cathie454 Reviews

Blue Bloods: Playing with Fire (2018) Season 9, Episode 1

Better than I expected

[8/10 · 30 September 2018]

Last season, I was ready for the show to end for many reasons, starting with the death of Danny's wife and the poor way the writers handled the death and the almost nonexistent grieving of anyone in the family. Linda had been important in the Reagan family, and the writers could have written her better plot lines instead of killing her off.

So this season, after the final episode of last season when Eddy "joins" the family at the dinner table, I was wondering if the writers were going to deal with the very bad idea of Eddy and Jamie still being partners. The issue though, was handled well.

I liked the way Danny found a legal way to get rid of the drug dealer who torched his house; good choice of actor (Lou Diamond Phillips) to play the drug dealer. I thought it interesting that the character implied that Linda's medivac/chopper crash was also his doing.

Erin's promotion was a surprise, but about time she moves up in the system. I wondered if I'm the only one who thinks they have changed her basic look to a little older, a little wiser, a little tired. It fits the role, but I miss Erin's glam shining through.

Now I'm hoping that Frank gets some new romance in his life, and that Nicky, Sean, Jack and Grandpa get some good story lines of their own this season.

So far, so good, and I'm glad the show is continuing.

FBI (2018– )

So Far, So Good

[8/10 · 29 September 2018]

Impressive first episode, lots of action that caught my attention immediately. I'm hoping it isn't going to descend into half action, half soap opera, just based on that momentary glance at a photo in the FBI woman's desk...one of those yearning moments that I really don't think have a place in an action/drama. The acting was ok...not great, but many first episodes of even the best shows start out a little slow, as the actors get into their characters. I hated that the little boy was killed...I kept hoping they'd dig him from the rubble, which would NOT have been realistic, given the fact of the two bombs and the building's total collapse. I will definitely want to see the next episode, at the very least...and one of the best points of the show, is Jeremy Sisto, one of my favorite actors.

Blue Bloods: The Enemy Of My Enemy (2017) Season 8, Episode 3

6

[6/10 · 15 October 2017]

For the first time, after all these years of Blue Bloods, I've rated an episode a 6. I felt the story was too disjointed, with too many complications, which did not leave enough time to explore the issues. Since Linda's death (writing Amy Carlson's character out of the show was a big mistake), I've expected the writers to use Danny Reagan's grief and anger as plot starters, and take the opportunity to have Danny grow as a character instead of always being the same week after week. Instead, they just have the character acting the same, no matter what the case is but have Danny be even more verbally short-tempered with everyone. I think they are wasting a great opportunity here; they didn't want to pay Amy Carlson more money (or whatever was the real reason for her leaving) so they kill off Linda and that's it...no flashbacks, no therapy sessions for Danny and the boys, just Danny being a jerk to people. Also, Sean and Jack don't seem to miss their mom at all...it's as though Linda is away, instead of dead. The teenage years are a really bad time to lose a parent, and offers the opportunity for more issues with one or more of the boys, but instead, nothing but homework and video games. Having Nicki sit in Linda's place at the table is really a bad idea as well...Linda's empty chair should be sitting there, a reminder to the characters and audience that she's gone. Nicki sitting there just looks wrong. If they're really not going to write anything about the loss of a major family member, why not give Jamie better stories? Why not have him promoted to a new department in the NYPD, as a sergeant for a unit in the force that deals with mentally ill suspects, the way it was implied he wanted to do in an episode a few years ago? That way, his romance with Eddie could progress, instead of them just sniping at each other in the patrol car. I'm disappointed in the writing this season, and each episode seems to get a little worse. While I'm on the subject of the writing, why not develop a new romance for Frank? He certainly had some sparks fly with the woman who was the oversight judge of the NYPD, who was played by Bebe Neuwirth. That character always seemed like she was just about to make a pass at Frank...bring her back, and have them get involved. The series needs a permanent NYC mayor as well. Mayor Poole is gone, and the interim mayor is so annoying; an election and a new mayor might help liven up this slowly dying series. Henry needs more to do as well; get him a dog, or a part-time job, or a new girlfriend. Bottom line, I think the writers need to come up with some new twists and turns to keep the show alive...unless of course they're planning for season 8 to be the last season.

