Me and Orson Welles

There is a type of movie where there is a lot talking and not a lot of plot, where the pursuit of art is valued above all else, and earnest youths try to find their purpose – usually by talking it about it . . . a lot. This type of movie could be called a Richard Linklater movie. Typical Linklater movies are Dazed and Confused, Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, Slackers, (less typical, but another one of his is School of Rock)
Linklater’s latest version of the talky, plotless movie is Me and Orson Welles. Beautiful young lad Zac Effron’s character Richard uses his wit and tenaciousness to get him a small part in a Orson Welles’ play Caesar. We view Orson Welles and the production of the play through his eyes. The cast of the play is filled with interesting and quirky characters. The 1930s theater life is another reason to see this movie. Also, it is fascinating to learn about Orson Welles; Christian McKay who played him did a great job. This type of talky movie is not for everyone, but I enjoyed spending an afternoon with these smart, passionate people. (I love Before Sunrise and Before Sunset) When you get a hankering for one of these type of movies, check out a Richard Linklater movie.

PS. Claire Danes is in this movie too! Bonus.

Up in the Air

George Clooney stars in this character-driven movie based on a book of the same name by Walter Kirn. He plays an emotionally stunted man who basically lives on an airplane and in airports flying to different parts of the United States firing people for a job. A crack opens in his armor when he meets a fellow traveler Alex played by the beautiful Vera Farmiga. Her presence in his life seems to open him up to other humans like a career driven newbie he mentors and to his two sisters, one who is getting married. Before he meets Alex, he’s not a mean man, he just happily exists in his bubble air world existing on superficial relationships with airline employees and drinking in hotel bars. I liked this movie a lot, yet didn’t love this movie as I thought I would. Maybe I was expecting too much. Before I went to the movie I read fantastic reviews and heard a really compelling interview with the writer Kirn and the director, Jason Reitman, on Fresh Air with Terry Gross which made the movie all the more interesting. (Reitman also directed Thank You for Smoking, and Juno) Don’t get me wrong, I liked Up in the Air a lot and George Clooney and Vera Farmiga were great. I just thought I was going to be more wowed.

December Movies I want to see

I haven't been going to any movies of late, but I want to! Below are a few movies that I keep looking for at my local theater. I may have to travel south to see them. All of these movies are getting good reviews while Up in the Air is getting great reviews. I predict best picture of the year at the Oscars and a best actor Oscar for George Clooney – his first, I think.

Up in the Air: George Clooney and Vera Farmiga spend a lot of time in airports.

The Messenger: Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster are two army officers whose job it is to deliver the news to families about the death of their soldier.

Broken Embraces: Another movie from the great Spanish director Pedro Almodovar with the beautiful Penelope Cruz

Me and Orson Welles: One of my favorite actresses, Claire Danes is part of this ensemble piece that is set during the 30s and directed by Richard Linklater. A period piece/character-driven movie. Now that’s right up my alley.

Cheri

Cheri is about an 18th century aging French courtesan who falls in love with a pretty boy called Cheri. Michelle Pfeiffer is the aging beauty and the pretty boy is played by Rupert Friend, a fey, fair-skinned boy, who would be very attractive if not for an ugly shoulder length hair cut. (You might remember Friend as Mr. Wickham in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice) The movie is pretty ho hum with a few funny moments supplied by Kathy Bates as mother to Cheri. One scene of note takes place at the end when Pfeiffer’s character is transformed from a beauty to an old woman as she stares at the camera. It’s a cool scene.

It Might Get Loud

It Might Get Loud profiles three accomplished guitarists: Jimmy Page, The Edge, and Jack White. I went to it with my friend and her 8 and 10-year-old kids and the 10-year-old's friend. The 10-year-old is a budding guitarist, so his mom wanted him to learn from the legends. So, from the pre-teens view the movie was a little long and at times confusing. The friend thought it would be more fun if they were playing Leggo’s while listening to some of the music. The 8-year-old was aghast at Bono’s leather pants: “He must get sweaty in those pants.”

From an adult perspective, one who was wondering if she was going to be bored, I thought that overall, the film was not boring. It zipped around from guitarist to guitarist like a flung bouncy ball in a classroom, which was often jarring. And there were parts that were too guitar-wonky, snooze, but there were also some amazing scenes. At the center of this zig-zagging is the three interesting men filmed on what looks like a living room scene on a stage talking about playing the guitar and doing some jamming. What makes the movie come alive are some great moments that are captured on film: Jimmy Page playing a classic tune while Jack White and The Edge look on and beam with pleasure. And there’s fantastic concert bit of U2 playing Sunday Bloody Sunday (which I wish could have lasted longer). Plus, there were charming first guitar stories. I wanted more stories about their lives and guitars and more of them playing together. I think the film makers were trying to create a very stylized and unique documentary that looked cool, but they did the overdo on the stylishness and ended up with some good, some boring, but some amazing.

P.S. Saw this movie at the Zinema, our new independent theater. Love it! Plus, you can get free refills of popcorn! Bonus!

I almost saw Into Temptation

Patrick Coyle, director and writer of Into Temptation, was in Duluth to discuss his Minnesota-made movie. The movie was at the Zinema, our town's great new independent movie theater. At the start of the movie, the director sat on the aisle steps. The movie begins with Father John listening to a parishioner in the confessional complain about her husband. Then . . . skip . . .skip . . .skip. The disc kept skipping like a bad movie night in your living room. Coyle ran out to see what was happening and then returned apologizing and saying he would pop over to his car and get another disc. A director who has an extra movie at the ready seemed handy and kinda weird. Then after a few minutes of disc 2, skip, ... skip,... No director appeared to apologize. The audience sat for about 20 more minutes before starting to file out of the theater. We got our money back but wondered what the deal was. It's too bad too since the 30-40 minutes of the movie I saw (parts from the beginning, middle, and end, by the way) was pretty good. Jeremy Sisto (of Law and Order and Six Feet Under) plays a gentle Catholic priest who tries to help a woman who has confessed that she plans to kill herself. But what actually happened at the Zinema last night? Who knows?

An Examined Life

In An Examined Life 7 philosophers speak about the meaning of life while walking through a particular city scene. When I went to the movie I had no idea what it was about, and slowly came to the realization that it was a well-filmed, hour and a half philosophy class. Sound interesting? Surprisingly it was. But this unique movie going experience took some getting used to. You had to put on your student hat. Spicing up the instruction is the witty Cornell West who frames the movie by appearing three times and entertaining with his snappy though somewhat incomprehensible banter.

As an aside, I am thrilled that my smallish city has gotten a new independent movie theater called the Zinema where I saw this quirky film. Now I don't have to travel to see new off-beat movies.

An Education

An Education is based on the memoir of the same name by Lynn Barber. She looks back at the early 60s when she 16 years old going to a London prep school with plans to attend Oxford. The thing that is great about the movie is the Jenny, Barber’s younger self, played by Carey Mulligan. Jenny is razor smart, skewering her buffoonish father with witty asides and speaking French to anyone who listen. When she is dazzled by the much older David, played by Peter Sarsgaard, who she later finds out is a con man, she begins to lose her way. Unfortunately she is not helped by her parents who are made to be simpletons who are duped into allowing her daughter to be taken away for weekends with David. David appears to be a big creep to the viewer but this smart girl gets taken in though she is never totally controlled by him and in some ways is smarter about a lot of things than he is. An Education is a slice of life movie about a time when girls had few choices for their lives. I think without the great acting by Mulligan the movie would not shine as well as it does, but with her it is well worth seeing.

Oh and learning about the real Lynn Barber is fascinating. Check out this article from the Telegraph.

Big Fan

Big Fan tells about a crazed Giant's fan whose run in with his favorite player, QB Quantrelle Bishop, turns ugly. Paul, played by Patton Oswald, who is surprisingly good, loves his dear Giants so much that he calls into a sports’ radio talk show after each game and reads his enthusiastic thoughts about how AWESOME the Giants are while his mom yells at him from the next room. He and his equally nut-job friend watch Sunday’s game while sitting in the parking lot with a TV plugged into their car battery. The disturbing incident involving the QB, is what leads to the rest of the events of the movie, so I won’t tell them here, but suffice it to say that his reaction to the bizarre events are unexpected and squirm producing. In fact, that is one of the things I liked about this movie. It is unpredictable. You do not know what is going to happen, and I kept wondering if we were going to get a gratifying Hollywood ending. It’s no joy ride, just so you know. Paul is a sad, aggravating character whose actions defy reason. Also, there are way too many long, intense, music-filled scenes that are supposed to show us some grand theme? Emotion? Not sure, but these scenes seemed gratuitous. Despite these flaws, Big Fan makes an important statement about how our society can make idolatry into the reason for living. And that’s the really disturbing part.

