Grade: A
| “Buck” follows Buck Brannaman on his job as a horse trainer/people trainer as he’s on the road 9 months out of the year. Buck is an amazing person, and his story is inspiring. This is a compelling documentary – whether you’re a horse person or not, there is something to be learned from this man’s wisdom. Absolutely loved it! |
Grade: B-
| I love Bill Murray, but he pretty much plays the same character he played in “Lost in Translation” in this new movie, “Broken Flowers.” It’s really slow moving – there are many shots of Bill just sitting there staring at the wall. The characters are strong – Bill plays “Don” – an aging Don Juan who finds out he may have a grown son and goes in search of the possible mothers. Sharon Stone, Jessica Lange, and Frances Conroy play a few of his former paramours. It’s a road trip movie, and a personal journey at the same time. But it is ultimately unsatisfying because there’s no real resolution. And maybe that’s the point – life is not tied up in a neat little package. But after investing a couple of hours it’s nice to have some conclusion to the story. The performances make this movie worth seeing – but it’s not a “must see.” |
Grade: A
| Brokeback Mountain has to be the most talked about movie this season. Yes, it’s about two cowboys and their love for each other – but it’s about so much more than that. The movie is set in 1963 in Wyoming. Heath Ledger plays Ennis Del Mar and Jake Gyllenhall plays Jack Twist. Both are down-on-their-luck loners and they get to know each other when they take a job herding sheep on Brokeback Mountain. There are two pretty graphic love scenes, although if these were between a man and a woman we would think them to be tame. A bit intense, but older teens can handle it. Years go by as Ennis and Jack resume their lives in separate states. They each marry and have children, making homes for their families. When they reconnect four years later, the attraction is still there, and they both admit to the feeling of lack without the other in his life. Yet this is a “forbidden” love – and they fear the consequences of their relationship, so they find a way to be together when they feel they can be safe. Michelle Williams is brilliant as Ennis’ young bride. She discovers her husband’s secret by accident and although she is devastated, she silently endures her pain. Anne Hathaway is Jack’s socialite wife. This talented actress is much grown up since Ella Enchanted, and she plays this woman as cool and aloof. There is a lot to explore relationship-wise in this movie. The men’s relationship with each other, with their wives, with their fathers, with their children – all of these come into play. And then there’s the whole relationship with society, too. What is expected of us? How far must we go to conform? How far have we come as a society in our acceptance of people? Ang Lee directs, and the cinematography is beautiful. But what makes the movie is the relationship factor. It’s sad and heartbreaking and thought-provoking – and definitely worth seeing. Heath Ledger is amazing in this part – he’s already been nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance and I expect the Academy will give him a nomination as well. |
Grade: C+
| This sequel stars the original cast, Renee Zellweger as Bridget herself, Colin Firth as her new beau, and Hugh Grant as the same old womanizer. This time around it’s not as much fun. Bridget still has self-esteem issues, and gets caught up in awkward situations of her own making. Firth’s character is still stodgy and stiff, and we wonder what exactly Bridget sees in him other than the fact that he actually pays attention to her sometimes. And Hugh Grant’s character has gone from silly to downright sick. There are some cute comic moments, but overall, there is this kind of low-grade depression which puts a damper on the frivolity. Not a bad movie, just not as good as the original. |
Grade: C
| While it’s great that there’s a female-driven comedy that is doing well at the box office – I wish it were a little more intelligent. This is a Judd Apatow comedy, and if you’ve ever seen one of his movies, you know what that means. Lots of crass humor – potty jokes, vomit, all that. It’s too bad, because the actresses are wonderful, and it’s a cute storyline. But the script is bogged down with juvenile jokes. I hope that the trend towards female ensembles in the movies continues – but I also hope that the writing gets a lot more clever. |
Grade: B
| Not for everyone, but I totally loved it! A kooky combination of Hollywood and Bollywood, with characters breaking out into choreographed musical numbers mid-sentence. The love story is corny and predictable, yet sweet and satisfying. Some funny moments, kind of a My Big Fat Indian Wedding feel to it. |
Grade: B+
| Based on the true story of the biggest breach in FBI history, “Breach” stars Ryan Phillippe as the young trainee assigned to get the goods on the informant in question, played by Chris Cooper. A very compelling story, with this interesting relationship at the heart of it all. Laura Linney is the agent Phillippe reports to. She’s strong and smart and knows she has her work cut out for her. This is definitely a thriller, and all the more scary knowing that this actually happened. First rate performances by all. |
Grade: A-
| Bran Nu Dae, pronounced “Brand New Day” is a wonderful movie from Australia. It’s a musical, which is rare to find lately. So fun, you’ll be singing along. The cast is terrific – mostly Australians, so talented! It tells the story of a boy who is sent away to boarding school to be a priest, but he’s in love with a girl, and doesn’t want to be a priest, so he runs away. Road trip! Lots of laughs, although some you probably need to be Australian to understand – my husband was in stitches! I loved it. |
Grade: A-
| I guess since I’m from California I’m a little biased, but I really love this movie. It’s set in 1976, when California wine was just being discovered. We see the beautiful Napa Valley through the eyes of both the people who live and work there, and a Brit from Paris who is quite the wine snob. He decides to hold a competition to get some publicity for his school and shop, and he heads to California to choose some new wines. The story is based on real life, and the relationships are well-woven together. It’s charming, and sweet, and inspiring. |
Grade: C
| Bolt is an animated feature film from the Walt Disney Studioos and done in digital animation, produced by John Lasseter, who has been so instrumental in Pixar’s success. Unfortunately, Bolt doesn’t have the charm of a Pixar movie. The story is a little cynical. We meet a cute puppy who is adopted by a cute little girl. Then it’s 5 years later, and the two star in a Hollywood TV show where Bolt, which is the dog’s name now, is a kind of super-hero dog who saves the girl on a regular basis. But the dog doesn’t know it’s all a show, he thinks it’s all real, and he is sheltered from having any knowledge otherwise. Because of this, he can’t be a “real dog.”
At one point, the girl is kidnapped on the TV show, and Bolt thinks it happened in real life, and as he’s trying to save her, he ends up getting accidentally shipped to New York City. So the bulk of the story is Bolt finding his way back to the girl, and discovering his true identity. He has the help of two side-kicks, a street-savvy cat named Mittens and a hamster named Rhino. Cute buddy-flick moments. Bolt is voiced by John Travolta. The little girl is voiced by Miley Cyrus. The story is a negative reflection on Hollywood – and a little mean-spirited. Not sure if kids are going to understand, or just like the little dog. Nothing special or new, but some clever lines. Wait for the DVD. |
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