Grade: B
| Based on the true story of former CIA agent Valerie Plame (Naomi Watts) and her husband Joe Wilson (Sean Penn). Very compelling script. This was very much in the news at the time, and it’s interesting to get some perspective about what happened, and see the events from these characters’ points of view. High stakes emotional drama. |
Grade: B
| Failure to Launch is a pretty much predictible by-the-numbers romantic comedy… and we don’t get enough of those anymore! It was really charming, light and fun. Sarah Jessica Parker plays a woman who helps parents get their grown sons to move out of the house. Matthew McCoughnahey plays the grown son in question, 35 years old and still taking up space at the folk’s place. Kathy Bates is endearing as his mom. Terry Bradshaw is a hoot as his dad. Gotta give the guy credit for parading his bare behind around like it’s no big deal! That scene got the biggest laughs from the audience – and a few shrieks of “eeeeew!” Great supporting performance from Zoe Deschanel as the roommate who lands the guy’s best friend. They try to throw in a few life lessons, and there are a few requisite pratfalls that I would deem unnecessary, but all in all, a nice little date movie. |
Grade: B
| What a cast – Vanessa Redgrave, Natasha Richardson (Vanessa’s daughter!), Glenn Close, Meryl Streep, Mamie Gummer (Meryl’s daughter!), Claire Danes, Toni Collette – this is a TOTAL chick flick! 🙂 Evening is one of those movies that goes back and forth between present day and the past. Vanessa Redgrave’s character is on her death bed and she’s having memories of this time in her life when she was young. It’s all about relationships and choices and friendships and family. It’s a really “big” movie in that there’s a lot going on and you have to pay attention. But it’s also a little slow. I loved it, but my hubby and my step-daughter were shifting in their seats quite a bit. Great clothes, lots of emotions, go with your mom or your girlfriends. |
Grade: B
| At a price tag of $175 million dollars, “Evan Almighty” is the most expensive comedy ever made. And it shows! Most of the money was spent on special effects, which include a huge action sequence of the ark in a flood. And then there are the animals – wow! I couldn’t tell which animals were real and which were computer generated – but it was mighty impressive. This is a sort-of sequel to Bruce Almighty from a few years ago which starred Jim Carrey. In this one, Morgan Freeman once again turns up as God Himself, with a mission for Steve Carell’s Evan Baxter, an anchorman turned politician with a wife and 3 kids. Of course, Evan is reluctant to take on this mission, but really has no choice – and once he gives in, his life is irrevocably changed for the better. Steve Carell has found success in this persona, the annoyingly charming goofball with good intentions. Fun movie for the family, or for date night. |
Grade: B
| This is a documentary along the lines of “Fahrenheit 9/11.” And the fact that the Bush family is a key player probably comes as no surprise to people who have followed this story in the news. What’s amazing to me is how truth really is stranger than fiction. You couldn’t possibly make this stuff up! It’s almost a horror movie, it’s so scary. It really happened, which makes it all the more dramatic. The final chapter has yet to be written, these “smartest guys” go to trial in January 2006. |
Grade: B+
| Enough Said isn’t a “big budget” movie by any means. The story is simple, there are no special effects or car chases. It’s all about the relationships, the characters, and the dialogue. And in each case we are treated to excellence!
Julia Louis-Dreyfus stars as Eva, a massage therapist and single mom whose daughter is about to go off to college. Eva is at a cross-roads in her life when she attends a friend’s party and meets two new people who become an important part of her life. Marianne (played by the always awesome Catherine Keener) is someone Eva looks up to. She’s creative, beautiful, successful and a bit of a free spirit. Albert (played brilliantly by the late James Gandolfini) is someone Eva thought she’d never be attracted to, yet she is won over by his honesty, humor and charm. As Eva’s friendship with Marianne grows, and her romance with Albert blossoms, she discovers that the obnoxious “ex” that Marianne is always complaining about is Eva’s new beau Albert. Lots of great awkward situations that lead to relatable laughter. Kudos to writer/director Nicole Holofcener. Beautiful, meaningful, touching film. |
Grade: A
| “Enchanted” will sweep you away into a world of romance and whimsy. It’s over-the-top fun, in a really good way. We start out in the animated land of Andalasia, where Giselle (Amy Adams) sings about finding her true love. And here he comes, Prince Edward (James Marsden)! He sweeps her up and says “We will be married tomorrow!” Not if his evil step-mother (Susan Sarandon) has anything to say about it. She pushes Giselle down a wishing well, where Giselle re-emerges in live-action form through a manhole in Times Square. Our plucky heroine keeps her spirits up, certain that her prince will come for her. Meanwhile, she is rescued from the streets by Robert (Patrick Dempsey) and his daughter Morgan. Although Robert suspects Giselle is certifiable, her innocence, and Morgan’s pleading, lets him allow the soon-to-be-Princess to stay.