Defiance

Defiance tells about the four Bielski brothers who lead a group of Jews to safety in the woods from the German Soldiers during WWII. This actually happened: A group of over 1,000 Jews, mostly women and children, hid in the woods protected by some rather thuggish armed men. Of course the lead savior/Bielski brother is played by the studly Daniel Craig who makes some rather remarkable inspirational speeches to a group of beleaguered Jews. Liev Schreiber plays the brute second brother who is bent on revenge and breaks off from his older brother and fights with the Russians violently killing his way through the countryside. (There were several extremely violent parts that I had to fast forward especially when he was on screen) Besides the Bielski brothers there are some lovely women on screen, Mia Wasikowska from In Treatment (she was so good in that if you ever get a chance to see the 1st season of In In Treatement)and Alexa Davalos who seemed a little too beautiful to be covered in dirt in the woods. The movie doesn't hang together that well and there some too sentimental moments in a movie that tells about such a grim period in history and it is very violent. But, with that said, Defiance tells about such an amazing piece of history about a community that survived despite incredible odds that I am glad I saw it. And had to find out what was the “real” story of the Bielski brothers after I saw the movie: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bielski_partisans

Bright Star

Bright Star tells of an intense three-year romance between the Romantic poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne. Beautiful Fanny’s passion is for making fashionable clothes and needlework and Keats, of course, is in love with words. Sometimes movies about great artists don’t even delve into the work that makes them great. Not so with Bright Star. The poems and the visual beauties written about are the center of the movie. Poems are recited, like parts of Endymion (“A thing of beauty is a joy forever”) and the poem about Fanny, "Bright Star". Plus, the actors (Ben Whishaw and Abbie Cornish) read from love letters written when they are separated. The movie is sumptuous, with each shot there is so much to look at, Fanny’s stunning dresses or a white room filled with butterflies. There is one playful scene where John and Fanny are walking behind Fanny’s sister trying to hide their affection for each other, and each time the girl turns around they stop moving, like they are playing freeze tag. Sure some may find this movie a bore, intense conversations about poetry and love in the time when a valentine was cause for a passionate yelling match between two suitors. But, I enjoyed the movie thoroughly, and am even now compelled to read some Keats:

The First Stanza Of "Endymion"

A THING of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.
Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing
A flowery band to bind us to the earth,
Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth
Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,
Of all the unhealthy and o'er-darkened ways::
Made for our searching: yes, in spite of all,
Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits. Such the sun, the moon,
Trees old and young, sprouting a shady boon
For simple sheep; and such are daffodils
With the green world they live in; and clear rills
That for themselves a cooling covert make
'Gainst the hot season; the mid forest brake,
Rich with a sprinkling of fair musk-rose blooms:
And such too is the grandeur of the dooms
We have imagined for the mighty dead;
All lovely tales that we have heard or read:
An endless fountain of immortal drink,
Pouring unto us from the heaven's brink.

Grand Torino

Less is more, squinty Clinty. About a month ago I saw Grand Torino, a Clint Eastwood movie that had the potential to be a beautiful small movie about a clash of cultures (old crusty white guy v. Hmong family) but instead it turned into a melodrama depicting a vision of urban America as vile and violent. I really was looking forward to a rare look at Hmong in the U.S. and the movie did highlight their unique immigrant situation, but Eastwood went for big drama at the end rather than slice of life. Too bad. Another good movie gone ennh.

Departures, Guest Entry

Mary asked me to write a movie review which is quite unusual, as I don't watch all that many movies, and I'm jaded enough that it takes a lot to get me to rave over one. But Saturday night I had the opportunity to see 'Departures', a Japanese film well worth watching.


Here is what one reviewer had to say:


Winner of the 2008 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film: "DEPARTURES" is an exquisite look into a man whose professional career takes an unexpected turn into the world of preparing dead bodies for funerals. The movie is a brilliant and seamless blending of several different themes: how people deal with loss and tragedy (the funeral scenes are quite moving); how the living cling to life through food, music and human contact - and how they instinctively avoid anything to do with dying until it is unavoidable, and how indeed it can be quite messy in several different ways. "moving and absorbing.


My take? One of the best movies I have seen, if not ever, then in a long,long time. The story line was interesting and, as mentioned in the above review, there are several themes addressed within a novel arena. On one hand, it is the story of a young man in the midst of traumatic and transforming career and personal change, and the way he and those he loves deal with it. But the major theme is death. The funeral scenes are sad, funny, but most of all transfixing: a look at the compassion and ceremony surrounding preparation of the dead in a culture somewhat different than our own. I left feeling warmed, hopeful, and enriched. Pretty hot stuff for a six dollar Saturday night in Zumbrota.


My one major complaint was the quality of the subtitles. They were in white lettering which often played against a light background, making some of the lines unreadable. The viewer was still able to understand what was happening, but it was distracting at times, and I would have liked a clearer, easier read.

A reviewer of this film on the website 'Spirituality and Practice' wrote: English novelist and poet D. H. Lawrence once observed: "The human soul needs beauty even more than it needs bread." When we left this film, we exclaimed, "It is just so beautiful!

by my friend Julie

The Fall, Guest Entry

A description of this movie will not do it justice. It wasn't until I saw the trailer that I really wanted to watch it, so if you're in doubt, go online and see the trailer....

The setting is a hospital in 1920's Los Angeles. A wounded stuntman strikes up a friendship with an immigrant girl. He begins to tell her an epic story, which comes to life in stunning brilliance (as imagined by the girl, which makes for some funny moments.) The stuntman has been betrayed by his girlfriend and is permanently disabled, so the story gets darker and darker, and the stuntman uses the story to manipulate the little girl. The story is unlike any other; the imagery is strikingly beautiful. Get your hands on it--you won't be sorry.

by Mary's pal, Deb. Thanks Deb.

Cassandra's Dream

I wasn't very enthused about Woody Allen’s latest dreary drama: a tale of two brothers who choose to become killers as a way to save themselves from financial ruin. The characters didn’t seem real or their actions plausible. I think the point was supposed to be that the lead characters were stupid and wouldn't it be funny to see them try to kill someone. But it isn’t funny. It’s just kind of painful to watch. I like seeing Colin Farrell and Ewan McGregor, the brothers, in everything they do, but this flick what was a dud for me. It certainly was no, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Woody Allen’s prior movie. That movie was so fun and alive. Cassandra’s Dream is more blah and dead.

500 Days of Summer

This off beat romantic comedy has great acting, Zoey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon Levitt, and does not follow the usual pattern of the romantic comedy. Right away a stern narrator tells us that this is not a love story. But the movie is all about romantic love and is from the perspective of the ultimate romantic, Tom, who becomes obsessed with Summer, even though she claims that she is not interested in a serious relationship and that she has never been in love. The struggle of the movie is about Tom trying not to reveal his intense longing for Summer. Levitt who plays Tom is great in this movie (remember him from 3rd Rock from the Sun?). He somehow comes off vulnerable, awkward, and sexy at the same time. He even does a song and dance routine that is one highlights of the movie; it’s a choreographed dream-like dance sequence that is joyous and funny. There were some moments in this movie that seemed too cute like the addition of the preteen little sister who advises Tom on his love life, but overall I found 500 Days of Summer to be an enjoyable summer treat!

Sunshine Cleaning

Sunshine Cleaning seems like it is going for a Little Miss Sunshine vibe -- quirky regular folk who are striving to better their lives in unexpected ways – but this Sunshine movie isn’t near as charming or fun as that other one. Sunshine Cleaning even has an adorable weird kid and a curmudgeonly Alan Arkin, though he is not quite as caustic as his character in LMS. The movie definitely has great actors, besides Arkin, Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, and Steve Zahn. Adams and Blunt play two sisters who try to make some big cash by cleaning out the homes of someone who just died. It’s pretty gross. Both roles are interesting and well acted and Steve Zahn who I love! Only has a minor and not very interesting role. The movie seems like it should be really good but unfortunately it’s just so-so.