Southland: Reckoning (2013) Season 5, Episode 10

Why the heck was this series canceled???

[9/10 · 18 June 2017]

The series, unlike most series, just kept getting better as it went along. The last season was definitely the best, dealing with Lydia's problems being a single mom, Sammy and Ben at each other's throats constantly because of the lies and of course John Cooper's mounting emotional problems which doubled with the death of his partner. The gritty realism of this series has never been equaled. I just finished watching the entire series again, and it is just as good now as it was when it was first on television.

Doubt: Then and Now (2017) Season 1, Episode 2

Getting better

[8/10 · 23 February 2017]

I wrote a review last week, titled It Has Possibilities, but for whatever reason it seems to have disappeared. Basically, I'd said there were ups and downs, but it had some good moments, and some good actors, but that the first half of that episode the dialogue seemed to be trying too hard to seem witty and interesting. I gave that episode a rating of 7.

This episode started out much the same way and I was about to delete it (I record everything to watch at my own time) but I watched all of it and was glad I did. I realized that what has annoyed me is they seem to think having quite a few quirky characters will make it cute or heart-warming or whatever, and those characters are what annoys me. When they get down to dealing with the main story, like the drive-by shooting with the lawyer breaking an office rule by telling her client to take a plea, the dialogue and story line really improve. The plot line dealing with the problem of Sadie being attracted to her client also made a really interesting turn not only by evidence showing up that points to his guilt, but also a scene between Sadie's mom and Isaiah, explaining why she's in jail, why he's against clients taking plea deals and gets more into their relationship.

If the writers can hang on to the depth and story lines that seem to develop in the second half of each episode, I think they'll have a hit. They have some great actors: Dule' Hill, Laverne Cox, ElLiotta Gould and Kobi Libii. I even thought Katherine Heigl improved this episode. I hope each episode improves; most shows take a month or two to really hit their stride.

Doubt (2017)

The show has potential

[7/10 · 15 February 2017]

While I like the cast, the writing needs some work. The first half of the show, the dialogue was forced; they were trying too hard to make it seem witty, partly funny, partly dramatic. The second half, the dialogue slowed down some, and improved. Also, I know they're trying to develop characters, but they are only giving snippets and need to put a little more information out, if for no other reason than to keep the audience interested. The characters played by Dule Hill and Eliot Gould need to be expanded, while Katherine Heigl's role could use either less dialogue, or better acting; it's hard to decide which. The minor roles of the assistants are annoying, and confusing. The story line was interesting, though the case with the mentally ill defendant seemed a little forced. I'm going to give it another week, to see what I think after another episode. Judith Light as the lawyer's mother was a nice surprise, and her acting was on-point, believable and compelling.

Money Monster (2016)

Great cast and story

[9/10 · 15 May 2016]

I went in to the movie expecting to be entertained, and I wasn't disappointed. Dramatic, with a little humor, a perfect combination. I loved the plot twists, and was sad that the inevitable happened. I loved the character Kyle, and I think many of the movie's audience are going to be sympathetic to him, given the state of the economy since 2008 (I know it's getting better, but it's been a slow recovery.) I loved Kyle's girl friend's response to the situation he was in, and it wasn't at all what I expected, but was filled with honesty and emotion. Julia Roberts and George Clooney were both very good. I also liked seeing all the character actors that I've enjoyed on television shows (Breaking Bad, Blue Bloods to name two) as part of the police department officers. I was a little disappointed that the character Camby didn't get more of a punishment for what he did (which of course is just like the banks and mortgage companies getting away with what they did). Showing the people who were watching the live hostage situation from all over the world was a great addition, and of course returning to the Foosball game was exactly what would happen. Very entertaining movie, fun for a weekend afternoon. I think both George Clooney and Jack O'Connell should both at least get Oscar nominations.

Midnight Special (2016)

Nothing special about Midnight Special

[6/10 · 22 April 2016]

The story and plot had a lot of holes in it, as though it was adapted from a book and they took out too much, so it no longer made as much sense. An explanation of the religious cult would have helped. Sam Shepherd was wasted in such a small part as the cult leader. It would have been nice to have the explanation about the fact that the boy's father had kidnapped him, and from where. It felt as though they were trying to save time, to shorten the movie, and would skip from òne thing to the next with little explanation. I liked the characters Kiersten Dunst, Joel Edgartown and especially Adam Driver played, and just wished the writers had done a better job. A few good special effects, good characters, but not enough story to make it work.

