zeedunn Reviews

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)

New Moon Has Some Good: Jacob, the Soundtrack

[5/10 · 20 November 2009]

I have a dirty little secret. I am 32 years old, and I have read the Twilight book series (all of them) and watched the movies. Now, I have a semi-excuse. I am a young adult librarian and service to teens is my first priority. This means I am supposed to know what teens enjoy so that I can use that knowledge to develop programs for them at the library. However, while this explains why I might have read a couple of the books, it doesn't explain why I chose to go see the New Moon movie at midnight this morning.

It was a last minute decision. I didn't have to work today so I thought, why not? Usually the big midnight releases are on Tuesday nights and I have to work in the morning. Plus I happen to live right down the street from a really cool community movie theater. It is quieter than the big cineplexes. I had no trouble getting a ticket at the last minute or finding a seat. They serve freshly popped popcorn, which yes, is a anomaly in the movie theater business.

So here's my reaction to the movie, and I'll attempt to do this without spoilers. Of course, it's pretty hard to spoil this movie when everyone knows the story for the most part.

The Good: The best parts of this movie are when Bella is alone or with Jacob. Their chemistry is real. And why wouldn't it be? Have you seen those abs? Little Jacob looks GOOD in this movie. The man-boy has a temperature of 140 degrees, and I am always cold. And when Bella is Edward-less, Kristen Stewart gives a fragile and sincere performance. I felt the wall she built around herself, and I felt it tumble as Jacob's warmth melts it away. I am on Team Jacob, but no one can deny that Bella and Jacob had a better connection in this movie. Maybe it's because Edward hardly shows up, but it's pretty obvious.

Okay, yes, there are some very cheesy parts in Taylor Lautner's Jacob performance. Couldn't they get him a better wig? But he did what this part required, he looked good (I read today that he had given up ice cream, poor guy) and he had a good combination of anger and brokenness to pull Jacob off. And he loses the wig halfway through.

I also have to say the soundtrack is outstanding. Some great songs, and maybe without the songs I wouldn't have enjoyed the movie so much. The right song can cover up many flaws in a film. I found links to the songs on youtube that were especially good. Hearing Damage by Thom Yorke played over a chase scene, and gave the moment an ethereal quality. The next one was Possibility by Lykke Li, which plays during a rather sad moment in the film. This singer reminds me so much of Julee Cruise (turn this one up, it has a great dance to it, too) who sang many of the tracks off of the Twin Peaks TV series soundtrack. Maybe not the exact sound or timbre, but just the feeling of despair you feel when listening to the songs.

The Bad: The vampires all look TERRIBLE in this movie. At the beginning scenes, Edward looks all right. But the vampires do not look good. I think in general, they have done a horrible job making these vampires look good. Most of the actors are attractive, but the makeup is so bad. They are all pale and frigid looking. The vampires are supposed to be alluring, but it didn't work out that way. When we first see Edward after a long absence, we are comparing him in our minds with the muscular, tan, warm person of Jacob. And Edward and Bella together have no chemistry. They had some in the first movie, but it's gone. Bella doesn't even seem to like Edward's company. And Edward looks constipated the whole time.

Go Team Jacob! I would say if you are a fan of these books and this concept, you should see the movie. If you have no interest in this series, the movies are not for you. What I want to know is, will it get better or worse? As a Jacob fan, I know I am going to hate the last movie, but the third one could be the best.

The Searchers (1956)

A Classic Ford

[10/10 · 28 October 2009]

The Searchers isn't my favorite John Wayne movie, but it was certainly good. The setting is the obligatory open prairie. The music swells in all the appropriate places, and the characters do what needs to be done. The pacing skips back and forth between serious scenes where people are brutalized and then humorous scenes that, to me, got in the way.

There are also some very ingenious scenes. The scene leading up to the attack where the Comanche wipe out Wayne's family is foreboding in every way. The colors of the sky just look evil and without saying much at all, the characters demonstrate the sense of doom and dread they are feeling. The director here is John Ford, of course, and he uses all of the tricks that made him famous in the 1930s. Guess what? They still work in the 1950s and in the 2000s. Sometimes I think we were better off without all the special effects. Ford does certain things very well. 1. Landscape shots--There is nothing more beautiful than a Ford landscape complete with a fade from scene to scene. 2. Economy shots--Ford uses the camera well and uses one shot/take to do many things at once. At the beginning, he introduces all of the characters in just 3 takes. And few words are used. The woman Martha, Wayne's sister-in-law in this film, walks out of the house and watches Wayne approach. Then we see the rest of the family emerge onto the porch. Lastly, they all walk into the house. The only words spoken are "Ethan?", "That's your Uncle Ethan," and "Welcome home, Ethan." Yet we know several things: Ethan (Wayne) and Martha love one another romantically, Ethan has been gone for a long time, the kids are glad to see him, and the brother isn't sure how he feels. Ford does this all with his actors' faces. It's marvelous.

The basics of the plots are that Ethan comes home 3 years after the surrender of the Confederates to the Yankees. He plans to stay with his family until he can set up a place of his own. Then a tribe of Comanche Indians brutally burns his brother's house and kills the couple and possibly the son. The tribe also kidnaps both girls, one a teenager and the other about 8 years old. Ethan is determined to hunt down the tribe that killed his family and rescue the little girl. He is accompanied by his adopted nephew, a boy he doesn't trust because he is partially Cherokee and Ethan is a racist through and through. They search for the little girl FOR NINE YEARS. And when they find her . . . well you'll have to watch it to see. It's a great movie and is definitely worth a viewing.

District 9 (2009)

Science Fiction Evokes Strong Response

[9/10 · 7 September 2009]

Peter Jackson's new protégé, Neill Bloomkamp, has created a film that takes the science fiction genre to a higher plain. On the surface, you think you are getting a typical science fiction evil alien story. That is certainly what my expectations were after watching the trailer, which is mighty misleading. But the story here is about the essence of humanity and what humans are capable of when they forget what the word "humane" means. It is sure to provoke a strong response in whomever watches it.

The film goes back and forth between a mockumentary format and a regular narrative film. Our setting is modern day Johannesburg, South Africa. Twenty-eight years ago, a large spacecraft came and hovered above the city. When the local authorities finally get up the courage to break into the ship, they find a horde of aliens that are half-starved. They move the aliens to a "safe location" for them, which is really an internment, called District 9. The local government feels this is necessary to protect its human citizens, since the aliens began to exhibit violent tendencies.

Now in our current setting, the population of Johannesburg is unhappy with the alien presence. They want them gone. So the government decides to relocate the aliens to a new location through forced migration. We can see District 9 has become a slum, and we understand why the humans want them removed. They plunder the land, fighting over tires and trash. They own weapons that humans can't operate, and they eat cat food. But we can see why the aliens might live this way. First of all, if you are starving, you will eat anything, and if the only option is cat food, well, you eat cat food. Also, when you force a bunch of people into a tight spot, they are going to fight for ownership over the little land they have. The aliens act as any oppressed people group throughout history has. They begin to act like animals.