Harvey (1950)

I’m sure I saw Harvey in my youth; the classic movie with Jimmy Stewart who has an imaginary friend called Harvey. But after watching it again, it seemed completely new to me. I didn’t remember it being so good! The script is so funny and complex at the same time, and it makes the presence of this unseen rabbit, well, … present. Jimmy Stewart as Elwood P. Dowd is great and so likable that you want to just sit at the bar with him and Harvey and swap stories. The other real gem of the movie is the actress Josephine Hull who plays Elwood’s aunt, Veta Louise Simmons, who I had not heard of before, but learned that she won an Oscar for role in Harvey. She is HIGHlarious while being sweet and demure at the same time – something to see. Sometimes you see a classic and realize just why it is classic. Harvey fits the bill.
As a side note: Another reason why I wanted to see this movie again (the first was because it was at the library!) was because I heard that a remake was afoot. Stephen Spielberg, of all people, is going to try to recreate this classic. After seeing it, I can’t imagine what would be the point of remaking a near perfect little gem of a movie. But who knows.

The Sweet Smell of Success (1957)

After finishing season 1 of Breaking Bad, the dark TV series on AMC, I watched the extras where the creator and writer Vince Gilligan of that well-written show, said one of his favorite classics was The Sweet Smell of Success. He extolled the movies great writing and rapid fire dialogue. Sweet Smell of Success stars Tony Curtis and Burt Lancaster as ruthless publicity agent and overbearing newspaper columnist. The movie’s main conflict is about Falco, Curtis, who is trying to break up Hunsecker’s, Lancaster, sister’s relationship with a guitarist in exchange for more publicity. Yeah, a guitarist, like that is sooo bad. The movie depicts a completely different world from the modern movie where women are helpless and easily manipulated, and you can be taken down by insinuating that someone smokes “reefer.” The dialogue is definitely rapid fire, it reminds of the type of writing done on The West Wing, where you miss most of it and would like to go back to pick it up. Sweet Smell of Success is definitely an interesting slice of movie history that I was not of aware of before and am glad to know about, but did I enjoy it? Enhhhh. Somewhat, I guess.

The Class

I’m a middle school teacher. So watching The Class, a gritty docu-drama about a tough French class of 14 year olds in France is fascinating and sickening at the same time. The teacher, Francois Begaudeau, or M. Marin as he is called in the movie, is a handsome man who seems to truly care about his students, challenging them to become better speakers, readers, and writers of French – he doesn’t let them get by with sloppy responses and he ignores a lot of sassy remarks. He’s fascinating to watch. The students, who are actual French students, are even more mesmerizing and so like the English speaking middle school students I know. They look bored; they question everything, and they put on a brave front but at the same time seem so awkward and unsure. I watched the DVD extras and director Laurent Cantet had the kids, actual students in the school that Begaudeau taught, do an improv class, helping them to work on authentic responses, and it really worked. These kids were making me uncomfortable – I felt as if they were in my class, and I had to get them under control.
The Class or Entre les Murs (Between the Walls), also made me wonder about the differences between American and French Schools. Sure in many ways these kids seemed like American kids, but there were some aspects of this French school I found odd. The kids seemed to have a lot of power within the school. They even had student representatives sit in on disciplinary meetings about other students. The teachers sat as group and tried to come up with a point system for dealing with discipline problems and the man in charge didn’t seem to have much control of the school. And then when one troublesome boy was finally dealt with, his punishment seemed extreme.
What was I doing watching a thought provoking teacher movie so close to school resuming, I do not know. It is usually my policy to have nothing to do with students, schools, even young adult literature, during the precious summer months, but I had really wanted to see this movie. And I am glad I did. Well worth watching, even if you are not a teacher.
The Class is going on my list of the Best Edgy Teacher Movies*:
• The Class (2008)
• Half Nelson (2006)
• Notes on a Scandal (2006)
• School of Rock (2003)
• Election (1999)
*NOT feel good teacher movies, I hate those

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002)

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind is based on a Charlie Kaufman screen play, so you know it’s going to be freaky. And indeed it is. Charlie Kaufman is known for oddball screenplays like Being John Malkovich, Synecdoche, New York, Adaptation, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Not only does Confessions of a Dangerous Mind have the weirdness of Charlie Kaufman but also depicts the life of the ultra weirdo Chuck Barris of The Gong Show fame. The movie, based on Chuck Barris’ autobiography, tries to convince us that Barris, in addition to creating a host of mod game shows (The Dating Game, The Newlywed Game, and the Gong Show etc.), is also a CIA agent and George Clooney (also the director of this movie) plays his bullying contact who forces him into being a gun for hire. Wikipedia says that it was never proven that Barris was a CIA agent, so who knows what to think about that. What’s also weird about this movie: strange camera angles, bizarre lighting, surreal colors, and cuts back and forth in time. Though highly stylized it’s really funny at the same time, partly because of Barris’ reaction to events and also from some star’s cameos like Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, George Clooney, Julia Roberts (*take note of bizarre kissing scene) and a don’t miss hilarious drill sergeant played by Robert John Burke. All in all, I am glad that I got a chance to see this movie which was not on my radar. Thanks Michelle for tuning me into this movie.

Julie and Julia, Guest Entry by my Mom, Doralu

Julie and Julia exceeded my expectations. Meryl Streep, who I have always admired, IS Julia. I went with my two daughters and we all were engrossed from beginning to end. There are two stories to the movie: Two people from different generations, whose lives become entwined by a love of food and cooking. One story centers on Julia Child's life in France and one is about Julie Powell, the blogger who in one year attempted make all of the recipes in Child's famous French cooking book. We had read that the Amy Adams part as Julie was not as good the Streep parts of the movie. But we disagreed and found the blogger Julie played by Amy Adams to be very good in her role and her story very important to the movie as a whole. Despite that I, especially thought Julia Child's life was interesting; her husband was an American diplomat who traveled around the world in China and of course France. After Child's took a cooking class at the Cordon Blue, she became obsessed with French cooking. Her next step was collaborating with two French women on the masterpiece cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Coincidentally when we got back from the movie, we saw Meryl Streep and Nora Ephron on Charlie Rose. A nice ending to the day.

Penelope

Penelope is a kids movie. I try to avoid those, especially animated ones, but wanted to see it because?..... guess. If you said James McAvoy; you would be right. Plus, I have always liked Christini Ricci's acting. Reese Witherspoon's film company produced the movie and she has a small role in it which is a bummer because she always brightens up a movie. It's a pretty slight movie overall, but a cute and kid appropriate fairy tale. It's not one of McAvoy's brightest roles or best acting turns, but he's so darn cute and just fun to look at. So now I can update my list of James McAvoy movie's seen with Penelope.


James McAvoy Movies
Wanted (20o8)
* Atonement (2007)
* Becoming Jane(2007)
Starter for 10 (2006)
*Penelope (2006)
* The Last King of Scotland (2006)
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
*"Shameless" (2004)
Inside I'm Dancing (2004)
Wimbledon (2004))
Strings (2004)
* "State of Play" (5 episodes, 2003)
"Early Doors" (4 episodes, 2003)
Bright Young Things (2003)
"Children of Dune" (1 episode, 2003)
Bollywood Queen (2002)
"Foyle's War" (2002)
* White Teeth (2002) (TV)
Swimming Pool (2001)
"Band of Brothers" (1 episode, 2001)
Replacements (2001)
"Murder in Mind" (1 episode, 2001)
Teacher (2001)
* Lorna Doone (2000) (TV)
Regeneration (1997)
"The Bill"
Rent (1997)

* McAvoy movie's I've seen

“Shameless” is a 2004 British TV series about 6 siblings living in a seedy housing development. Their father is a worthless drunk and the kids are cared for by their feisty and capable older sister Fiona. The show is currently in its 6th season, and I am trying to imagine how the story had enough material for that many seasons. It’s funny and the kids are good actors, especially the hard-nosed and smart Lip, but it’s a little too over the top sitcommy and unnecessarily vulgar too often, -- it just seems like it might get old after awhile. I did watch all of the first season. At first I could not remember why I rented this series. Usually I put something on my queue because of a review I read or a DVD preview I saw. But within the first 5 minutes of watching this quirky series, I knew the reason I added it: James McAvoy. He plays Steve, Fiona’s boyfriend. And like Ryan Gosling, I seem to have the goal of watching everything he's been in. Below are a list of James McAvoy movies. I put a star next to the ones I've seen. I guess I've got a few more to see.