Blue Bloods: Shoot the Messenger (2014) Season 5, Episode 7

Just wanted to mention a goof

[8/10 · 9 November 2015]

Good plot line in this one, with Erin's boss and Frank having a run-in. Nice to see Jamie and Eddie solving a case (though it's way past time for Jamie to be promoted.) Danny and his new boss are starting to work through their disagreements. The plot line with the young man who had been seeing a gang leader's girlfriend was very effective, and sad. I hope there is some follow-up with Joy and Lieutenant Carver in the future. Everyone's problems seemed to be resolved nicely by the end, though the scene on the pier at the end bothered me, I guess because I have fished all my life. Their fishing poles didn't have any line...and you would think they would have since Frank mentioned that Erin had used braided line. Very satisfying Blue Bloods episode; not the best of them, but still better than anything else on TV right now.

Southcliffe (2013)

slow at times...needed more of a clear story line

[6/10 · 5 August 2014]

This is a look into a small community and how they deal with a mass shooting in their town. The reporter who comes to report on the story (from a big news agency) was originally from the small town, and so his ties to it and understanding of it should have added to the story, but it really didn't, since his life was told in as disjointed a way as all the other characters' stories. It was hard to follow the story, as it goes back and forth in time as well as back and forth with various character's stories and their time lines. Also, it was slow, I think because the director was trying to give a picture of each victim's family and situation, as well as the shooter's family and situation; I think if the story had been told differently, it would have been easier to become involved in the story. This would have made more sense if there was a more linear story line. As it is, it's OK, but I wouldn't recommend this, and I wouldn't want to watch it again.

Law & Order: Aftershock (1996) Season 6, Episode 23

Best Episode of the entire 20 years

[10/10 · 22 March 2014]

Someone asked when this episode will be shown again...all the episodes are on Netflix; I've been watching them all again, in order. Amazing that every week, for so long, they came up with interesting, intriguing situations and had one of the best dramatic casts ever. They used the death penalty in this episode to add background information on four of the main characters; without preaching, they made the audience think about the issue by showing how and why each of the characters reacts the way he or she does. I have to admit that Lennie falling off the wagon was upsetting, and then the surprise, tragic ending tears me up every time I see this episode. Law & Order is one of those television shows that will retain it's quality forever.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

More than just a coming of age movie

[9/10 · 9 June 2013]

Logan Lerman, Emma Watson and Ezra Miller make this one of the best movies of 2012. There is so much more to the movie than the basic plot: a high school freshman (Charlie, played by Logan Lerman) who is dealing with the suicide of his best friend starts high school with no friends, and no social skills. At a school dance, where he stands against the wall watching, he forces himself to go out on to the dance floor when he sees an unconventional couple (Sam played by Emma Watson and Patrick played by Ezra Miller) dancing to their own beat, and joins them. From this brave step to join life around him, Charlie meets Sam and Patrick's friends, all of who are high school seniors and in their own social clique of "wallflowers". The other all-too-familiar high school cliques play a part in Charlie's demons, and when he has to say goodbye to his friends when they are all graduating and going on to college, his dark inner life crashes in on him. This story delves into all the issues young people face today while finding themselves and their path in life: their sexuality, falling in love, family issues. Charlie though has a darker past that he's buried so deep that he only remembers bits and pieces in flashes. It is when he talks with Sam about her past, all the while falling in love with her, that his own secrets start to push to the surface. Logan Lerman, Emma Watson and Ezra Miller have proved themselves to be actors with a range of talents, and while Emma Watson of course is very well known from her Harry Potter movies, she shows here that she is more than Hermione Granger in every way. This is an excellent movie that I highly recommend.