The way the humans decide to do this migration is silly indeed, and they are just asking for trouble. Unfortunately, most of the trouble lands on the heads of the aliens. The task force given the job is headed by Wikus Van De Merwe. Van De Merwe is a typical bureaucrat. He has his clipboard; he has his rules; and he'll write your name on the board if you get out of line. Hovering above at all times is the military in their helicopters, and if any aliens get out of line, they have no problem just shooting them on sight. The task force feels they are required to give the aliens 24 hours notice. They are supposed to get each alien to sign the clipboard, and if they won't, they threaten their kids or give them cat food--whatever it takes to get them to sign.

The crisis point that begins our story is when Van De Merwe finds a device that is hidden in the home of an alien that must be their resident scientist. He innocently plays with the device not realizing it has a potent fluid inside that, if not impeded, will turn Van De Merwe into an alien, or prawn. Van De Merwe accidentally sprays himself with the liquid, and he slowly begins to turn into a prawn. Van De Merwe now finds himself the hunted, where he was the hunter. The ones he oppressed are now the only ones that will take him in. The scientist prawn, who is named Christopher Johnson, tells Wilkus he can fix him and get back to his planet, if they can get the device back. But there are many forces blocking their path, and everyone will show their true colors by the end of the movie. This is not a hero's tale, but it's realistic and involving.

The story moves at a good pace. At no point does the action drag or waste time on meaningless or confusing plot lines. In addition, the director makes wise choices in how much violence to show. Since most of the violence in this film is done to aliens, there is that protective mask you can hide behind since the victim isn't a human, but these aliens do evoke feeling from us. Sure, they look like Jabba the Hut's ugly cousin, but they wear clothes, they talk, and they have kids. They cry for their friends, and they do feel pain, even if the most of the humans in this movie seem to forget that.

The actors all do a great job, although only a few humans actually have more than a minor speaking role. You won't recognize any of the faces here.

On a deeper level, we understand that we aren't really talking about aliens here. If you take away the spaceship and the alien bodies, any racial group that has faced oppression could be substituted for the aliens, and we would have the same story. The aliens have a few advantages: they are from another planet, so they have the option of escaping in a ship, and they have some technology that humans don't. Unfortunately, in the real stories where humans have been placed in internment camps and forced to leave their homes, their was no escape plan. The fact that this film is set in Johannesburg adds a deeper level, since many of its racial groups suffered similar fates as the alien prawns under the apartheid era.

I enjoyed the movie. It was intense, and difficult to watch sometimes, but it does what I want my movies to do: grab me with inventive, exciting storytelling, and evoke strong emotions.

Revolutionary Road (2008)

What's the Point?

[5/10 · 25 July 2009]

I thought this movie should win the award for most depressing movie of the year. They could invent a new category with this film in mind. This movie is my worst nightmare come to life. Frank (Leo DiCaprio) and April Wheeler (Kate Winslet) play a married couple in the 1950s. We understand that they are perfect for one another, but their marriage is horrible. They tear each other down and say awful things to one another. They are two wounded people bumping up against one another. They don't talk about these problems and instead focus on the surface problems. They have bought into the lie that "this is as good as it gets." One day, April decides that good enough isn't good enough and she wants a change. She decides she can find that life in Paris. If they would only move to Paris, then they would be happy. Frank agrees and then later changes his mind. They don't move to Paris and fight even more. The movie is this couple fighting the entire movie. Instead of talking to one another, they decide to have affairs to numb the pain of their lives. They tear each other apart until there is nothing left.

Now don't get me wrong, this is a well-made and interesting movie. I was riveted the whole time, and my heart was beating fast the entire film. I'm not really sure why that was. Needless to say, it was intense. The acting was superb. Forget about The Reader, Kate should have received an award for her performance here. The same goes for Leo. I love Leonardo DiCaprio, and I always will. I have loved him since he was a little squirt on Growing Pains. Both of these actors can show the torment they are feeling with one look. Then, effortlessly, they cover it up to hide their pain.

That would be enough, having two lead actors work this kind of magic, but the supporting cast is perfect as well. John (Michael Shannon) is perfect as a tortured mathematician whose had shock treatments. He is like an oracle who can only speak the truth, even though no one wants to hear it. There is never a dull dinner party when John is invited. The next door neighbors say much more when they are not speaking.

All that being said, what is the point of this movie? I am trying to imagine someone trying to spin this to a studio . . .

Storyboard guy: Okay, Joe, so there's this married couple, you see? And their both young and beautiful. They meet, get married, and they're miserable.

Joe: Mmm-hmmm.

Storyboard: One day they decide to move to Paris, but the husband, see, he changes his mind, and they don't move to Paris.

Joe: Mmm-hmmm Storyboard: Then they are still miserable, you see? Joe: Mmm-hmmm, but it ends okay, right? Storyboard: No, it gets worse.

Joe: Mmm-hmm. Well, I'm sold.

It's not a movie that will make you cry. You just feel empty, and wonder what the heck just happened.

What do we learn? Don't get married? Is the moral really you should have moved to Paris. Let's just get real here. It wouldn't matter if they lived in Paris or not. Neither one of them could admit their fears to one another. They never helped each to grow or took the time to reach out to one another. And that's the trap they couldn't escape, not suburban America.

Brick (2005)

Brick is Loads of Fun

[9/10 · 25 July 2009]

Just saw this really good movie called Brick. It's like a film noir (Think The Maltese Falcon or Chinatown) set in a modern California high school. It starts with a note dropped in a locker. The note leads to a pay phone, where our protagonist, Brendan, gets a phone call from his ex-girlfriend, Emily. She's scared, and she won't say why, only sobs out some words like bad brick . . .Tug . . .poor Frisco. . .the Pin. What do these words mean? Brendan goes back to school, where he hasn't shown up for months and talks to Brain, who is the eyes and ears of the school. He doesn't fit in with any clique, but he knows everyone and everything that goes down. Brendan is stand up guy. He doesn't want to get back together with Em, but she asked for his help so . . .

So starts a search for the truth that will have Twin Peaks fans and film noir fans drooling. To get to the truth, Brendan will have to use all of his connections, both positive and negative, to navigate this course. We meet school administrators, druggies, brainiacs, jocks, drama geeks, and drug lords that will all help solve the mystery. And of course, we meet the femme fatale who will maybe or maybe not end up being who she seems to be. You will be guessing until the end. The movie was loads of fun.

The Soloist (2009)

Has a Different Kind of Hope

[7/10 · 25 July 2009]

Got a chance to see the Soloist the other night. It wasn't something I planned on watching. In greater Raleigh, there is still a $1.50 theater, one of those grand places where you can catch a cheap flick on the big screen. The group I was with picked The Soloist as the film to see, and I was fine with paying $1.50. I had heard some not-so-good reviews of the film. Some said it had no point. Some said the thought the movie had no hope at the end. I found that I enjoyed the film and totally "got it." I thought this film showed in a concrete way that you can't force someone to change unless they are ready.

This is based on a true story, and it's believable. Steve Lopez (Robert Downy, Jr in another great role) is a cynical journalist. He knows how to find the good story out of the most mundane circumstances. He isn't above interviewing anyone if it means he will get some readers to enjoy his column. He makes a personal bike accident sound thoughtful and provoking, as he rhapsodizes about the state of a neighborhood hospital.