Wanted (20o8)
* Atonement (2007)
* Becoming Jane(2007)
Starter for 10 (2006)
Penelope (2006)
* The Last King of Scotland (2006)
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
*"Shameless" (2004)
Inside I'm Dancing (2004)
Wimbledon (2004))
Strings (2004)
* "State of Play" (5 episodes, 2003)
"Early Doors" (4 episodes, 2003)
Bright Young Things (2003)
"Children of Dune" (1 episode, 2003)
Bollywood Queen (2002)
"Foyle's War" (2002)
* White Teeth (2002) (TV)
Swimming Pool (2001)
"Band of Brothers" (1 episode, 2001)
Replacements (2001)
"Murder in Mind" (1 episode, 2001)
Teacher (2001)
* Lorna Doone (2000) (TV) Regeneration (1997) "The Bill"
Rent (1997) TV episode An Angel Passes By (1997) (TV) The Near Room (1995)

Two Lovers

The critics loved Two Lovers, Joaquin Phoenix’s last role, but I just thought it enhhhhh. (by the way enhhhhh means so-so I guess but kinda boring, I suppose) Phoenix plays Leonard Kraditor, and he’s a great actor for sure. He’s plays an awkward man-child who is forced to live with his protective parents after he has a mental breakdown. Now, Leonard, finds himself entranced by the flakey beautiful neighbor played by Gwyneth Paltrow even as his parents push on him a more suitable Jewish woman, Sandra. The movie gets predictable in parts -- you definitely can see where it is going, but for some it would be worth seeing for the great acting. Not only are Paltrow and Phoenix good but Isabella Rosilini is great as Leonard’s mother and, unknown to me, the Israeli actor Moni Moshonov as his father.

The Proposal, Guest Entry

Sandra Bullock carries the movie. Ryan Reynolds is eye candy but is a secondary presence to her luminous screen appearance. The scenes of Alaska provide a beautiful backdrop to the plot. Betty White, Mary Steenburgen and Coach aka Craig T. Nelson play Andrew's (Reynolds) family in Alaska. Betty White brings her type-casted irreverent grandmotherly character to the movie, and this mostly works -- there are a few over-the-top scenes that fall flat. Proposal has a lot of potential but didn't develop the characters enough or create believable relationships enough to make the ending satisfying. Albeit, it made for a pleasant Saturday afternoon on a rainy Minocqua afternoon. (that's northern Wisconsin) By Ruth, Mary's pal

Control

Control is about Ian Curtis, lead singer of Joy Division. Director Anton Corbijn focuses on the part of his life that leads up to his suicide. It’s an arty movie, black and white, with the Sam Riley as Curtis who mopes around the screen, decrying his epilepsy and stage fright. Despite these gloomy bits, the movie isn’t a bummer. Instead it’s pretty compelling. You don’t really figure out what makes the awkward misfit Curtis so unhappy, but it is fascinating to watch a man, that is not made to be a rock star, perform as if it is a heavy burden. Have you ever seen him dance? It is bizarre, very march-like, and Riley does it spot on. I even checked YouTube and was amazed how closely he matched Curtis’ odd march-like dancing style. The movie also made me want to download some Joy Division, which I was never a big fan of, but now want to revisit their enigmatic music.

Away We Go

I was excited to see Away We Go. I was excited about the David Eggers screen play, cute John Krasinski and beautiful Maya Rudolf in the lead roles, And the previews made it seem smart. I imagined it would make witty commentary about modern societal ills. I also had hopes about the great comedic actors like Jim Gaffigan, Alison Janney, and Catherine O’Hara. Big expectations, I know. So, what usually follows big expectations is a handful of disappointment. And yes, that’s what happened. It wasn’t terrible. It had interesting characters, and it did a good job of showing two people who seemed genuinely in love, but, hmmmm, what was it missing? A plot for one. Cohesive dialogue for two. Some understatement for three. Let’s take the first complaint. The movie wandered from place to place – sure it had a thread running through, expectant parents search for a new home, (by the way it was easy to predict where they were going to end up) but that was really it. The dialogue was all over the place and seemed like it was just shooting for smart but not very meaningful. Finally, it is way over the top. Points about the way parents can be terrible were made by hitting you over the head with the absurdness. So bummer. I wish I liked it better, but maybe Eggers’ next script will hit the mark.

The Lucky Ones

The Lucky Ones is road trip movie about three Iraq war soldiers from different worlds who are home on leave and are forced to rent a car and travel across the country after their flight is cancelled. Tim Robbins plays the older and wiser soldier who learns that his wife is leaving him. Michael Pena is the driven career soldier who is wounded and impotent, and Rachel McAdams plays the tough but sweet Collee who is really the most charming of the three. The movie is filled with hokey contrived plot points but is buoyed by the great acting of the three and the good chemistry they create. It also has some very funny moments – usually supplied by McAdams’ sunny character; she even makes peppy hopeful comments about TK’s impotency problems. Luckily the movie makes few political comments about the war and rather portrays three interesting soldiers’ lives.

New in Town

I wanted to see New in Town, a film that depicts a Minnesota small town, and see how they made us Minnesotans look. And, big surprise, it made Minnesotans look like simple-minded, frumpy, totally out of touch goof balls, but they’re so darn nice, so that’s good. The accents are way over the top, and there is clear distinction between men and women's roles. The men hunt, ice fish, wear dorky Viking outfits while watching football, and go to the bar. While the women scrap book and make dishes to pass. Renee Zellweger is the outsider who tries to break into this foreign and harsh environment, and she is apparently dumb enough to wear spiked heels in freezing weather and snow (I’m pretty sure she would have learned a tip or two about what to wear before she came). She also rents a freezing house – because it always sooo cold in Minnesota, even indoors, according to this movie. The romance between Zellweger and Harry Connick's characters lacks chemistry and seems really beside the point. The ending kiss, I have to mention, is dumb, dumb, dumb. There is one bright spot in this movie though, Siobhan Fallon Hogan who plays Zellweger’s scrapbooking assistant, she is pretty darn funny even if she is playing a stereo type, but she does it with aplomb! So unless you enjoy seeing Minnesotans look like a bunch of stodgy rubes living in a hell hole, I would pass on New in Town. You heard it here. Ya you betcha!

I also saw Confessions of a Shopaholic and heard it was bad but think Hugh Dancy is soooo cute, that I watched. Guess what? it was el dumbo!

Milk and Last Chance Harvey

I watched these two movies over a week ago and I remember watching Milk but was racking my brain trying remember the other movie I watched that same night. Last Chance Harvey did not immediately come to mind (I actually had to check my Netflix account movie history) and thus I can summarize this movie with one word: forgettable. Milk, on the other hand, was amazing for one reason, Sean Penn. If there was any doubt that he was a great actor, his sympathetic portrayal of Harvey Milk, would dispel that. I don't think it's a great movie, it leaps from event to event as many biopics do, but the time that is presented and the fascinating and inspirational life of Harvey Milk makes up for the episodic plot.

Secret Life of W. and Australia

Three movies I have seen in the last week:

The Secret Life of Bees: I liked Dakota Fanning as Lily, the girl escaping her abusive father with the help of her African American housekeeper (Huck Finn, anyone?) But the movie gets too syrupy and "heartfelt". A bonus is the appearance of Paul Bettany, a great British actor as the father.

W.: too much of a caricature of George Bush -- Oliver Stone is as heavy handed as he was in JFK.

Australia: This movie could have been ended after two hours when the cattle were driven to market. A perfect ending, almost, but there was still another hour and a half! Yikes! I actually had to watch it over two evenings. I can't imagine sitting through the whole thing in the theater. There is a very cool Baz Lurman (Moulin Rouge) highly-stylized look with a dash of Gone with the Wind and Wizard of Oz thrown in. But it's a mess of a movie in the end. It could possibly be worth seeing it for the adorable aboriginal boy who is also the narrator for the story, but probably not.