From Prada to Nada (2011)

Really fine movie

[7/10 · 24 June 2012]

I can't believe that this movie wasn't more popular; maybe the trailer and the commercials made people think this was just another dumb/dumber romance movie. I didn't see it in a theatre because I think it didn't play more than a week here. The story is more involved than the advertising would have you believe. Two young women whose parents were from Mexico have been brought up in the lap of luxury in Beverly Hills; they find out when their father suddenly dies that they have no money, a brother they never knew, and then lose their home when the brother's greedy wife kicks them out and sells the house. They move in with their mother's sister who lives in East L.A. and are suddenly overwhelmed by culture shock. This is based on Sense and Sensibility; it has been changed to the southern California/Mexican subculture wonderfully. The film is filled with colorful scenes, the music is fantastic, and the acting is excellent from everyone. What a shame this movie didn't get the audience it deserves. I had never seen the majority of the actors in the film, other than Wilmer Valderrama who plays Bruno and gives a fine performance. The cast was wonderful, very true to life. Definitely a movie worth watching.

Rock of Ages (2012)

Very surprised by this movie

[7/10 · 23 June 2012]

First of all, I did not want to see this movie. The trailers just looked stupid, and it's about the 80's which had the worst music, worst hair and worst clothes in the last half of the 20th century (more on that later.) A friend, though, had free passes and she didn't want to go alone, so I went with her expecting at best to be bored. I was pleasantly surprised. First of all, the music: there actually were a few good songs in the 80's and this movie had every one of them, making me want the soundtrack to the movie. Second, it had just the right amount of comedy and made fun of the right things of that era. The main two characters, Sherry and Drew, were great; I had fully expected that Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand were going to overpower the movie, but that didn't happen. The story was predictable, but that was OK in this musical; I'm not crazy about musicals because it annoys me in most musicals when suddenly people burst into song (Wizard of Oz and Chicago being the exceptions to that rule) but the singing didn't bother me at all in this, and the songs were perfect for the situations. And, at the end, I realized something from this movie: that 80's music is not the worst music in history-- that would be boy bands and rap which was pointed out with great effect in the ending. I'm glad I saw this; it's an enjoyable, fun summer movie. Who would have ever thought that Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand make a cute couple?

Moneyball (2011)

Brad Pitt's best

[9/10 · 1 October 2011]

Moneyball is the story of Billy Beane, the Oakland A's general manager, trying to compete against "the big boys" with a small budget team and no way to buy the players he needs. While visiting the Cleveland Indians' management trying to make deals for better players, he meets a young man on their staff who has devised a way to assign a numerical value to players based on their ability to get on base, rather than the more traditional ways that baseball players are rated. Instead of buying a player from the Indians, he hires the statistician and together they rebuild the A's team after the loss of three key players who move on to richer teams. Brad Pitt's performance is stellar; you forget that he's Brad Pitt and believe that he's Billy Beane, which is the true measure of a great actor. This is the best Brad Pitt has ever been in a roll, and he dominates every one of his scenes. Jonah Hill is excellent as the naive though brilliant statistician and Philip Seymour Hoffman shines as the team's head coach who butts heads with Beane time after time over the new way of staffing the team. People in the movie audience applauded when the A's won 20 games in a row; you could feel that the audience was totally "there" in the moment, because the actors make you believe you are seeing the true story of Billy Beane and the A's. Great movie, great acting, wonderful story that will keep you rooting for the A's even if you're a die-hard Yankee fan like myself.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)

Why do they do this?

[6/10 · 16 July 2011]

To be fair, it wasn't the worst HP film; that was Order of the Phoenix which was totally butchered. Most of this one was OK. All the changes in the movie from the book, up until Harry's final battle with Voldemort, were true to the spirit, plot and theme of the book. But Harry's final battle, and the fact that Hogwart's was destroyed (which did not happen in the book) were totally wrong, and there was no point to it. In the book, Voldermort and Harry face in one short battle, inside the front hall of Hogwarts, with all the combatants around them, watching. Neville has already killed the snake outside, and rallied the "good guys" by crying "Dumbledore's Army" and standing up to Voldemort. There was NO point to changing that, so of course they did. The duel between Mrs. Weasley and Bellatrix was way too short and without enough drama to make you care. I had expected the audience-- and myself-- to cheer at the end of that duel; no one did. The book's final battle between Harry and Voldermort was meant to be simple, one-on-one, in the place they both loved; it was meant to show that love was the strongest weapon, and that Voldemort was no more than Tom-Riddle-gone-bad. On dying he collapsed dead before them all, vanquished. It will never make sense to me why they changed such a basic part of the whole plot. The best I can say for this one is that it could have been much worse. My advice to anyone is to read these books before you see the movies, so you understand what you're missing.