One day he comes upon Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx) , who is homeless and rambles when he talks. Yet he tells Lopez that he used to attend Julliard. After checking out his story, Lopez takes a special interest in Ayers and decides he would make a good human interest piece. Lopez interviews him and listens to him play, but it's all word related---at first. Then he starts to get involved in Ayer's life, and he begins to take a genuine interest in Ayers. Lopez sees the talent in Ayers and he wants to see that talent get used. Here is where I think the movie flopped in most people's eyes.

We all love an underdog story. We want to see that homeless person defeat all of his monsters and settle down in a nice, normal life. Lopez wants him in an apartment, possibly giving concerts and sharing his music with the world. And if he (Lopez) gets some of the credit for bring this talent to light, well that's quite all right with him. In the traditional film, Ayers would have pulled himself up by his bootstraps and live happily ever after. We like that.

What happens instead is much more realistic and true. I won't spoil the ending for you, but we don't get the happily ever after ending. We do see hope in this film, and a life is changed, but I would argue that the life most changed is Lopez himself. He's the typical cynical, hardworking journalist. He's worked hard all of his life and managed to push all of his meaningful relationships away. Robert Downy, Jr. is the right combination of rugged, cynical, selfish, and flawed to play this role. Jamie Foxx gives a great performance as a mentally ill man with demons in his past and a child's heart. When he listens to music, his eyes shine and we want to feel what he is feeling.

Besides the acting, the most notable thing about this film is its portrait of the homeless community. Lopez tells Ayers if he wants to play the cello that a reader donated, he will have to play in the homeless shelter. Ayers is terrified to go down there. To get to the shelter, you have to dodge drug dealers, panhandlers, prostitutes, and more. The shelter itself is run by a kindly man (Nelsan Ellis) who sees through Lopez's "good deeds" to his conditional love for Ayers. There are some beautiful scenes that take place in this shelter where Ayers plays his cello for the homeless residents. And it's like a soothing balm.

I have been to feed the homeless events, and I saw the faces of the people I had fed as I watched this film. Sometimes it's hard for us to understand why many homeless don't take advantage of the services available to them. I think this film shows that it's not always easy to get to those places, first of all, and even when you arrive, there is often mental illness that stops people from getting the help they need.

I recommend this film. It's well worth a rental.

Knowing (2009)

Knowing Will Generate Questions

[8/10 · 28 April 2009]

John Koestler (Nicolas Cage), a professor at MIT, knows which side of the debate he falls on when he teaches his students about choices. Are they random or determined? Stuff just happens, he tells his class. He tries to live his life accordingly. When he's not teaching in class or taking care of his partially deaf son, Caleb (Chandler Canterbury), he drinks away his sorrows. He's unhappy that his wife passed away in an accident and has taken a passive seat on the life bus. Although like everyone, he wants desperately to know that life isn't a waste, his highest goal has become keeping his son "safe." If stuff just happens, he won't let anything happen to Caleb by keeping him home.

One day, something happens which challenges his beliefs to the core. His son's school is opening the time capsule a class buried in 1959, 50 year ago. Each student gets to open a letter from a student describing the future. Out of all the letters possible, Caleb gets the most disturbing one, a letter covered with seemingly random numbers. During one of his typical drunken stupors, John studies the numbers carefully and decides the same thing that Richard Dreyfuss did in Close Encounters: "This means something." Of course his confidantes all think he has lost his marbles, so John must seek out the truth in an alternate way. He finds a fitting colleague in the somewhat creepy, somewhat attractive Diana (Rose Byrne), who has a connection with the original creator of the letter Caleb opened from the time capsule.

This is a suspenseful story, part science fiction, part thriller, which will challenge viewers to decide what they believe in the aforementioned debate. And unlike the sensation we find in some suspense stories, viewers won't have to suspend much belief to go along for the ride. John's journey happens step be step, each event happening in perfectly logical order. Is John creating his own story or is he just following the steps laid out for him long ago? Much of the story is laid out in cold, muted tones. We see how cold John's life is through the lens of the director's camera. When the tone finally changes to warm and bright on the screen, and it is oh so glorious to behold, we understand that John finally knows what he needs to do and is able to do it with 100% of his heart.

Paranoid Park (2007)

Paranoid Park Shows an Honest Portrayal of a Teen Boy

[9/10 · 27 March 2009]

If you helped commit a crime and never told the truth, would the guilt eat you alive? This is the quandary teenage skateboarder Alex finds himself in. Director Gus Van Sant gives this film a dreamlike quality. The truth of what happens that night unravels slowly piece by piece. By the time we know the truth, we are completely on Alex's side and are worried that he will be discovered. We know that Alex visited Paranoid Park with his friend Jared. We know that a security guard has been murdered. And we know that Alex almost called the cops and threw up. But we don't know until late into the movie what happened between visiting Paranoid Park and Alex throwing up. Alex has the look of a trauma victim. He doesn't respond to anything with emotion. He walks around in a daze, like he's not really there. To emphasize his displacement, Alex has conversations with people where their voices fade in and out or music plays over them. We know Alex isn't really having a conversation. He is merely in the room.

I found this story very intriguing. It was also very personal to me because I have a nephew about this boy's age who used to be quite passionate about skateboarding. It was difficult for me to watch this movie because I kept picturing Alex as my nephew. To be put into Alex's situation would be so difficult. Alex doesn't seem to feel like he can confide in anyone. He is afraid of the adults he should be able to trust. If my nephew were in this situation, could he trust me to support him? The actor who played Alex, Gave Nevins, played a realistic teenage boy. He would rather hang out with the skaters from the park than hang out with his pretty but shallow girlfriend. He feels pressure to do things from his friends. He is a good kid who is put into a bad situation.

This movie had the tone of a Hitchcockian suspense. The suspense comes because we don't want Alex to get in trouble but also we want him to be put out of the misery of having to carry this weight around.

Watchmen (2009)

Watchmen Explores the Soul and What it means to be a Hero

[7/10 · 17 March 2009]

Split open the mind of a scientist, add in superhero strength and struggles, set it in a doomsday world, sprinkle with some saucy fan service, shake, and you get "The Watchmen, based on Alan Moore's mind-blowing graphic novel.

The plot is somewhat complex, but in fact, it matters little to this film. This movie is all about characters, culture, and the mood of the film. The story is set in an alternative United States history. It's 1985, and Richard Nixon has been elected to his third term in office.

The doomsday clock has been set for five minutes to midnight — midnight being the time when either Russia or the U.S. will launch a deadly atom bomb and the idea of world peace will forever be obliterated.

The Watchmen are a group of "superheroes," although none of them (with one exception) have superhuman abilities. The story is laid out in a non-linear fashion: We see the past, then the present, then the more distant past. We find out bits of the story through memories, conversations, and photos on walls.

The main conflict is that The Comedian, one of the former Watchmen, has been murdered. Rorschach, our narrator, is convinced that someone is targeting the Watchmen and picking them off, one by one. He sets out to discover who it is and to warn the rest of his former teammates.