The Reader

I was most interested in the boy who plays Kate Winselt's lover in The Reader. David Kross is a German actor who has a baby face and plays a 16-year-old who meets up with the older jaded Winslet, so at first you are horrified when you see Winslet's Hanna and Kross' Michael naked and hungrily grasping each other. As the movie progresses, though, it seems less lascivious and more a story about a very sad woman -- I had sympathy for all the characters, even Hanna who does unexplainable horrific acts as an S.S. officer. Kate Winslet is great as a the harsh perfunctory Hanna, and watching her listening so rapturously to great literature is mesmerizing. Ralph Fiennes is the adult Michael and is of course good, as he is in everything, but I think the best part of the movie is the young David Kross. The movie is based on the book by Bernhard Schlink's book of the same name.

Twilight

Sometimes curiosity gets the better of me, and I feel like I have to find out why everyone is watching this movie or reading that book despite bad reviews. That's what happened with Twilight, the Stephanie Meyer vampire novel. First, I read it -- even people whose tastes I respect seemed to like this book. I have never been a fantasy reader and certainly never a vampire book lover, so I was pretty sure I wouldn't like the novel, but I wanted to get in on the conversation. I mean I just corrected a set of middle school short stories and there were three different stories with the main character named Bella. Well, long story short. I read the book-- thought it was dumb -- couldn't finish the last few chapters due to extreme annoyance. Then I saw the movie mainly because I really like Kristen Stewart ever since Speak. The movie was just like the book and dumb in the same way. Both show a vapid female lead falling in love with not very charming but overly confident vampire. Both versions of Twilight are beyond ludicrous.

2009 Summer Movies

Summer always means lots of action-adventure mega movies, and this summer will be no exception with films like Angels and Demons, a new Terminator (like anyone needs that), and a "reimagining" Star Trek movie. Luckily there are some summer movies that pique my interest.

These look especially good:
Julie and Julia, loosely based on one of my sister’s favorite books about a woman who spends a year cooking recipes from Julia Child with Meryl Streep and Amy Adams.
Cheri, Michelle Pfeiffer in a drama set in 1920’s Paris from director Stephen Frears
Away We Go, John Krasinksi and Maya Rudolf play a couple who are expecting their first baby and travel around the US visiting friends while looking for a place to live. The movie looks like it could be good and the fact that David Eggers wrote the screen play entices me.
Taking Woodstock, a look back at 1969 and the birth of Woodstock with Emil Hirsch, Liev Schreiber, and comic, Demetiri Martin.
Whatever Works, a Woody Allen film with Larry David and Evan Rachel Wood.
500 Days of Summer, potentially good romantic comedy with Zoey Deschanel.

Or maybe these comedies will be good?
Funny Peoples, Judd Apatow's film that stars Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman ...
Land of the Lost, with Will Ferrel
Year One, Jack Black as a cave man

Or this action pic?
Public Enemies directed by Michael Mann with Johnny Depp as John Dillinger -- looks like it could be good.

The Wrestler

I never liked Mickey Rourke as an actor. He has a smarmy quality that I find makes him unpalatable to watch. I never liked him in Body Heat. I never liked him in The Pope of Greenwich Village or Rumblefish, and I especially never liked him in the creepy 91/2 weeks. So I was surprised by how good I thought he was in The Wrestler – his acting seemed authentic and understated. I actually rooted for his character Randy the Ram to make a go of it despite the fact that he is a sorry excuse for a father and looks like a grotesque freak. I hoped that he would quit his horrible job of being battered about by other professional wrestlers and live a life of ease with the always likable Marissa Tomei. The movie itself is pretty predictable, but it is something to see Rourke in this role.

State of Play, the miniseries

State of Play is in theaters now with Russel Crowe, Ben Affleck, and Rachel McAdams. The movie is based on a BBC mini-series by the same name. I was very interested in this movie, loving a good newsroom story as I do, (see side bar for great newsroom movies) but thought that first I should see the miniseries. So I did. The BBC version is a 6 part series with great stalwart British actors such as Bill Nighy, and new on the scene super cute actors like James McAvoy. It tells the story of a friendship between a politician and a journalist and a murder of the politician,s lover. It’s a fast paced drama with intrigues around every corner and a team of journalists working together to solve the mystery. Kelly McDonald plays the Scottish cub reporter who is so darn cute (I can see Rachel McAdams in this part) and is great in the part. Bill Nighy as always is hilarious as the newspaper editor. This movie was pretty darn entertaining. It took a while to get used to the accents but in the end very enjoyable. I am now very curious about how they will make this 6 hour min-series into a 2 hour movie, Hollywood style. I’m sure it will not be as good, she said cynically, but I still want to see it.

Lost in Austen

I was so thrilled when I learned of Lost in Austen, the BBC miniseries. I mean who more than I, a devoted Jane Austen fan, would enjoy a fantasy trip to the world of Pride and Prejudice. Oh the possibilities, you could befriend the beloved Elizabeth, or tell off some vile character like Mrs. Bennet, Lady Catherine, or Mr. Collins. And indeed the 4 part miniseries indulges many of these fantasies; it thrusts 21st century Amanda Price into the Regency world where she navigates her way around ridiculous situations and the tried and true problems of time travel.
However, somewhere along the way this fantasy trip falls flat. Maybe it is because it tries to do too much. And more importantly it lacks what is best about Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth (she’s been catapulted to the future in place of Price’s character). The story goes too far and then doesn't offer explanations for many goofy plot turns. Why, for example, is Darcy taken to the future and then back in regency England and then forgets all about it? Also, Amanda Price doesn’t seem to have a central goal in the miniseries. She tries to manipulate the events in the story based on her knowledge of the novel and puts herself into a number of circumstances for comical reasons, but she never achieves her stated goal: to try to preserve the novel’s outcomes.
And the Darcy isn’t very good. That’s always the problem with any remake of Pride and Prejudice. Who can compete with Colin Firth’s version? (although I thought Matthew MacFadyen who was just seen BBC’s Little Dorrit, was a good Darcy) . One good point of the movie was the Mr. Wickam played by Tom Riley -- I liked the twist taken with his character and the clever way it was shown that our prejudices may have been wrong about him – plus the actor was much more interesting to look at than Darcy.
Overall, I thought, bummer, I wish it could have been better. But maybe there’s hope, and BBC will put Amanda Price into Persuasion where she will interact with Anne Elliot and tell off Anne’s awful sister Elizabeth.

Sabrina

An old favorite on TCM today. Gosh I love Audrey Hepburn. She has such a likable quality. What is it? She seems so genuine and angelic at the same time. She makes you root for her but not envy her. The problem always with this 1954 original version of Sabrina (it was remade in 1995 with Julia Ormond, Harrison Ford, and Greg Kinnear) is Humphrey Bogart. He and Hepburn just do not go together. An otherwise very good romantic comedy dashed because of this poor casting decision. But of course, it’s worth watching just to see the lovely Audrey Hepburn, but this movie is not as as good as say, Roman Holiday.

Doubt

I finally saw Doubt after having read about it, seeing actor interviews about it, and catching the Oscar hype. etc. So of course that colors the way you see a movie. Also, I watched it with my Catholic parents, coloring the view even further. My dad's reaction was, "Is this all it is about?" My mom hated that one of her favorite actresses, Meryl Streep, played such a negative character. Besides my mom enjoying some of the music (she sang along to a favorite hymn: "Holy God, We Praise my Name") and thinking that they did show a good side to the Catholic church in the movie -- we don't see the stereotypically awful harsh world of the Catholic church that is often portrayed in the movies -- she got bored with it. Indeed it was slow. The movie seemed like a stage play that maybe should have stayed on stage. Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams were also very good in the movie. Hoffman's homilies were probably some of the more interesting parts of the movie. And the part that is in doubt? Well, it seemed kind of ridiculous in the end. It seemed like a nun who is always looking for evil and when not finding proof of it, invents it.

Frozen River

Frozen River is a little movie that probably nobody would have seen if it weren’t for the fact that Melissa Leo was nominated for best supporting actress for her role as Ray Eddy, a woman who is struggling to get by while trying to raise two children. To do that she makes a drastic decision to help another down on her luck character, Lila Littlewolf, smuggle people over the border between New York State and Canada by a Mohawk Indian Reservation. It’s a stark, cold splash of water on the face movie. One that you can sense from the outset is going to have a train wreck of an ending. Unpredictably, when the train wreck finally happens, it’s not as bad as you could imagine. For a movie that is about hardscrabble people with hardscrabble lives Frozen River is surprisingly uplifting. And the Oscar nominated Leo is fantastic (I remember loving her on Homicide, Life on the Street). Her son in the movie, Ray Eddy, is appealingly played by Charlie McDermott. And Misty Upham as Lila Littlewolf, is also great, deserving of a nomination as well, I thought.

