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04 Jan

Smart People

Grade: B+

Smart People is a smart movie with a smart cast.  The irony is that it’s about the stupid things that people do, even when we know better.  It’s a movie about relationships, and how much we need each other even when we try not to.  Dennis Quaid is a widowed professor.  His life has been pretty much on hold since his wife’s death – he’s bitter, he’s lonely, and he’s pushing people away.  His teenage daughter (Ellen Page) is a right wing conservative, trying desperately to take care of her dad.  When the professor hurts his back and is unable to drive, she recruits her adopted uncle (Thomas Haden Church) to be an on-call chauffeur.  Meanwhile, the professor meets Sarah Jessica Parker, his new doctor and his former student.  What she sees in him is a mystery, but she gives him a chance, and then another chance, and a strange romance begins.  Somehow, just when it looks like the dysfunction will continue with this family, everything falls into place.  They learn life lessons, as we all should.
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04 Jan

Slumdog Millionaire

Grade: A

Danny Boyle directs “Slumdog Millionaire” with a stellar cast of up-until-now unknown actors.  The story is about a boy who grows up in the slums of India, basically living off the street with no education.  When he turns 18 he ends up on the Indian version of the game show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” and because he wins, getting some tough questions right, he is suspected of cheating.  As he’s in the police station, being grilled (to say the least) his life story comes out, and we learn how he knew the answers.

This boy has lived a tough life.  He and his older brother managed to survive many trials and tribulations.  And in the course of it all, the boy falls in love.

This is a wonderful movie, so original and poignant.  I absolutely loved it.

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04 Jan

SkyFall

Grade: B

SkyFall is the latest in the James Bond 007 franchise.  Daniel Craig returns as the super spy – and starts off the movie by dying!  Of course our hero is not dead – but what happened to him?  This movie is fun because we get to know M and Q a bit better – and we get all the same gadgets and gizmos that come with the Bond films.  Amazing action sequences – pretty much what you’d expect from Bond.  Judi Densch is wonderful, as always.
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04 Jan

Sideways

Grade: C-

I really wanted to like this movie. I liked the previews. And I like to support independent film. The story is good – but where the whole thing fell apart for me is that the two lead characters are just so darn unlikable. Paul Giamatti plays this kind of sad-sack loser who just can’t get his life together. You would feel sorry for him except he makes such bad decisions it’s no wonder he’s in his situation. His sidekick is played by Thomas Haden Church (he was the mechanic on the TV series “Wings” years ago), an out of work former soap star with issues of his own. They’re on a road trip, and it’s just not all that fun.

The wine and wineries featured have a co-starring role, but it was a little heavy-handed, making me feel like these characters were alcoholics rather than true connoisseurs.

Interesting premise, but could have been so much better.

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04 Jan

Side Effects

Grade: A-

If you’re looking for a Hitchcock style thriller – Side Effects is IT!  This is edge-of-your-seat, hands-over-your-mouth, non-stop, keeps-you-guessing drama!

First we meet Channing Tatum (People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive 2012), half of our perfect couple, just out of jail for insider trading.  His other half, the beautiful, sweet, devoted Rooney Mara (who made a quick name for herself as The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) is adjusting to his being home again.  After what might be described as a nervous breakdown, the young wife meets a smart psychiatrist, played by Jude Law.  With the doctor’s help, the couple navigates through the world of prescription medication to try to alleviate the wife’s depression.  With, some side effects – hence the title.

As the story continues, more and more questions arise, and things are not quite as simple as anyone believed them to be.

Well written, well crafted, totally worth seeing.  Rated R for some graphic violence.  For adults only.

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04 Jan

Sicko

Grade: A+

It’s very rare that I give a movie an A+.  I can’t even remember the last time I did it.  But Sicko totally deserves it.  This movie takes a very complex topic, and makes it totally easy to understand.  And it does it in a way that is not only entertaining, but enlightening!  Michael Moore is a documentary genius.  What I love about his latest effort in Sicko is that while he’s making the movie he’s totally putting forth a work of humanitarianism.  He helps several people get the health care that they’ve been denied by taking them to, of all places, Cuba!