As usual, the others either mock him or ignore him. While he is trying to solve this mystery, Dr. Manhattan gets accused of causing his former colleagues to get cancer. He chooses to separate himself from the human race and abandon Earth, which leaves the United States feeling defenseless against Russian attack.

The Watchmen pose a problem. They don't act or talk like superheroes, but that is the position they were given in society, at least for a time. Now, as retired superheroes, they live like a bunch of cast-off toys. The world has no use for them anymore. None of them seem happy, although a few tell themselves it's better this way.

The potential evil of a human soul is fully explored. We see different ones of the Watchmen cheating on spouses, murdering pregnant women, and shooting civilians as a way to calm them down. The most loathed act is done by the murdered Comedian, who tries to rape one of his fellow superhero friends. Are we supposed to like them? Is there a hero in this story at all? Or is the problem the world? In our modern world, with weapons that can cause so much destruction, is it even possible to be a hero? Do the Watchmen do horrible things because they are horrible people or because they live in a horrible world? These are the types of questions this movie presents as we watch the film.

The cinematography is a sight to behold. The camera gives equal love to both full-screen panoramic views, such as when Dr. Manhattan sets up his own city on Mars, and the tiniest detail, such as watching a drop of blood fall and spatter the yellow smiley face pin. Yes, the action scenes include lots of slow motion shots (Director Zack Snyder is well known for this after "300"). The tone is dark and beautiful. The soundtrack reflects the historical time periods shown, featuring artists such as Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Simon and Garfunkel, and Jimi Hendrix.

The acting is well done, not outstanding, with the exception of Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach. He completely steals the show. He is our narrator, so we get to know him the best, and his character is one you won't soon forget. Whereas some of the Watchmen have gone slack or lost their passion for the work, he continues to live life with utter conviction. He never backs down, even up until the end. We might not agree with his actions, but we know what he stands for, which is more than I can say for most of the crew.

I would not recommend bringing children or even younger teens to this movie. It includes graphic violence, rape, sex, profanity, and disturbing images.

Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009)

Becky Bloomwood's Alright with Me

[7/10 · 9 March 2009]

I have been a longtime fan of the Sophie Kinsella Shopaholic books, which feature the lovable but compulsive Becky Bloomwood. So I wasn't sure what to expect out of the movie version.

Rebecca Bloomwood is a lovely redheaded young woman who loooooves to shop. I am not talking about the reasonable kind of love where she goes monthly or even weekly to see what's new at her local boutique. I am talking about an addiction as powerful as any drug out there. When she walks past a store, the mannequins talk to her and convince her that this, only this, particular item has the power to make her feel better, more attractive, more alive. She shops using 12 credit cards, including her Gold Card, which is encased in a block of ice in the freezer in case of emergencies. The tone of the film is comic, so it's not a tragic type of addiction, but we understand that Becky has a problem and she needs some serious help.

Rebecca also has her own personal bill collector stalker type person following her around named Derek Smeath. All told, she owes Mr. Smeath some $16,000. After losing her job as a journalist, she decides to apply for her dream job: fashion correspondent for Alette magazine. For Becky, this would be equivalent to an alcoholic working in a brewery. The job gets filled before she can arrive, but a sister magazine from the same magazine group, Successful Saving, is hiring. The man at the front desk assures her that the magazine group is a family, and once you're in, you're in. The only problem is that the magazine that ends up hiring Becky is a financial advice magazine. Not exactly the type of place that suits Becky's lifestyle or assets.

Becky's boss is Luke Brandon, a handsome, wealthy man with lots of energy and a black sheep complex. He never feels he can please his parents and leads a life of stress. He's amused by Becky's antics and impressed by her candor. Becky's writing for the financial magazine is a surprise hit. She writes about financial restraint in such a way that the average layperson can relate, comparing it to shoes. It seems like everything's going swell with her new job and a surprise romance with Luke. Derek Smeath can't get a leg in since she's convinced her colleagues that he's an ex-boyfriend stalking her. But like any liar knows, Becky can't keep the truth from her friends and family for long.

I enjoyed this movie. It was fun and sincere. We like Becky because she is flawed. She doesn't have it all together, but her style and spirit charm everyone around her. Sure she's addicted to shopping, but we don't despise her for it. Instead, we relate, because what woman hasn't given in to the siren song of a signature scarf now and again. The pull of a good bargain is a powerful thing, and this film is bound to be a hit with the average female.

The acting is suitable for the film. Nothing revolutionary comes out of it, but Isla Fisher will likely be back in many a comic role. The pacing of the film keeps you involved, but there are enough heartfelt moments to keep us focused.

Some have said that the timing for this film couldn't be worse. With the world in an economic downturn, do we really want to smile and nod at Becky's need to buy, buy, buy? Well, I say this film is healing balm. The nation will recover from this mini-depression, but in the meantime, it's kind of nice to voyeuristically enjoy Becky's indulgences. I have had to natch my weekly Starbucks and batten down my bank account hatches, so I need a little reward, even if it's done through Becky's pocketbook. Also, anyone who watches the film will realize that Becky goes through her own hard time, and she finds a way to get through it. She comes up with her own entrepreneurial scheme to pay off her debt. This is what we all need to do during the difficult times. Find a way to get through. Becky is my hero.

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

As Close to Perfect as a Movie Can Get.

[10/10 · 14 February 2009]

Last week, I received the awesome privilege of being able to watch Lawrence of Arabia on the big screen at a local theater. I have seen this film multiple times. In fact, I own a DVD copy, but I have never seen it magnified. And yes, it makes a difference. You can actually see the grains of sand blowing around the Nefud desert. You feel the sun burning down as Lawrence rides through the scorching Devil's Anvil. And more than once, you see those blue penetrating eyes staring straight into your heart and know how a skinny, white British soldier inspired the Arab people to almost free themselves once and for all from imperialism.

This won't be so much of a review as a reflection. Truly reviewing this movie would be a daunting task which I won't attempt now.

If you haven't seen Lawrence, it is an experience worth having. True, at 216 minutes, it is longer than your average film. But unlike some films of this length the viewer stays involved. In fact, at the end of this film, I am always wanting more. It seems impossible that a people group could get so close to their goal only to turn back. And I want to see Lawrence and Sheriff Ali continue their strange, endearing fellowship past what this film shows. And unlike some biopics, we don't see some long drawn out story about how painful Lawrence's childhood was or follow him past his prime to see him sighing over lost opportunities. The ending is abrupt with no sense of conclusion. The whole thing seems like a big buildup to failure, but no one ever said Lawrence of Arabia could be put into a nice, neat box.

At the beginning, T.E. Lawrence is stationed in Cairo in the maps room. He is portrayed as messy, reckless, and somewhat masochistic. He enjoys letting a match burn down to his fingers and "not minding that it hurts." He is called to the general's quarters by Mr. Dryden, of the Arab Bureau, for his knowledge of the Bedouin people. They want to send him to look for the Bedouin people and Prince Feisal. His mission is to assess the situation. That's a somewhat nebulous task, but Lawrence is enthralled. He gets to come out of his hidey hole in the maps room, out into the desert, and away from those stodgy British military folks. Lawrence has an obvious obsession with the Arabian culture and the desert. As we watch him riding his camel, he looks around him like a kid with his first slingshot.