Adventureland

I must be getting old when the 80s is a distant memory, and I had so much enjoyment in the nostalgia trip that Adventureland took me on. The movie takes you to the summer of 1987 with mixed tapes, 80’s hair dos, and Gremlins and no cell phones to be found. Jesse Eisenberg plays James, a recent college grad whose plans of going to Europe for the summer are dashed when his family falls on hard times, and he has to save money for graduate school. He ends up in the only job a literature major can find apparently, manning the sleazy midway games at a second rate theme park, Adventureland. There, he falls for the cute Em played by Kristen Stewart who is also have some tough times, and he befriends the gawky cynic Joel (Martin Starr) who as some of the funniest lines in the movie.
I remember seeing the trailer and thinking that this movie was going to be another Superbad, only in a theme park, meaning another rambling vulgar teenage boy journey with the ubiquitous alums from Freaks and Geeks (not that Superbad didn’t have its hilarious moments). Instead with Adventureland we get a real story and main characters who have some depth. Sure there’s some extraneous vulgarity and teen age boy humor (one character likes to punch James in the nuts, don’t get it) but Adventureland is the evolved Superbad – well-worth seeing, especially if your formative years were planted in the 80s like me.
Oh and the sound track is a part of the fun with Husker Du, The Replacements, “Unsatisfied” and Lou Reed, “Satellite of Love”. Of course, the other less cool songs that are burned in my memory too.

Elegy

Ben Kingsley, who I have loved in roles such as Gandhi, House of Sand and Fog, and most recently The Wackness, failed to impress me in Elegy. I found the character he plays, David Kepesh, a college professor, heartless and kind of pathetic. (Richard Jenkins in The Visitor who also plays a cynical professor, is so much more interesting to watch and easier to care about) The central relationship of the movie for the professor is with the much younger sexy temptress Consuela, played by guess who? The woman who plays a sexy temptress better than any one else, Penelope Cruz. The movie centers around this May-December romance, but I never really felt the connection between these two. I tried to think of other movies where this type of relationship seemed right so I googled May-December relationships and wouldn't you know, there is actually a Wikipedia site called List of films featuring May-December romances. From the list, both older men with younger women and older women with younger men, none of them strike me as couples with incredible chemistry. So maybe I have trouble seeing this type or romance as fodder for a good movie. Despite all this, there is something missing in Elegy; it lacks heart, I didn't really care about too much about any of the characters even though they all try to cope with tragic situations. Great actors such as Peter Sarsgaard, Dennis Hopper, and Patricia Clarkson, experience heart ache and even a heart attack, but failed to move me.

Duplicity

I see the rare blockbuster in the theater but a friend wanted to see Duplicity and I thought a movie with Clive Owen couldn't be all that bad. And indeed his suave British self exudes sex appeal throughout the movie. And Julia Roberts, who plays the same role in every movie, a sassy in control vamp, is good in the same old role she always plays. Duplicity is an entertaining spy thriller full of twists and turns, and it is enjoyable if not somewhat formulaic.

I Have Loved You So Long/ Sycheadaofjwoe

Guest blogger: N. Huelster
First attempt: Schenechdote(?); I was warned by a professor that this film was trying too hard to be "meta," was pretentious and not worth seeing. Giving it a try, however, proved this to be true. The name is similar to the name of the town in Upstate New York where the film takes place, but is a word meaning "a trope where a part is used to refer to its whole," which is supposed to explain the connection between the play within the film, I think, but frankly, the whole film is so messed up that I couldn't understand what the director was going for. The psyche of the main character is painful to witness from the start of the movie, and after his wife leaves him, and his health begins to deteriorate, it only becomes more and more painful to watch. Not only this, the effects of Kaufman's mixing of the fantastic with the real is lost in this flop, whereas in "Eternal Sunshine" it served the characters and the story to make a superb (and meta) film. Fastforwarded the last hour, it was my favorite part.
Second attempt: Il y'a Longtemps Que Je T'aime; French film starring English actress Kristen Scott Thomas. This was a good film, exploring the reunion of two sisters after one is released from fifteen years in prison for murdering her son. Throughout the film we learn her reason for doing it, and it turns out not to be the horrific act of violence that sustains much of the tension throughout the unfolding story- her introduction into her sister's new family, a new job, and new acquaintances on the other side of the prison wall to face (and to face her guilt). Thomas' character is bleak, and mysterious, and her relationship with her sister and her family reveals in the end what her true guilt really was. I at first liked the story for its sympathetic look at mental illness/ prison, but in the end the twist surrounding Thomas' crime gives the story a new depth. Bien!

Music Within

While Music Within is a made-for-TV-like melodramatic bio pic, it tells about a very important moment in history when the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed and how Richard Pimentel was instrumental in educating the public about people with disabilities. Richard Pimentel is played Ron Livingston who is a very likable actor. Pimentel's good friend Art, Michael Sheen (recently in Frost Nixon), is a man with Cerebral Palsy who teaches his friend about living with CP. I found myself drawn in by this movie and I think anyone who is interested in this topic would like this movie.

I also saw Feast of Love this weekend. Dumb ensemble piece with good actors like Greg Kinnear and Morgan Freeman (who plays the same role he always does -- wise mentor). I chose both these movies from seeing previews on a DVD. That usually does not work out so well and Feast of Love proves that.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

I would describe Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist as sweet and occasionally gross. A couple of cute teenagers drive around New York City looking for their favorite band while falling in love. This movie made me nostalgic for my college days when I would drive down to Dinky Town with my pals to hear bands while listening to mix tapes. Of course, in the movie they make mixed CDs and download them onto their iPods, and they are all in high school! So it's a likable movie; however it leaves me with a few posers: In what world are teenagers allowed to go to bars, drink, and stay up all night? Why are there so many movies of late featuring Michael Cera, who plays the same lovable boy in every movie? Why does anyone want to watch someone throwing up in a movie? Or listen to it. Gross! Do some movie goers enjoy this? That's all I got, out.

Brideheads Revisited, the movie

Since I loved the 1981 mini-series Brideheads Revisited based on Evelyn Waugh's novel, I was reluctant to see the 2008 version. And, as to be expected, I was disappointed by the movie which runs at 2 hours and 14 minutes, compared to the 8ish hour mini-series. The barely scratches of the surface of the complex and wonderful characters rife in Waugh's book. What happened to the lovable Sebastian? The movie offers a very superficial version of his character-- Maybe I am disappointed because I miss the wonderful Anthony Andrews Sebastian. (On a side note -- there is only a passing glance of Aloysius, Sebastian's stuffed bear) I liked Matthew Goode who plays as Charles Ryder, and I liked the Julia, Hayley Atwell. But because the movie was trying to do so much so quickly, none of the actors had a chance to delve into their characters. The filmmakers decided to amp up the gay and the catholic in the movie. Make Sebastian more flamboyant and overt in his love for Charles --not too mention the actor is so fey, thin and wispy that he seems like he is going to float away. They also oversimplified the Catholic conflicts throughout the movie, so the movie-goer never really gets why the Flytes are so tortured. Finally, the great Emma Thompson seemed wasted in this movie. She hit one note, dour Catholic mama.

So instead of watching this movie and if you happen to have 8 hours of time on your hands for great TV watching -- watch the 1981 mini-series which I re-watched last summer -- I was entranced all over again. But pass on the the latest movie version.

Check out my list of great min-series too!

The Wackness

"I look at the dopeness in life, and you look at the wackness." During the summer of 1994, 18-year-old dope dealer angst-filled Jeffrey seeks counsel from a psychiatrist in exchange for a gram of pot. It turns out his psychiatrist is more wacked than Jeffery who is just trying to earn the love of Dr. Squire's step-daughter. Jeffery is played by Josh Peck who is charming and likable -- he pushes an ice cart around New York City filled with dime bags while moping about life. The movie centers around his friendship with Dr. Squire played by Ben Kingsley who is hilarious as the depressed man-child. Their conversations about how to make it through troubled times, an unhappy marriage and arguing parents, are well-written and insightful. I really enjoyed The Wackness.