Sicko looks at the American health care system.  It’s a system that is dysfunctional at best.  We pay way too high premiums for our health insurance, and still have to pay deductibles and co-pays, and even after all that we’re often denied the services we desperately need.  The alternative?  A universal health care system like they have in England, France, Canada – and yes, Cuba!  Moore addresses all the “socialized medicine” fears that the government has instilled into us over the years, and takes us to these other countries to compare.  Wow.  It’s a very effective approach.

I think this movie will affect people in one of two ways.  It will either make them want to move to a foreign country – as many Americans have already done, and it’s very tempting to do!  Or it will make them want to stand up and fight for what should be a basic human right: affordable health care available to everyone in the U.S.

In California we have a proposal for a Universal Health Care Plan: Senate Bill 840.  Unfortunately, our governor has already vetoed it once – but we’re trying again with a grassroots effort.  For more information, go to the website: http://www.OneCareNow.org

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04 Jan

Shrek the Third

Grade: B+

Delightful!  All of our favorite characters are back, as funny as ever.  Mike Myers voices Shrek, who has now inherited the throne from his father-in-law.  He doesn’t want the job, so he goes off with his buddies Puss-in-Boots (Antonio Banderas) and Donkey (Eddie Murphy) to find Arthur (Justin Timberlake), the only other heir.  Meanwhile, back in Far Far Away, Prince Charming has taken over the Kingdom and Fiona (Cameron Diaz) leads Snow White and the other princess in an attempt to make things right again.

Sweet and funny, the animation is colorful, the action is fast and fun.  A nice early summer escape, an entertaining night at the movies for fans of all ages.

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04 Jan

Shooter

Grade: C

We first see Mark Wahlberg’s character as a sniper in the army – he’s in Ethiopia with his buddy and shooting partner – they complete their mission only to be left behind by the rest of their group.  The partner is killed.  Cut to three years later, here’s Mark now a recluse mountain man, the only relationship he has is with his dog.  He’s approached by Danny Glover and some official looking government types to take on an assignment – he’s reluctant, but they appeal to his patriotism, and gets to work.

Things go awry and poor Mark ends up getting set up for a political assasination.  But he’s more clever than these guys bargained for, and the cat and mouse chase is on.  The movie is pretty formulaic, one girl, an unlikely sidekick, and lots of action.  What do you expect when the movie is titled “Shooter?”  I like Mark Wahlberg as an actor, but this isn’t an award-winning performance.  His strength is that he’s kind of playing a guy much like himself, and that character has worked for him in the past, too.  I liked him in “Invinsible” much more.  And he was nominated for his supporting performance in “The Departed” when he really had to step up his game in scenes with the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Sheen.

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04 Jan

Shoot ‘Em Up

Grade: D

The trailer for Shoot ‘Em Up looks good – and my husband thought it would be quite a hoot as it’s billed as a comedy.  I went along, considering how many “chick flicks” I’ve dragged him to, and knowing that I’d get to look at Clive Owen for a little while.

This has to be rank right up there with one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen.  Not just this year, but ever.  The parts that are supposed to be funny, are just not funny at all.  The violence is over the top, in a bad way.  And the sex is pretty bad, too.  How this movie got an “R” rating and not an NC-17 is beyond me.

Clive is a reluctant hero, on a self-proclaimed mission to protect a baby.  Seeing this poor little baby in jeopardy makes my skin crawl.  How could anyone consider this entertainment?

The only reason I’m not giving it an F is because Clive Owen is still a hunk.

Don’t see it.

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04 Jan

Shark Tale

Grade: B

I was never a Jack Black fan, but “School of Rock” changed all that. Now he’s in another wonderful family-friendly film and I like this guy a lot. Jack Black and Will Smith voice the lead characters in this “fish out of water” story. Black is a vegetarian shark, and Smith is a cocky schemer looking to move up in the world. The two team up to help each other and end up best friends.

Renee Zellweger voices the sweet girl fish and Angelina Jolie is the saucy one. Fun cameos from Robert DeNiro and Martin Scorcese make this film a treat fo accompanying parents. Although my husband and I saw Shark Tale on date night and found it to be perfectly delightful!

Messages about loyalty, and being true to yourself – along with some clever musical numbers.

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