Lawrence's initial encounters with the Arabs are mixed. He gets along well with his guide only to see the man get killed the next day by another Arab merely for drinking from a well. Lawrence sees this as somewhat barbaric, but we can see his eyes sparkle when it happens. This is a physical tell. He has been raised to be a civilized British conservative, but his heart longs for the feuding and bloodthirst of the eastern world.

Lawrence finds Prince Feisal and his people in the midst of a Turkish air strike. He is invited into the tent and speak out of turn. Feisal wants to hear what he has to say. Lawrence seems to desperately want to please this man and to "out-Arab" the Arabs. What is his motivation? Does he truly love the Arab culture so much? Does he wish to glorify himself as the one who could make it work? Is he just suicidal? Is he out to prove an agenda? Director David Lean (genius) makes the wise choice to leave this open. He never attempts to "explain Lawrence." This is why people are still obsessed with this movie 40 years later. Lawrence is a mystery.

Lawrence breaks with his orders by deciding to do more than assess. He decides to help the Arabs take Damascus and will stop at nothing to make this goal a reality. Not ridicule, not the impassable desert, and especially not "what is written" will keep this white boy from dreaming the impossible dream. He dares to hope, to dream and creates a believer out of Sharif Ali and the rest of the Bedouin peoples.

The film contains moments of grandeur, such as the battle scenes and the train raids. It also includes quiet moments around the fire, like when Sheriff Ali tells Lawrence he can choose his own name. This movie is a symphony, which has dynamics of highs and lows. This is a lost art in the film world today. Above all, there is the desert, which is more than the setting of the movie, it is a living thing which invites Lawrence into its danger and secrets. The desert is the seductress which pulls Lawrence into his long arduous path from conquering hero to possible madman to a man resigned. The dessert brings out the very best in Lawrence, and the very worst.

The dialogue is precise and memorable. The music is gorgeous. The acting is superb. The only problem with this film is that I will never be able to understand who Lawrence truly was. That is the maddening genius of this film. I am going to make a bold statement here. I believe this is as close to being a perfect movie as one can get.

Gran Torino (2008)

Eastwood Still Kicks Butt

[10/10 · 17 January 2009]

Gran Torino is an unexpected treat—the type of movie that rarely comes along. You find yourself riveted to the spot, surprised at how much empathy you feel for a character that you think you would despise in real life.

Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) is a Korean War veteran. He's racist as can be and isn't ashamed of it. The only things he really seems to enjoy are beer, his dog, his tools, and his work—oh yeah, and his prized possession, a 1972 Gran Torino. His favorite facial pattern is a disapproving sneer. His favorite action seems to be spitting tobacco as he sneers. He despises young people and especially scantily dressed females. His sons are a disappointment to him.

The crisis point happens when the boy next door, Thao, tries to steal the aforementioned car. Thao is Hmong and considered too feminine by his family. He likes gardening better than hard labor. Walking down the street one day, he is harassed by some Latino gang members and bailed out by his Hmong cousins. This seeming favor becomes dangerous when they decide Thao should join their gang even if he has to be forced. The car theft is an initiation for him. Since he fails, he's in the dog house, and they come to teach him a lesson. Just at as they're about to drag him off, out comes Walt, now on his second night of interrupted sleep, Dirty Harry style to threaten the gangbangers with a shot gun. This is where the turning point in the movie happens.

Thao's very large, very duty-bound family decides that Thao and the entire Hmong community are in Walt's debt for the attempted crime and his heroic shotgun thing. Despite Walt's protests they insist on giving him food and gifts as thank you tributes. Then Thao is given to Walt as his personal slave for a week. Walt decides to toughen Thao up.

Walt gets more interaction with his Hmong neighbors than he bargained for. And his lives become more intertwined with them than his own family. And though the gangbangers also continue to take an interest in Thao, Walt doesn't like seeing his projects get interrupted.

This film is the perfect combination between humor and tragedy. I found myself laughing at most of Walt's lines. This is a man we have all met at one point or another, but Eastwood's got the charm to make it likable. His remarks are harmless, rather than caustic, and the family senses that, especially Sue, Thao's sister, whose charm and feistiness win over Walt. I loved seeing Eastwood, now almost 80 years old, scaring the young gangbangers with his words and imaginary handgun gestures.

Clint Eastwood proves he's still tough and in this visceral performance that will be remembered long after the golden statues are given out.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

Benjamin Button is a hit

[10/10 · 6 January 2009]

Since I first saw the trailer for this film, I have been looking forward to its release. I thought it looked like a beautiful love story, but more than that, an exploration into one man's life. It would be a story about a man who faces insurmountable challenges from the get go, but still has a full life. Boy, was I right. But I had my doubts that would be right.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is based on a short story written by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The short story and movie couldn't be more different. Many people say the book is always better. Here is a case where that is not true. The short story is typical Fitzgerald. The family is dysfunctional. The content is dark, dark, dark. There is no light at the end of the tunnel. In the short story, Benjamin is born, lives, and dies. Everything goes very quickly. His wife is mentioned in one paragraph. You can read the whole thing yourself online. I found the short story depressing. Benjamin is not a particularly likable character. After his wife gets old, he grows bored of her and goes off to have adventure. He is rejected his whole life except for one period where he is a successful football star. Lucky for the screenwriters, the movie goes in a different direction. Don't get me wrong, the short story is well written and will make you think. But I like stories with some hope. The short story doesn't have it.

The movie, on the other hand, is a tale of a man who by all accounts should have died. His mother dies giving birth to him. His father considers him a curse and slips into the night to get rid of him as quickly as possible. By some miraculous touch, he lives. He is born an old man and finds himself getting younger as time passes. He has many physical problems. The first 20 so years of his life are spent in a "home" for invalids and people with disabilities: the rejects of society. He is taken in by the kind young Queenie, who becomes Button's adopted Momma.

The plot takes many twists and turns that would go on longer than a review should. Suffice it to say that Benjamin visits many places, meets many interesting people, and his ailment does nothing to stop him. The film that is most similar would be Forrest Gump, so I wasn't at all surprised when I learned that Eric Roth, one of the co-writers of the screenplay for Benjamin Button, also wrote the Forrest Gump screenplay.

The main relationship of note is his lifelong friendship and then romance and then something even more with the red-headed Daisy. Benjamin and her connect instantly when he is old and she is young because they are both old souls. They like the same stories and dream of adventure. Their love is tragic, however, because of the aging problems. Can you carry on a romantic relationship when the man appears to be in his 20s and the woman in her 40s? Sure, but what about when the man turns into a teenager and even younger? If you don't like long drawn-out emotional romances, don't let this scare you away. Much of the content is odd enough to balance out the melodrama. In one scene, Queenie takes Benjamin to a tent revival. The preacher gets his lungs going and the praying gets going and in the excitement of it all, Benjamin stands up and begins to walk for the first time. It is a miracle, and then the sweaty preacher drops dead. Scenes like this keep the melodrama from taking over the story.