Deb wins 2009 Oscar Challenge! Bummer.

2009 Oscar Picks – The Great Deb V. Mary Challenge
Winners in bold
Mary = X 18/24
Deb = X 20/24
Winner = Deb

BEST PICTURE[ ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button[ ] Frost/Nixon[ ] Milk[ ] The Reader[ XX] Slumdog Millionaire

DIRECTOR[ ] David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button[ ] Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon[ ] Gus Van Sant, Milk[ ] Stephen Daldry, The Reader[X X] Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY[ ] Frozen River[ ] Happy-Go-Lucky[ X] In Bruges[ X ] Milk[ ] WALL-E

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY[ ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button[ ] Doubt[ ] Frost/Nixon[ ] The Reader[ X X] Slumdog Millionaire

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE[ ] Richard Jenkins, The Visitor[ ] Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon[ X ] Sean Penn, Milk[ ] Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button[X ] Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE[ ] Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married[ ] Angelina Jolie, Changeling[ ] Melissa Leo, Frozen River[ ] Meryl Streep, Doubt[ XX] Kate Winslet, The Reader

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE[ ] Josh Brolin, Milk[ ] Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder[ ] Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt[ X X] Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight[ ] Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE[ ] Amy Adams, Doubt[ X X] Penélope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona[ ] Viola Davis, Doubt[ ] Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button[ ] Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM[ ] The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany)[ ] The Class (France) [ ] Departures (Japan)[ ] Revanche (Austria)[ X X ] Waltz with Bashir (Israel)


ANIMATED FEATURE[ ] Bolt[ ] Kung Fu Panda[ X X] WALL-E

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE[ ] The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)[ ] Encounters at the End of the World[ ] The Garden[ X X ] Man on Wire[ ] Trouble the Water

DOCUMENTARY SHORT[ ] The Conscience of Nhem En[ ] The Final Inch[X ] Smile Pinki[ X ] The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306

SHORT FILM - ANIMATED[ ] La Maison En Petits Cubes[ ] Lavatory - Lovestory[ ] Oktapodi[ X X ] Presto[ ] This Way Up

SHORT FILM - LIVE ACTION[ ] Auf Der Strecke (On the Line)[ ] Manon on the Asphalt[ ] New Boy[X ] The Pig[ X ] Spielzeugland (Toyland)

ORIGINAL SCORE[ ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button[ ] Defiance[ ] Milk[ X X] Slumdog Millionaire[ ] WALL-E

ORIGINAL SONG[ ] "Down to Earth" - WALL-E[ X X] "Jai Ho" - Slumdog Millionaire[ ] "O Saya" - Slumdog Millionaire

ART DIRECTION[ ] Changeling[ X X] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button[ ] The Dark Knight[ ] The Duchess[ ] Revolutionary Road

CINEMATOGRAPHY[ ] Changeling[ ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button[ ] The Dark Knight[ ] The Reader[ X X] Slumdog Millionaire

COSTUME DESIGN[ X ] Australia[ ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button[X ] The Duchess[ ] Milk[ ] Revolutionary Road

MAKEUP[ X ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button[ X] The Dark Knight[ ] Hellboy II: The Golden Army

SOUND MIXING[ ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button[ X X] The Dark Knight[ ] Slumdog Millionaire[ ] WALL-E[ ] Wanted

SOUND EDITING[ X X] The Dark Knight[ ] Iron Man[ ] Slumdog Millionaire[ ] WALL-E[ ] Wanted

VISUAL EFFECTS[ X X ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button[ ] The Dark Knight[ ] Iron Man

FILM EDITING[ ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button[ ] The Dark Knight[ ] Frost/Nixon[ ] Milk[ X X] Slumdog Millionaire

Mary's 2009 Oscar Picks

X marks my 2009 Oscar picks. I am taking on my friend Deb for the 10th year in a row, or so. I will report results after the big event.

BEST PICTURE[ ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [ ] Frost/Nixon [ ] Milk [ ] The Reader [ X ] Slumdog Millionaire

DIRECTOR [ ] David Fincher, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [ ] Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon[ ] Gus Van Sant, Milk[ ] Stephen Daldry, The Reader [X] Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY[ ] Frozen River[ ] Happy-Go-Lucky [ X] In Bruges [ ] Milk
[ ] WALL-E

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY[ ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button[ ] Doubt[ ] Frost/Nixon[ ] The Reader [ X] Slumdog Millionaire

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE[ ] Richard Jenkins, The Visitor [ ] Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon [ X ] Sean Penn, Milk [ ] Brad Pitt, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [ ] Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE [ ] Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married [ ] Angelina Jolie, Changeling[ ] Melissa Leo, Frozen River[ ] Meryl Streep, Doubt [ X ] Kate Winslet, The Reader

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE[ ] Josh Brolin, Milk [ ] Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder[ ] Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt [ X] Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight[ ] Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE[ ] Amy Adams, Doubt [ X] Penélope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona[ ] Viola Davis, Doubt[ ] Taraji P. Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button[ ] Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM [ ] The Baader Meinhof Complex (Germany)[ ] The Class (France) [ ] Departures (Japan)[ ] Revanche (Austria) [ X ] Waltz with Bashir (Israel)

ANIMATED FEATURE[ ] Bolt[ ] Kung Fu Panda [ X] WALL-E

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE[ ] The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)[ ] Encounters at the End of the World[ ] The Garden[ X ] Man on Wire[ ] Trouble the Water

DOCUMENTARY SHORT[ ] The Conscience of Nhem En[ ] The Final Inch [X ] Smile Pinki[ ] The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306

SHORT FILM - ANIMATED[ ] La Maison En Petits Cubes [ ] Lavatory - Lovestory
[ ] Oktapodi [ X ] Presto [ ] This Way Up

SHORT FILM - LIVE ACTION [ ] Auf Der Strecke (On the Line) [ ] Manon on the Asphalt[ ] New Boy[X ] The Pig[ ] Spielzeugland (Toyland)

ORIGINAL SCORE[ ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [ ] Defiance [ ] Milk
[ X] Slumdog Millionaire [ ] WALL-E

ORIGINAL SONG [ ] "Down to Earth" - WALL-E [ X] "Jai Ho" - Slumdog Millionaire[ ] "O Saya" - Slumdog Millionaire

ART DIRECTION[ ] Changeling[ X] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [ ] The Dark Knight[ ] The Duchess[ ] Revolutionary Road

CINEMATOGRAPHY[ ] Changeling[ ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button[ ] The Dark Knight[ ] The Reader[ X] Slumdog Millionaire

COSTUME DESIGN [ ] Australia [ ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [ X ] The Duchess [ ] Milk [ ] Revolutionary Road

MAKEUP [ ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [ X] The Dark Knight[ ] Hellboy II: The Golden Army

SOUND MIXING[ ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button [ X] The Dark Knight[ ] Slumdog Millionaire[ ] WALL-E [ ] Wanted

SOUND EDITING[ X] The Dark Knight [ ] Iron Man [ ] Slumdog Millionaire [ ] WALL-E [ ] Wanted

VISUAL EFFECTS [ X ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button[ ] The Dark Knight[ ] Iron Man

FILM EDITING[ ] The Curious Case of Benjamin Button[ ] The Dark Knight[ ] Frost/Nixon[ ] Milk [ X] Slumdog Millionaire

He's Just Not That Into You

I went to a movie while visiting my parents in New Mexico, -- I wanted to go to Milk or Doubt or something edifying, but no such movie existed there. So I decided to go To She’s Just Not That Into You. The movie has a huge ensemble cast: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connelly, Kevin Connolly, Bradley Cooper, Ginnifer Goodwin, Scarlett Johansson, and Justin Long. I know it looks kinda cheesy, but it has all of those famous actors in it and it wasn’t getting terrible reviews like Confessions of a Shopaholic (with the super cute Hugh Dancy), so I went to it. Initially, I thought I would go to it last Saturday night. Luckily, I realized that it was Valentine’s Day. I don’t know, but going to that movie by myself on Valentine’s Day, might have made me feel like a loser. So anyway, I went to it later in the week and was mildly entertained. I enjoyed especially the cute Ginnifer Goodwin from Big Love and I also found Justin Long (the dorky teen the TV show Ed) also more charming than I could have imagined he could be. But beyond that the movie wasn’t that clever or interesting. I think it would have better they would have cut the couples by half. I think they were going for a Love Actually kinda feel and they totally missed. I was pleased to see the sleazy couple played by Bradley Cooper and Scarlett Johansson, get their comeuppance in the end. But what was the beautiful Jennifer Connelly doing acting so pathetic? As a matter of fact, all of the female characters were so pathetic acting—but at least Goodwin’s character did it with charm.