Larry Crowne (2011)

Good summer romantic comedy

[6/10 · 3 July 2011]

I found out the night before seeing this movie that Tom Hanks wrote this with Nia Vardalos (Greek Wedding) and it made me wonder if I really wanted to see it. I liked Big Fat Greek Wedding, but I've thought that the other movies (and TV shows) she's written since then were mediocre at best; I felt as though she's trying too hard to have another hit like Greek Wedding. However, it was too late to change our plans, so I saw it, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. The casting for all the characters was perfect (and since this has the feel of an indie-type movie, I wondered how much they had to pay Julia Roberts to accept the part.) Seeing Wilmer Valderrama didn't hurt either, he was so fine looking (nice change from Fez in That 70s Show). The plot is about a middle-aged man losing a job he's had for a long time and his employer (at a thinly disguised Walmart-type store) says it's because he doesn't have a college education. In this time of economic hardship, it's easy to identify with the loss of job, income and home, and sympathize with the character. He decides to go to college to better his job prospects, and chooses a small local college. The people in the class were funny and true- to-life as small-college students and their characterizations were kept low-key which I appreciated (instead of being just caricatures). The dialog was funny and fast paced. The only thing I didn't like was that I felt it was too short due to not tying up some loose ends in the plot; it was as though they were in such a hurry to get to the he-finally-gets-the-girl part, that they just suddenly ended it. The main character had kicked out her drunk, worthless husband, but Tom Hanks' character never learns that, so I guess he was OK with seeing a married woman. She shows up at his apartment and he never wonders how she knew where it was... little things that would have added a little more meat to the plot and made it feel a little more finished. But it's an enjoyable movie, good summer entertainment.

Black Swan (2010)

Great psychological thriller

[10/10 · 18 December 2010]

Half way through seeing this amazing movie, I was convinced Natalie Portman should win Best Actress at the Oscars and Golden Globes. This is an intricate, disturbing and fascinating look into the psyche of a young woman who has been molded by an over-protective bitter mother, and who lives more in the space of a week than she did in the rest of her life. The screenplay, cinematography, music and costuming should all be at least nominated for Golden Globes and Oscars. It gives a realistic glimpse into the hard reality behind the beauty of the ballet, and the soundtrack is perfect for the story in every scene. The action jumps back and forth between reality and the main character's fantasy life, and it is often impossible to separate them. Natalie Portman's fragile beauty is perfect for the sheltered innocence of her character, and her transformation into the Black Swan is a fascinating glimpse into madness. I'm sure this movie won't get the audience it should, but I'm hoping that it will get the recognition and honors it deserves.

Crazy Heart (2009)

Classically good

[9/10 · 27 February 2010]