Although the movie is about 3 hours long, it didn't drag for me. I was immersed enough that I didn't want it to end. Brad Pitt does an exceptional job as Benjamin Button. He plays Button as a man who knows something is wrong with him on the inside, but ignores it on the outside. It is difficult to convey internal tension without speaking it aloud, and this makes Pitt a great actor. I have always believed Brad Pitt is an awesome actor because of two movies: Interview with a Vampire and Twelve Monkeys. You can add Benjamin Button to his most successful roles. It is important to note that many actors play Benjamin Button, and all do a wonderful job, but the movie belongs to Brad Pitt.

Cate Blanchett is not quite there for me. She plays Daisy like a superficial artist type in her 20s. I know they were trying to show that as a young woman, Daisy would be more superficial than later in life, but the character wasn't believable until she was in her 30s, and she and Benjamin are supposed to be about the same age. It felt forced to me when she was the star dancer. Once she is in her 30s, she does a fine job as a middle-aged and older woman. I'm not sure what could have made it better, but she just came across as snobby, which wasn't believable for an old soul like Daisy.

But go see Benjamin Button, it is a great flick and will most likely be tagged for many Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor.

The Painted Veil (2006)

Great Love Story

[10/10 · 4 January 2009]

I am a sucker for love stories. I am a special sucker when love happens between 2 people that don't seem to be able to stand one another. Isn't that essentially what happens in Pride and Prejudice? In The Painted Veil, Kitty (Naomi Watts), a beautiful, vivacious girl from a moderately wealthy family agrees to marry Walter (Edward Norton), a serious doctor. You couldn't find a seemingly more mismatched pair. Kitty likes to play games, especially tennis and cards. She likes dances and the theater. Walter has a scientific, rational mind, and shows little interest in emotion or passion or any kind. He is a bacteriologist (he informs Kitty) and is leaving for Shanghai the next day. Of course, we know it's always those quiet ones . . .

Walter believes he can make Kitty happy in the typical way men think they can. Give them pretty things and an occasional fun night out, and they'll be happy. A fun girl like Kitty wants companionship, something the doctor lacks experience in. She might have allowed him to make her happy if he wasn't such a bore. Even I found this doctor boring, and I am an Edward Norton fan. Divorce was not an option in those days, so she begins an affair with the more suave politician (Liev Schreiber).

When Walter discovers the infidelity, he gives Kitty and ultimatum: come with him to an agricultural town that is suffering from a cholera epidemic or he will divorce her in a public humiliating fashion. Option 2 is no option for Kitty. She would return to her parent's house ashamed with no hopes of escape. She chooses to follow Walter although she realizes she'll probably die from cholera. What Walter hopes to accomplish by doing this is unclear. Maybe he's trying to punish Kitty or himself. Maybe he couldn't think of going alone no matter how despicable the company might be. These two treat each other with a casual indifference one reserves for small garden worms.

Whatever his intent, Kitty is utterly miserable in her new home, a barren looking landscape with no companionship. Stuck at home with nothing to do, she chooses to put her hands to work in the same hospital her husband labors each day. And so they begin to notice things about one another. He is good with babies. She plays beautiful music that makes the orphans smile. He is working hard to save people's lives. She is a girl with no fear of death.

And they finally love for the same reason that Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy finally do: they realize the inherent goodness and bravery in the other person and cling to it like a lifeboat. When you live through a tragic situation, you see what a person is really made of.

The foggy, haunting setting in agrarian China is an appropriate backdrop for this love story. The soundtrack by Hans Zimmer echoes the lush landscape.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

Robert Ford, One of the Most Loathed Men in all of American Folklore?

[10/10 · 23 December 2008]

I saw the film a little while ago, so some of my memories are foggy. What I do remember is that the movie was interesting enough that I started doing research on the internet after watching the film. Sure, I've heard of Jesse James, but not many solid facts were floating up in my noggin.

Brad Pitt plays a solid Jesse James: frightening, off kilter, somewhat mentally unbalanced, and terrified of losing his power. His strategy is to keep those under him unsure of what he will do next. He thrives on having men around him who fear him. He keeps Robert Ford around him longer than others because Ford fears him and also idol worships him.

Casey Affleck as Robert Ford is amazing. Casey is Ben's younger brother and usually plays the village idiot. His first role I recall is playing the underling to Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in Good Will Hunting. And he reprises this type of character as one of the two getaway drivers in the Ocean's 11, 12, and 13 movies. In this film, although he still plays someone's doormat, he is underestimated by those around him.

At the beginning, we see the last big hurrah of the James brothers. The older brother seems to sense that his retirement is well advised at this time. After a disaster of a robbery (Jesse hesitates before killing a man), the older brother decides to live out a law abiding life. Jesse feels somewhat abandoned until he spots Robert Ford, who begs to be allowed to join his band. Jesse doesn't exactly take a liking to the kid, but he seems to need him for this time. He senses Ford's obsession with him with a patient, but distant, disdain.

Several mini-plots come up, which are all well done, but the film is really about Ford's transition from almost in love with James to becoming his murderer. The transition is slow but complete. Ford plays a Judas type killer. He knows it has to be done, but he's guilty about it.

SPOILERS*** I found the last part of the film to be the most intriguing. After the death, Ford experiences a brief time of being a hero. He is photographed by the dead corpse. He is even asked to repeat the incident on stage in a play. Although the law had been after Jesse James for years, he was an icon. You will have to decide for yourself why Ford becomes one of the most loathed characters in all of American history. Was it that fact that he killed James in a coward's way by shooting him in the back? Was it because America considered James to be a hero and not a villain? Was it because James was smooth, suave and handsome and Ford was awkward and clumsy? I found myself feeling sorry for Ford.

Twilight (I) (2008)

Make Mine Vampire

[6/10 · 1 December 2008]

Make mine Vampire! As a young adult librarian, it was my God sworn duty to view the movie that is causing teen girls all over the universe to roll over, clutching their hearts and suffering from increased heart palpitations: Twilight. I am going to try to review this as the movie alone.

The acting was okay. Of course, not much acting was required. To be cast in this movie, you had to be sexy hot and make cool poses. It's similar to 300 in that sense. Robert Pattinson is convincing as Edward. He takes the acting up a step by hiding his accent and giving lots of smoldering glances. Kristen Stewart as Bella-- hmmm, I could go either way. Yes, her performance was a little bland, but let's face it, the character of Bella is bland. She has no life outside of Edward. She refuses to have any sort of meaningful relationship with her parents or any of her friends.

The supporting vampires were acceptable. Like I said, not much was required except to look attractive and make cool poses like you are about ready to pounce on someone.

The chemistry between Bella and Edward was off balance. Edward was sparking on her, but I didn't see it from Stewart.

I will tell you what worked: Vampire baseball. Awesome! And the soundtrack was great. I think unless you have read the books and/or are under the age of 18, there is really no draw here.

