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04 Jan

Fun With Dick and Jane

Grade: C+

I need to go back and watch the original of “Fun With Dick and Jane” and see what I think of it. For some reason someone thought this was worth remaking. I guess the idea behind it could be funny – parents desperate enough to resort to a life of crime to feed the family? Jim Carrey and Tea Leoni certainly make it funny. The comedy is plenty physical with broad strokes – and there are lots of laughs to go around. but then you get to thinking about it and it’s all rather sad. These characters are good people, who are in a terrible situation. Alec Baldwin is the bad guy who eventually gets his come-uppance, but then again… is it enough of one? Basically the movie is kind of like junk food – good for a few bites, but ultimately unsatisfying.
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04 Jan

Frozen

Grade: A

Frozen, based on the classic tale “The Snow Queen” by Hans Christian Anderson, is another beautiful animated film from Disney.  But this one is a bit different – there’s no wedding at the end – the girls don’t need a guy to “save” them – and the love story is about sisterly love!  Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel voice the sisters.  There’s lots of humor, and the artwork is spectacular. Definitely a must-see for Disney fans.
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04 Jan

Frost/Nixon

Grade: B

I was a young child when all of the Nixon Watergate fallout came into being.  It is interesting to take a look back at that time in history with some behind-the-scenes insight.  Frank Langella plays Nixon, and is likely to get a Best Actor nomination for his performance.  This is quite a character study, not an impersonation.  We get to see Nixon the man, with his bravado, and candor, and also his inner turmoil and insecurities.  The story is about how David Frost got the famous interviews with the former President, how they made it onto the air, and how the whole thing affected the American perception of this man, and the events that took place under his leadership.

Of course, since the movie is about an interview, there is a lot of dialogue.  There’s no action or adventure, and no sex.  This is a thinking person’s film – and one that will have people talking long after the movie is over.

 
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04 Jan

Friends With Money

Grade: C

This is one of those movies where all the good parts are in the previews.  I was really looking forward to seeing Friends With Money – 4 of my favorite actresses star in it – and it came off in the previews looking sweet and heartwarming.  Nope.  It’s kind of sad actually.  Even depressing.  There are 3 Friends with Money, Joan Cusack, Catherine Keener, and Frances McDormand.  Who knows what brought these chicks together in the first place – that is never addressed.  Then there is the 1 Friend Without Money – Jennifer Aniston.  She’s pretty much a basket case – has a bad case of not knowing what she wants to be when she grows up and it surviving hand to mouth on her income as a maid and cosmetic samples.  The other friends don’t know if they should help, or how they should help, and meanwhile they’re all dealing with their own issues: depression, anger, a failing marriage, and various charity dinners.  The characters are well drawn and the acting is terrific – but the movie lacks in chemistry and movement – it doesn’t go anywhere.  And when it ends, it just kind of stops… it doesn’t have a nice neat ending.  I don’t like that at all.
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04 Jan

Freedom Writers

Grade: B+

Based on a true story about a school in Long Beach after the famous Los Angeles riots in the early 1990’s, Freedom Writers stars two-time Academy Award winning actress Hilary Swank.  Swank plays Erin Gruwell, a young teacher who takes on an freshman English class in a public high school that has its own share of problems.  Each student is faced with the challenges of dealing with racial tension and family stresses.  With patience and persistence, Erin is able to reach these students, and create a community in her classroom.  The students learn, thrive, and grow as people.  They end up writing about their experiences, and their essays were published into a book: “The Freedom Writers Diary.”  The movie is inspiring, and moving.  A must-see for high school students.  There were 3 boys sitting in front of us in the theatre, they told me that they are reading the book in their English class and that they really thought it was great.  They were there on their own, because they wanted to be.  Now that’s something.
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04 Jan

Frankenweenie

Grade: A-

From Disney, and based on a book by Tim Burton, Frankenweenie is fresh and fun and sweet – a great family film.  Very welcome because we don’t see enough good family films!  Of course, Tim Burton has a dark point of view, so there’s kind of a Halloween aura around the whole movie – which is shown all in black and white.  But it’s a good dark, a kind of quirky macabre that would come with the Frankenstein tradition anyway.  The characters are warm and relatable, the situation very suburban.  A few chuckles just for the parents, and enough kid-humor to keep everyone else happy and engaged throughout.  Really wonderful story, beautifully put together.  Recommended for all.
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04 Jan

Frank and the Robot

Grade: B

Frank Langella is a retired thief in the onset of dementia in this drama set in the near future.  His son and daughter are busy with their lives and can’t look after him, so the son buys a robot to do the job.  Frank resists at first, until he finds that the robot can serve him in more ways than were originally intended.  And the robot then becomes Frank’s friend and ally.  Interesting social commentary about intelligence and morals and aging.  Well done.
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04 Jan

Fracture

Grade: A-

An intelligent thriller with intelligent performances by two of the best actors of their generations.  Fracture stars the mesmerizing Anthony Hopkins as cheated-on husband who cleverly devises a way to kill his wife and get away with it.  Ryan Gosling, who burst onto the scene in The Notebook and was nominated for an Academy Award this year for his performance in Full Nelson, is the district attorney assigned to prosecute the case.  Gosling’s character, Willie, is smart, ambitious, and not just a little cocky, and takes what he thinks is a slam-dunk case as he’s got his foot halfway out the door for a cushy corporate job.  Of course, nothing is as it seems, and the young upstart learns about his real ambition as he embarks on a mission to bring the killer to justice.

Well written.  I usually find holes everywhere but this story is really tight and well constructed.  Loved it!
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04 Jan

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Grade: A-

Judd Apatow (40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked-Up) produced and Jason Segal (How I Met Your Mother) wrote the screenplay and stars in this surprisingly sweet comedy, Forgetting Sarah Marshall.  The movie opens with a much-talked about break-up scene in which Jason is completely naked.  Emotionally, and yes, physically, no doubt about it.  Jason has said in interviews that this scene was based on something that actually happened to him – it’s one of those painfully honest episodes in life where we can’t help but laugh.  Kristen Bell plays the ex-girlfriend, and Mila Kunis plays the potentially new girlfriend he meets in Hawaii.  After the break-up, Jason goes to Hawaii to lick his wounds, and ends up at the same hotel as his ex and her new flame, an over-the-top British rock star.

What makes the movie so good is that the characters are all really well drawn – they’re real people, not caricatures.  The story has depth, we come to understand the circumstances that led our characters to this place, so we have more empathy for them in this situation.

This is not a movie for everyone – it’s rated R – there’s lots of nudity and lots of sex, both physical and talked about.  And there are also lots of laughs.  It’s a very funny movie.
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04 Jan

Forbidden Kingdom

Grade: B

Forbidden Kingdom stars martial arts masters Jet Li and Jackie Chan.  This is a fanciful movie that is marketed as a martial arts film, but it’s really a wonderful family film.  Of course there are plenty of amazing martial arts sequences, that is to be expected – but there’s also a really nice story and strong, memorable characters.  We go between two worlds, almost like a “Wizard of Oz” element.  Our hero, Jason, learns and grows on this magical journey.  Jackie Chan brings his signature humor to his role.  Jet Li is charming in his role.  Love these guys!
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