No special effects, no car chases, no gratuitous sex. What you have here is a great movie that didn't need any of those things to make it great. What it does have is a great story, great theme, fantastic music, beautiful location cinematography and excellent acting from incredible actors. Based on a story (of the same name) by Thomas Cobb, it tells the story of a has-been country singer, Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges), how he faces the mistakes and mess he's made of his life, and how he turns it around. Jeff Bridges, who has always been a fine actor, gives his finest performance ever and deserves to win the Oscar for which he's been nominated. Maggie Gyllenhaal is excellent as the love interest who cannot bring herself to jeopardize the life she has with her son by believing in Bad Blake's reformation. Robert Duvall, though in a small part, is of course as good as ever. The only casting choice that bothered me is Colin Farrell as the "rival" country singer. Colin Farrell? As an American traditional country singer? OK, whatever. Actually, I thought he gave a good performance in an admittedly small role... but he still seems like an odd choice for the part. Both Farrell and Bridges had an "accent coach", and both did a good job with their southern accents. I was pleased to find that Jeff Bridges actually did his own singing, and he was quite good. I intend to get the soundtrack for my iPod. The songs were traditional country-type songs, a nice change from the path country music has gone down in the past 10 years. It was filmed mostly in New Mexico (which of course, being from New Mexico, I enjoyed immensely.) One of the concerts was supposed to be at a Pavilion in Phoenix... ha! Phoenix never looked so good. It was here in Albuquerque and the frequent shots of our Sandia Mountains were fantastic. (I have to say though that it was totally unrealistic to think that a reporter in Santa Fe could have afforded the beautiful home that Gyllenhaal's character lived in... Santa Fe's inflated cost of living due to the influx of Hollywood's stars makes it impossible for middle class people to live in homes that beautiful. But who would know that if you don't live here?) The scenes in Blake's home in Houston were excellent, getting to the meat of the theme of the movie, and Jeff Bridges totally nailed the part here. I thought they could have delved more into the rehab scenes; it was just not enough to make you believe how hard rehab must be... but the scenes leading up to rehab were perfect. All in all, this is one of the best movies I've seen in a long time, because it tells a good story, and isn't that what movies are supposed to be? Good stories, interesting, well-acted characters, great scenery and a perfect soundtrack; it doesn't get any better than that.

Kung Fu Panda (2008)

Amazingly good

[8/10 · 8 June 2008]

After seeing the commercials on TV for this one, I didn't want to see it. It looked inane and more of a children's movie than one for adults. Today, though, my friend wanted to go, and I was pleasantly surprised to see one of the best movies I've seen this year. I was first struck by the art work... not the CG/animation but the artwork, the backgrounds and sets of the scenes. They're stunningly beautiful, as is the soundtrack. Then the story pulled me in, even the minor things like why a Panda has a goose for a father. I really liked the "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"-type action scenes; they were really well done, using the characteristics of each character to add to what the character was able to do. The villain was especially well done, intimidating but not over-the-top scary that would scare small children. (There were many children in the theatre of course, but the movie kept them interested apparently because they were all well-behaved, engrossed in the movie.) The acting was well done as well. I'd wondered if Jack Black would be as funny when you can't see his physical humor, but I shouldn't have worried. I read a review of the movie this week that said Angelina Jolie wasn't very good. I'm not really a fan of hers, but I don't know what movie that reviewer saw; I thought she was great. In fact, I wish there had been more scenes and actions with the 5 Kung Fu warriors, the Monkey, the Snake, the Mantis, the Tiger and the Stork. They were all excellent as was the Kung Fu Master, voiced by Dustin Hoffman. Hopefully, there will be a sequel (done as well as this one was) and we will see more of those characters, and find out about Po's father.

Jumper (2008)

Sure to be a sequel

[7/10 · 17 February 2008]

I heard some of the audience commenting, as we left the theatre last night, that there wasn't enough story to it, not enough background to the story. I think this was done on purpose, so that the sequel(s) can fill in the gaps. This was a very well done movie, with great special effects. The car-rocketing-through-traffic-scene was, IMO, the best of the special-effects scenes. There was humor along with an interesting story line. Rachel Bilson (who I'd never seen before) was very good as Millie, having to deal with the disbelief of learning that David (Hayden Christensen) is capable of teleportation, and all that means for their relationship (past and present). Christensen was great in this, proving that when you get him away from George Lucas' less-than-stellar directing, he's a fine actor. He'd proved that in "Life as a House" and "Shattered Glass", but IMO, Episode III of Star Wars almost ruined his career. Jamie Bell was fantastic; I hope that he shows up in the sequel, having managed to escape David's trap. The one thing that truly bothered me in this movie was Roland's (Sam Jackson) hair-- it looked so ridiculous-- what was the point of the color? Why not a realistic gray? And the wig was poorly done-- you could see the wig line at the neckline in the back. The color and the way it made him look took away from his character; I was aware of how he looked all the time. I do think that, in the sequel, we'll hear more about his lunatic organization. And I'm hoping that Diane Lane has a bigger part; the brevity of her story line is one of the reasons I'm convinced there will be at least one sequel. And of course, the biggest selling point of the movie is the teleportation-- who wouldn't want that ability? The movie made a point of that, emphasizing the fantasies we all have about what we'd do if we could Jump.