I liked it, but then I have read the books and am sort of invested in the story. I love the character of Jacob and am interested to see if Taylor Lautner can muster the cajones to play this conflicted character. I am sure the casting directors are hoping he will grow in height and breadth in the next couple years to be able to appear as mountainous as Jacob is supposed to be. Either that or they are going to have to CGI the life out of him.

Can we make a movie tie-in about nothing but the history of vampire baseball and watch attractive vampires playing the game? I'm in.

Moulin Rouge! (2001)

Magic

[10/10 · 24 November 2008]

I believe Baz Luhrmann's masterpiece is what re-ignited interest in the movie musical. Everything about this movie keeps you captivated. The characters do an impressive job. Ewan McGregor is convincing as the starry-eyed idealistic poet who falls in love with Satine. He sees nothing but her, and his face lights up when she walks into the room. Nicole Kidman does a decent job in her role as well, although all she has to do is be gorgeous and tantalizing. Towards the end of the movie, she does pick up her game and presents a haunting portrait of a woman who knows she has doomed herself to a life of torment without her love. Both of them do fine as singers. I am sure their voices were touched up a lot, but who cares? The supporting cast is great as well. The Duke sneers effectively. Jim Broadbent as Harold Zigler is great as the manager of the Moulin Rouge. He is a kind man, although his first love is his theater. He truly is sorry he has to ask Satine to sacrifice herself, but not sorry enough that he is willing to see the Moulin Rouge go bankrupt. He has a great number towards the end called The Show Must Go On. My favorite supporting actor by far has to be John Leguizamo, a Baz Luhrmann regular. He plays the dwarfed version of Toulouse-Lautrec well and represents all that glitters in the Bohemian. He believes in truth, beauty, and love and wants everyone around him to have all 3 if possible.

The music is breathtaking. I always cry during the Come What May at the end of the show. And the look of the film is just beautiful. It makes the Moulin Rouge look like a beautiful carnival of sound, color, and melody.

The pacing is just right. I understand that Luhrmann has a background in opera. This truly shows in his ability to make powerful use of the music mixed with the pictures. He has knowledge of how to play his audience. I was also impressed with how he created just the right mix of tragedy and comedy. During Act II, a very dark act, he throws in a light number, Like a Virgin, which provides needed comic relief. There is also the stunning dance number Roxanne, which makes effective use of the montage technique using scenes from both the dancers and the turmoil happening upstairs in an erotic tango. He truly builds tension to the breaking point.

I highly recommend this movie for a romantic evening, a girls' night, or as a pick me up.

Traitor (2008)

Move Beyond the Movie to the Message

[10/10 · 16 September 2008]

In the middle of our world's hard look at the Muslim religion and the Asian world in general, the movie Traitor is just one of many that has come up in the last couple years to focus on the world of Muslim suicide bombers and "terrorists." I have trouble with the word terrorist because it assumes that someone is trying to cause terror. I am not sure this is always true of Muslim extremists, but in the American mindset right now, Muslim often equates terrorist. Or if you say the word terrorist, they are likely to think of those from traditional Muslim countries.

The question this movie prompts in my mind is who does the title refer to? Who is the traitor? Does it refer to Samir, who betrays those who trust him? Is it the men who have twisted the message of Islam to include radical killings? Are they traitors to Islam because they have walked away from the true message? Is it Roy, the American agent who assumes he understands the situation and is hunting down the one man who is actually capable of stopping a crime? In this movie we meet Samir, whose father was killed in a bombing. Now he builds explosives that he sells under the table to militants. We assume he is a Muslim extremist. He goes to a prison camp and, after a rocky start, is befriended by another Muslim extremist. They escape their prison, and that's when the fun begins.

They linger in a spot, finding recruits and running missions until their location gets tracked down. Then they move onto another place. Wherever they go, they try to blend in with the locals. They are complete in their devotion to the tasks set before them. Samir gives careful training on the mechanics of setting off a bomb in a public place.

Throughout the film Don Cheadle plays Samir like a patriot. He shows little emotion, but he is dedicated to the cause. Only the audience sees how much he sacrifices to stay on this course. This movie was a thinking man's movie. There is lots of action and intense dialog. But your mind will be spinning. The issues in this film are so relevant to today's culture wars.

The cast is superb. Don Cheadle may get a nomination for this role. Said Taghmaoui certainly deserves a best supporting actor nomination for his role as the captain to the band of militants. So you could enjoy this movie just as a movie. It is entertaining, suspenseful, thought-provoking, and action-packed. But I think we can take it deeper. Movies are signs of our times. What lessons can we learn here? There is a final conversation that ends this movie that leads me to believe this ain't just a movie. This is real-life, and if we want things to change, we need to heed the final words and encourage others to do the same.

Mamma Mia! (2008)

Happy Happy Joy Joy

[10/10 · 11 September 2008]

This movie made me smile. I sat in the theater by myself, smiling, laughing, and crying like a fricking idiot. I am not an ABBA fan or anything like that, although who can resist Dancing Queen? I was not familiar with the play. I wasn't going to see it at all until this co-worker told me she had seen it three times and still didn't have enough. She said it just made her feel happy and good. I concur.

A young girl who lives in a romanticized island in Greece is about to tie the knot with a handsome but forgettable fellow. The one thing she feels lacking in heart is having her father give her away. She doesn't know her father. She lives with her mother, who runs a quaint hotel for vacationing guests. But now she has the solution: she found her Mother's diary and has it narrowed down to 3 candidates. Her plan is to invite all 3 estranged lovers to the wedding festivities. She believes that when she meets her father, she'll just know. It's a preposterous plan, but this movie works. It might not work for men, but it works for me.

Now Mom is confronted with THE ONE from her past. When they met, he had a fiancé, and he never returned.

Along the way, the characters sing ABBA songs with much glee. The setting is gorgeous. The island has a mysterious, romantic gleam. You cannot imagine living there. It is something out of a postcard, although it is supposedly rundown. The beauty of the hotel and the surrounding landscape makes you believe that anything can happen, even magic. I wanted to be there amongst them, enjoying the island sangrias. I can't emphasize enough how happy I felt when I left the theater. You will believe in love again.

The Happening (2008)

The Happening, science vs. supernatural

[30 July 2008]

The movie is freaky more than scary. There were times I found the script random. Some moments seemed like there should have been a punch line, which didn't fit with the whole "serious movie vibe." The plot moved slow but it kept me involved.

In this movie, people in Central Park are behaving oddly. Some are walking backwards. Others repeat the same sentence over and over again. One lady stabs herself in the neck with a needle. Then we meet our protagonist, a science teacher in Philadelphia. He is trying to get his students interested in science. He wants them to make theories up about the disappearance of bees. By this time, word of the strange "happening" has reached the school. The principal decides to close the school and let people be home with their families.

The teacher (Elliot), his wife, best friend, and daughter decide to get out of town. Maybe it will be safer somewhere else. Inter-family tensions are high, but they are determined to stick together. They soon find out that finding a safe spot will prove more harder than they imagined. This movie will keep you guessing all the way through. Can science save the day? This movie was very much like The Birds. The plot seems to weird to be plausible, but you are wondering if this could every really happen. All the technologies and things we humans rely on are of no use, and all the characters have to rely on is their wits and the kindness of strangers. Remember in The Birds when it ended you felt exhausted? I remember thinking, where can they go to feel safe? Birds are everywhere. How could you run from them? Would they be running forever? The truth is, no mater how much we might wish it to be true, safety is an illusion. There is no safety on this Earth. I feel that is an essential truth, and that is why I appreciate Shyamalan's work.

