWII and walked 4,000 miles to India. Jim Sturgess (Across the Universe) stars as the leader of the group possessing outdoors experience, and co-stars include Ed Harris as a selfish American, Colin Farrell as a dangerous Russian criminal and Saoirse Ronan (Atonement) as a “hanger-on” so to speak. Since the group is multicultural and have differing backgrounds, the mix is most interesting. The end of the film provides a synopsis of the historical events leading up to the tearing down of the Berlin wall, but doesn’t tell us what the main characters did during those 40 years, which is my only complaint. On the whole, an excellent film of perseverance in the most impossible of conditions.

No Strings Attached

Comedy
3.5 stars
Much better than I expected. Ashton Kutcher stars as an everyman dude whose female friend, Natalie Portman, suggests a “friends with benefits” arrangement. Predictable, yes, but the humor is fresh and smart and the cast is quite likable. I went in with very low expectations – maybe you should too – and wound up happily surprised. Kevin Kline costars as Kutcher’s dad, as well as Greta Gerwig (Greenberg), Lake Bell (“Boston Legal”), Olivia Thirlby (Juno), Ludracris and Cary Elwes as a handsome doctor. A good date movie.

Company Men

Drama
4 stars
Very good but so depressing. Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones and Chris Cooper star is this melancholy film about people we know too well losing their jobs and how they cope in different ways. Kevin Costner costars with his jarringly phony Boston accent, but his performance is very real. My Uncle Jim’s Fore River Shipyard also has a role in film (my Uncle Jim was one of the last let go before the place closed down) and it was nice to see it have a purpose again. Very good, but so sad to have today’s sad economy and terrible job market highlighted on the big screen. Well acted, good movie.

Green Hornet

Action, Comedy
4 stars
Fun movie – way better than I expected. Though it should be renamed “Kato is Kool!” because Jay Chou was the real star of this flick. Seth Rogen stars as a spoiled rich kid who decides he wants to make a difference and fight crime, but he needs Kato’s brains and talent to accomplish this goal. All the gadgetry, powerful weapons and the cool car, Black Beauty, are fun to watch. But I do have to point out one flaw: I don’t have a smart phone, but I believe if they had one they could have made a recording and uploaded it to the internet and prevented the millions of dollars of damage and destruction they caused. But it probably wouldn’t have been as fun to watch. Cameron Diaz costars as the sexy but smart secretary. Fun.

The Dilemma

Comedy
3 stars
Good for a few laughs. Vince Vaughn catches his best friend’s wife cheating on him (Kevin James and Winona Ryder) with Channing Tatum and can’t find the right time or circumstance to tell him. Jennifer Connelly co-stars as Vaughn’s girlfriend. The first half of the movie was much better than what I’d expected, but then comes the awkward and inappropriate toast, shown in all the previews, that is even more awkward and inappropriate and excruciating to watch. Then there are a few more excruciating scenes and I started to wonder what happened to the nice comedy it started out to be. I liked the ending. I give it a “3” or “average” rating. Since most of the other choices at the theater are either depressing, dull or really dumb, this may be the best of the worst at the moment (except for The Tourist, I still think that’s a great date movie). So-so comedy.

Country Strong

Drama
4 stars
Another drunken Country singer movie. Gwyneth Paltrow stars as an alcoholic Country star whose husband, Tim McGraw, pushes her to get back on the road performing. Joining them on tour are delicious eye-candy Garrett Hedlund (Four Brothers) and the so-sweet-you’ll-want-to-vomit Leighton Meester (she’s supposed to be like that). Paltrow is good, though not to the caliber of Jeff Bridges, but the movie itself is much more enjoyable than the depressing Crazy Heart. I loved the Make-A-Wish scene and even though I’m no fan of Country music, the Musical performances were well done. But I kept wondering: How’d the baby bird fare? I thought it was supposed to be representational of Paltrow’s nurturing skills? Anyway, good movie.

Blue Valentine & Rabbit Hole

Sorry, I have no plans to depress myself with Blue Valentine or Rabbit Hole. The whole idea of sitting through two hours of misery of either a failing marriage or parents grieving the loss of a child just turns me off. While I like a good story, both of those topics are the kind of things that belong on the Lifetime channel. I’m sure there’s all kinds of “great acting”, and Nicole Kidman may very well deserve accolades for her performance in Rabbit Hole, but I choose not to subject myself to it.

Season of the Witch

Fantasy
2.5
Disappointing. Nicholas Cage stars as a 13th century crusader who must escort a “black witch” thought to be the cause of the plague to a monastery where she can be exorcized (Claire Foy). I am a sucker for gothic era films, and I especially like evil supernatural things like witches and vampires, so I was really looking forward to this film filled with atmospheric special effects. I did like some elements of the film, but it was almost as disappointing as last year’s The Wolfman with Anthony Hopkins. To start, the film begins with some silly, overdone battle scenes to show what fearsome warriors Cage and Ron Perlman are (Perlman was the star of Hellboy) and to show that they adhere to a code of ethics. Then there is the expected long journey with the witch that I kind of liked. Then there are some great special effects once they reach their destination. But somehow, and I can’t put my finger on it - bad acting by Cage probably – I just couldn’t take the story seriously and truly get into it. At the very end is a needless, patronizing narration that should have left on the cutting room floor. Jim disliked it more than I did. Wait for Cable.

Somewhere

Indie, Drama
2 stars
Really boring with an ending that makes no sense. Stephen Dorff stars as a famous but lonely movie star living at the Chateau Marmont in L.A. who takes on temporary custody of his 11 year old daughter, Elle Fanning, while his ex takes some time for herself. This won the Golden Lion award for Best Picture at the Venice Film Festival. Why? Were the others movies really that much worse? It’s only 97 minutes long, but feels so much longer as we watch Dorff brush his teeth, takes showers (waist-up – don’t get too excited) sit and stare into space, and of course take on many floozies. Even the pole dancers were boring – and there was so little to this movie that we have to endure two complete performances from them. Elle Fanning (Dakota’s little sister) is the bright spot in the movie as we see how much her Dad loves her. I loved the wordless exchange between her and Dorff when a floozy joins them for breakfast. There was another male character who shows up from time to time who is never introduced, but he hangs out on the couch, usually when Elle is present. Who the heck was he? And the ending; what the heck was that? So boring! We never learn his background, why doesn’t he have any friends, nothing! I thought Lost in Translation was super boring too, but at least those characters did some sight seeing. I don’t get the hype, and don’t really want to. Dull, dull, dull.