Die Hard (1988)

Still Great

[10/10 · 3 September 2007]

I just rented this to watch again, and found that it's held up well despite the years. Great action scenes, great special effects, great story line, and hot guys. What more can you want in an action movie? Bruce Willis' character John McClain is the epitome of the American hero, a man who stands alone against evil and conquers it by his own strength, character, determination and skill. I'm sure that's why this series of movies has been so popular: we all feel overwhelmed these days with crime, terrorism, the loss of some of our freedoms and few heroes to look up to. Alan Rickman, in one of his finest movie roles, is the perfect villain: smart, cunning, greedy and ruthless. His cohorts, built for brawn and used as fodder, are great in their roles. The computer nerd is funny, intelligent and completely without a conscience. I love the limo driver; he gives just the right amount of comic relief in an overwhelmingly violent movie. The "good cop" on the street is perfect as McCain's on-the-ground support, and I love that he saves John McCain's life in the end. This is one of the best action movies ever filmed, and definitely worth seeing again if you haven't in a while.

Shrek the Third (2007)

One Too Many Shreks

[5/10 · 26 August 2007]

It's too bad studios don't know when to quit when they're ahead-- and I'd be willing to bet that there's a Shrek 4 on the horizon. Mark your calendar to remind yourself not to go. This one was just too much... to much pushing to find the jokes; too many predictable jokes; having Merlin as an old hippie and as the deus ex machina to magically send them back to Far Far Away was way too much. The princesses were predictable and not funny. The baby Shreks were disturbingly ugly, sort of baby-Bobby-Hills and not in a good way. The baby donkey/dragons were cute, but there wasn't enough of the donkey-dragon relationship which probably would have helped the movie, even if it didn't have much to do with the story. There were so many "3 movies" this summer, it was hard to know which to avoid, but Shrek was definitely one of them. Not worth the price of the ticket, but if you have to see it, wait until you can rent the DVD.

Miss Potter (2006)

Perfect

[10/10 · 26 August 2007]

Miss Potter would be pleased. The director, screenwriters, cinematographers, soundtrack editors and costume designers collaborated to put together the perfect Victorian-age film. Beatrix Potter's world, both real and imaginary, fills the screen with wonder, intellect, emotion and drama. The beautiful paintings from her book come alive as they do when you read Beatrix Potter's books. The snobbish social order of her mother's world makes you want to walk into their drawing room and throw a cup of tea in her mother's face. Ewan McGregor is perfect as Norman Warne: respectful, polite, intelligent and open to the changing world of the early 1900's. Rene Zellweger's Beatrix Potter is just the right combination of independence, charm, intelligence and whimsy. This movie is one of the best movies I've seen this year. I wish it had opened at a theatre here; it would have been nice to see it for the first time on a big screen, instead of as a rented DVD on the TV. The incredible scenes of the Lake District in England are the perfect background for the imaginative Miss Potter.

Driving Lessons (2006)

good on so many levels

[9/10 · 18 August 2007]

I'd heard about this movie, but didn't see it until my daughter, who saw it on a flight to Australia, told me it was a great movie. I was interested in seeing whether Rupert Grint, away from Harry Potter, was showing the promise you see in the Potter movies. I wasn't disappointed. He's become a fine actor, showing a range in Driving Lessons from a shy boy being beaten down by an over-bearing obsessive mother, to a young man finding himself to be worthy of his own, and other's, esteem. Going over lines from plays and poetry with his aging-actress employer, it's obvious that he's ready to take on much more complex roles in films and the stage. But the jewel of this movie was Julie Walters. I'd seen her previously in the Potter movies, Billy Elliott and Calendar Girls, and loved her. In Driving Lessons, as she does lines from poetry and Shakespeare, I was awed by her timing, command of the language, and body language. I'm hoping it was make-up/costuming, as she portrays an older woman with osteoporosis, though no mention of it is made in the movie-- as a nurse, I can say that she did this perfectly, portraying a woman on the brink of old-age, but clinging to the sparkling past that she reveled in. This is one of the best movies I've seen in a long time, and I wish I'd seen it in a theatre first-- but I doubt it ever played anywhere here in Albuquerque. We miss out on so many of these types of movies here.