Giselle wastes no time turning Robert’s world upside down, while Robert grounds Giselle in this “real” world. Mix in the evil Queen’s stooge, Robert’s long-time-with-no-commitment girlfriend and a feisty little chipmunk and you’ve got a charming cast of characters worthy of a Disney classic. Susan Sarandon is marvelous as the Queen – clearly relishing the role. Amy Adams is the new All American romantic comedy girl – you will see a lot of her. James Marsden is sweet and handsome, a real prince! And Patrick Dempsey has quite an arc, going from sad and lonely to smitten and hopeful as he falls for this other-worldly girl he can’t quite understand. Nods all over the place to other Disney Princess films – if you’ve seen them you are sure to appreciate the references. Great movie for moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas, princes and princesses! |
Grade: C-
| Oh, Matt Damon – what are you doing in this movie?
Elysium starts off all right – it’s clearly sci-fi, and futuristic. It’s the world after we’ve basically overpopulated it and let it all fall apart – it’s unsafe, dirty, falling apart. And then there’s Elysium, where all the super rich people took off to and escaped. It’s this Utopia that the earth people only dream of. So Matt Damon looks up to the sky at this Elysium ever since he is a little boy in an orphanage in Mexico. Even though he’s been a car thief and a criminal, we can tell he’s really a good guy who just got a bad break. He’s trying to get his act together and save money to get a golden ticket that will smuggle him into Elysium. Of course, his plans go awry, and the earth is messed up, and it turns out Elysium isn’t that Utopian after all. But by that time, this movie that clearly had potential to make a statement has turned into a sort of “Transformers” brawl. And it just gets more ridiculous. I’m surprised Jodie Foster got through her part as the villain with a straight face.
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Grade: B+
| It’s not hard to love a movie like Elsa and Fred. First of all we’ve got Shirley MacLaine, American icon, gifted actress, amazing spirit. She plays Elsa, an eccentric woman looking to get the most out of her life. Then there’s Christopher Plummer, still a heartthrob, debonair as ever, as Fred, Elsa’s love interest. Add in strong performances from Marcia Gay Harden as Fred’s daughter, Christopher Noth as Fred’s slacker son-in-law, Erika Alexander as Fred’s caregiver Laverne, and Scott Bakula as Elsa’s son, and we’ve got an all star cast.
This is a story about family, and it’s also a love story – and a story about choices, and life choices. These characters could be any age – we can all relate to their struggles and desires. Such a treat! |
Grade: A-
| It’s a good thing that “Elizabethtown” is rated PG-13 because all the teenage girls are going to be wanting to go see Orlando Bloom, the current heartthrob of their generation! Bloom has been in a bunch of movies, but is probably best known for his roles in the Lord of the Rings series, and Pirates of the Caribbean. In Elizabethtown he proves that he’s quite the actor to watch, not just for his “hunkiness” but for his talent. As the fallen golden boy of a mega corporation who must go on a road trip to collect his dead father’s remains, he brings just the right blend of angst, melancholy, and amusement to his character. Kirsten Dunst in his love interest, and she sparkles in the part. Susan Sarandon plays his mother, and she’s as good as ever. Judy Greer is becoming a more familiar face these days, and she does a great job as the sister. Cameron Crowe directs. He has such a unique take on the world, I love his work. Well worth seeing. |
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