Hancock (2008)

Hancock Better than Expected

[6/10 · 21 July 2008]

Hancock was worth the money in my book. It was funny, and it had the best surprise mid-plot twist I have seen in awhile. This movie could have been just another mindless comedy if it wasn't for the fact that it has heart. Will Smith's character seem genuinely depressed. Yes, there are plenty of sarcastic one-liners and humorous moments. But Hancock, for all his drunken boorishness, is (shed a tear) lonely.

Hancock has super-powers of strength, speed, and resistance to bullets, but he is also a drunken, rude, sweaty mess. And every time he helps someone, he manages to mess things up. Either he costs the citizens thousands in tax dollars for city damages or he insults somebody. And his breath stinks, taboot! Then a soft-hearted guy with a nice suit gets saved by Hancock one day. He witnesses the anger people display afterwords and decides, gee, maybe Hancock needs a face-lift. He's a PR man, and he wants to give Hancock a new image. He brings Hancock home for dinner (it's spaghetti madness night) and exhibits the same attitude towards Hancock as one would a puppy that is destroying your shoes. Can't we keep him, hon? His son loves Hancock immediately, but the wifey seem like she's not impressed. His plan is simple: get Hancock sequestered in prison so that people will miss him. Then, when the cops call, he'll be ready to impress 'em with his "new attitude." It's fun, flashy, and a perfect summer film. I have mixed feelings about the ending, but I still enjoyed it.

Shopgirl (2005)

Women Come Closer, All Men Run Far Away

[5/10 · 13 July 2008]

Just watched this movie last night. It stars Claire Danes as a Miss Lonely Hearts that works at the glove counter at Saks 5th Avenue. She is your typical single gal who lives alone with a cat. She doesn't seem to have much of a social life. One day she meets a real bonehead of a guy names Jeremy. He is employed but is barely making it in the world. Despite the fact that he is a deadbeat, Mirabelle (Claire's character) gives him a chance. He makes every mistake a guy should make. He doesn't open the door for her. His car is a mess. He has no money for the date. He demands a kiss.

Mirabelle is turned off, but she is lonely, so he gives him another shot. The second time doesn't get much better. Then she meets Ray (Steve Martin). Ray is the total opposite of Jeremy. He is middle-aged, well off, suave. He wants to wine and dine Mirabelle and get her into bed. He doesn't really want a relationship with her, just a companion.

While we watch the evolution and devolution of her relationship with Ray, we continue to see what happens to Jeremy. It makes it pretty obvious that he and Mirabelle will get back together since there would be no other reason to continue to show us what is happening with Jeremy.

The movie is pretty scattered. Many scenes don't seem to have a purpose. It holds together because Mirabelle is a likable girl, albeit a little naive. I think the only audience that would enjoy this movie is a girl who, like Mirabelle, is looking for that perfect relationship. It's a first date movie if I ever saw one. By the third or any post dates a couple might have, no self respecting man would choose to watch Steve Martin wine and dine anyone. He's just not handsome or charming enough to play this character. So, single gals, rent Shopgirl for an amusing trifle. All guys, whether single or otherwise, don't come within 3 feet of this movie.

Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005)

History Made More Understandable

[8/10 · 3 June 2008]

I heard about McCarthyism when I was in high school or was it middle school? For me, it's one of those events you hear about but can never truly understand. This movie brought me just a little closer to understanding.

It takes place right in the middle of the "witch hunts" McCarthy instigated back in the 1950s. Various government employees, actors, and other people on the fringe were accused of being part Communists or Communist sympathizers. Perhaps this person was a Russian spy? They do seem suspicious. I saw them reading leftist newspaper articles the other day. Her brother used to be involved with an organization that is now funding the Russians, etc. McCarthy claimed he had a whole list of people that were suspicious characters. And he had evidence! However, it was in a sealed envelope with nothing written on it, and no one had actually seen the contents that could attest to them. The whole thing was suspicion and hearsay. But, it was effective! People were fired from their jobs, shunned from society, and whispered about in corridors. Imagine the shame.

So in this movie, a CBS news correspondent, Edward R. Murrow, decides to challenge McCarthy. He doesn't directly claim that McCarthy is lying. Only that he wants to see what is in all of these evidence reports. After a tug of war for the hearts of the American people, McCarthy is impeached. This may or may not have been a direct result of the Murrow shows, but it was clear the public tide was turning. In this movie, they show how the events surrounding this showdown might have played out on the inside. There are many meetings and threats. There is much brow-wiping and collar twisting. And it makes for a very riveting film.

We see how this whole thing could have blown up in Murrow's face. We see what a risk he took and how the executive producers of the station might have treated him for taking that risk. We see fear and bravery.

This was a 2005 Oscar nominee in 6 categories, none of which it won. But it is a very interesting piece of work. What's amazing is that this event happened on the heels of the Holocaust and Nuremberg trials. The United States had just spent a lot of time pointing fingers at other countries that had let fear and speculation run the day. Many people got sent to concentration camps based on this same type of rumors and hearsay as displayed in this film.

This film makes for riveting entertainment, but don't try to watch it when you are in the mood for something light. This is a fairly clean picture, rated PG. It could be useful in an educational setting.

Iron Man (2008)

Finally, a good movie in 2008

[8/10 · 15 May 2008]

Must . . . go . . . see . . . Iron Man. I'm not sure what makes Iron Man so good. Could it be Robert Downey's performance? He is amiable enough. Could it be all the cool techie gadgets? Yes, they are neat. Could it be that it involves the Middle East, and Americans can't seem to get enough of that right now? Yes, it has cultural relevancy. Could it be that the spring line of movies has sucked so bad that it doesn't take much to impress me at this point? Yes, that's quite on the money.

For me, I love any movie where a power hungry person changes their tune and makes a mental shift. Downey gives a solid performance as someone who has seen the light of day and wants to change his ways. It was fairly clean, too.

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (2008)

Good things to say, ineffective methodology

[5/10 · 15 May 2008]

This movie has certainly pushed some buttons. Went to see it at the theaters and was fairly sure I was going to be joined by people that already agreed with Ben Stein's initial premise like myself. I was right about that. The audience was clapping and audibly showing their approval. But, I can't truly call this a documentary. If it was a documentary, Stein would have let the facts speak for themselves more than he did. He took the facts and then tried to hammer the nail into the coffin. The result was that he ended up looking like he was trying to hard to make his point. A true documentary is when the director is an objective viewer. Stein is hardly objective. He has his beliefs and only speaks the things that support his side.

Don't get me wrong, I think Stein has some good things to say but I don't think this movie is going to sway anyone's mind. The people that already agreed will agree. The people that disagree will continue to disagree. And I really wish he had not brought up the Holocaust. I think this just served to alienate a whole portion of the audience.