Oscar Reflections

I didn't see any presentable movies to write about this weekend. Well, scratch that, I did watch on cable Roman Holiday for the umpteenth time. Such a grand movie if you have never seen it, do so, soon! Gregory Peck is regal and handsome and Audrey Hepburn is lovely and graceful. In fact, it’s hard to take your eyes of either of them. Well worth seeing. (see my list of favorite romantic comedies)

But I have wanted to spout my opinions about the Oscar nominations, mainly to say I am underwhelmed by the lack of greatness in the best picture nominees. The best picture nominations are The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Slumdog Millionaire, The Reader, Frost/Nixon, and Milk. Maybe I am unenthused and a hypocrite because of the five, I have only seen Slumdog Millionaire, which is very entertaining but has a high cheese factor. Besides Milk, which I want to see, the rest don't interest me too much.

I am also disappointed that Sally Hawkins was not nominated for Happy-Go-Lucky. That seems like a huge oversight. And another favorite movie of mine this year is Vicky Christina Barcelona which only got one nomination and that was in the best supporting actress category for Penelope Cruz who was great, but I also thought at the very least the movie should have gotten a best original screenplay nomination. In Bruges did get a very well deserved nomination for original screen play, but both Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson were not nominated for best supporting actor and they were AWESOME!

So, in summary, three of my favorite movies of the year did not get the kind of recognitions they deserve:
Happy-Go-Lucky
In Bruges
Vicky Christina Barcelona
No Fair! :(

Weird Movie Weekend

Last weekend I saw two disturbing films, Savage Grace and the Fingersmith. I did not intend to watch two movies of such a freaky nature all in one weekend, but Netflix has control over my movie watching habits and decided it would be a good idea.

First, Savage Grace. This movie is about the real life murder of Barbara Baekeland who was killed by her son. Wait, that’s not the freaky part. The mother and son have a sexual relationship according to the movie makers – and that’s just something you don’t want to see on film – the whole family is weird as a matter of fact and I think the movie makers decided to take a strange real life story and make it even weirder. There are great actors in this movie though: Julianne Moore, Stephane Dillane, Hugh Dancy, and a newish cutie on the movie scene, Eddie Redmayne as the disturbed son (Redmayne is also Angel in the latest Tess of the Durbyville, FYI) Despite good acting and lovely filming in Spain, I can’t imagine why anyone would want to see this movie. I can’t imagine why I wanted to see this movie.

Next, weird movie on the docket, Fingersmith. Based on a Susan Waters historic novel, Fingersmith imagines a lesbian love story in Victorian England. The movie has mysterious twists and turns with mistaken identities and babies switched at birth etc. and even a tyrannical uncle who collects pornographic books. It’s sort of a modern take on a Dickens-like plot. It was actually quite good and definitely not predictable. Plus, my new favorite actress, Sally Hawkins, from Happy-Go-Lucky is in it. Strange, but worth seeing. It was originally shown in the UK on BBC and is a two part mini-series.

Charlie Bartlett

Charlie Bartlett is a cute, fun teen movie about a rich prep school kid who becomes the bathroom "psychiatrist" at a public school. One draw for me was that one of my favorite actors, Robert Downey Jr. is in the movie, and I had heard and read good reviews. So I had high hopes for this movie but left feeling a little disappointed. While the movie is reminiscent of other hip teenage angst movies like Harold and Maude or Rushmore (a few Cat Stevens songs, a quirky older guy/gal who acts as mentor, clueless and out-of touch parents, and at least two of these movies end with a student written play) Charlie Bartlett doesn’t quite reach those heights. It suffers from trying too hard, I think. There are some sweet moments and Anton Yelchin who plays Charlie is charming, but the script falters and the tone wavers from silly to ironic to melodramatic.
And I get a little tired of movies with the uber-teens: the youngsters, who behave as adults, seem to have no parental supervision and can do things like arrange rock concerts with 500 people in their back yard or wear designer clothes each day to school. Uber-teens don’t exist in reality but are rife in movies and television.
This is another one of those movies that has a lot of potential and some really good moments but goes astray.

Happy-Go-Lucky

I knew I wanted to see this British movie although I heard so many divergent reviews of it.  Some people find the ultra-positive and chirpy Polly, played by Sally Hawkins, to be really annoying.  I was braced myself to be annoyed by her character and in the end really liked her.  She is so goofy and makes such funny comments, especially to the angry driving instructor that I could not help but be charmed by her.  There is not much in the way of plot in this movie -- it's more of a character study -- but I found there is enough to look at on screen to keep it interesting.  

My friend Julie and I are on the road in Madison, Wisconsin, to attend a Bat Mitzvah and saw Happy-Go-Lucky at the Orpheum Theater on State Theater.  The weird thing was that we were the only two people in this vast, somewhat decrepit theater.  Besides feeling strange about having a private showing, I was romanced by the beauty of this once great movie house and sad that it isn't taken care of any more.  The sound in the movie was bad and the connecting bar noises kept bleeding through making it even harder to hear the slurred British dialogue.  I am glad they are still using this theater as a theater, but hope some generous soul will pour some money into it and restore it.

Shattered Glass

I just saw Shattered Glass again (see side bare of my list of great newsroom movies list). I got it to show students on my newspaper staff and we didn't quite finish it in class, so I watched the rest of it at home. It was just as good the second time. It tells the real-life remarkable story of Peter Glass who wrote for The New Republic and fabricated story after story. The amazing thing is that he didn't get caught. Hayden Christensen plays Glass as a smarmy and pathetic charmer. Other staffers are played by Hank Azaria, Peter Sarsgaard, and Chloe Sevigny.

Blow Up

I saw this 1966 artsy movie directed by Michelangelo Antonioni about a photographer because I read an article about the photographer who it is based on and heard that it was a critical favorite. (I can't remember the name of the photographer its based on if there is anyone out there who reads The New Yorker can help me with my memory). The movie shows a photographer who takes a picture a crime in action and figures it out by blowing up the photo. The action (if that's the right word since it doesn't seem like there is any action) moves at a glacial pace and the "mystery" we're promised is not mysterious. Either this movie is way too dated for my modern self or I just don't get it because, while it was cool to look at for time, it was just plain dull.

Burn After Reading

The Coen Brother's Burn After Reading is chock full of mega stars. It makes you wonder why those two ornery brothers like the star-studded cast-- I mean they are well-known enough to not have to rely on big names. I was a little disappointed with this latest Coen Bros farce. I had heard from friends that it was a real knee-slapper, but while I enjoyed watching Brad Pitt look like a dork and John Malkovich always cracks me up (even though he always seems to play the same weird guy), I was only mildly amused. One extreme oddity of note is the contraption that George Clooney's character makes in his basement -- truly horrifying.

Run, Fat Boy, Run

Run, Fat Boy, Run is another quirky British comedy. Thandie Newton and Simon Pegg are the working class Londoners who once were engaged to be married. The token American is played by Hank Azaria as the jerky boyfriend who tries to thwart Pegg’s attempts at getting his girlfriend and mother of his child back by running a marathon. There are a few laughs but overall the movie is full of clichés and is very predictable. Beyond predictable it is just dumb in parts, especially the bits about training for the marathon. It is also another example of some schlub of a guy who amazingly ends up with a knockout.

Mary's Best of 2008

I wanted to do a best of 2008, but haven’t seen all the movies out in 2008, so this is best of all the newish movies that I have seen. I have seen a lot of classics and mini-series, and I am not including those on this list. And, to me, best means movies that I really enjoyed-- just that.
So of the movies I have watched in 2008, in the order I've seen them, my top 10 movies are…

Slumdog Millionaire
In Bruges
Vicky Christina Barcelona
The Visitor
Recount
Speak
Lars and the Real Girl
Into the Wild
Gone Baby Gone
Attonement

Hamlet II and Seven Pounds

Hamlet II is meant to satire inspirational teacher movies like Mr. Holland's Opus and Dead Poet's Society. If you have read earlier entries, this movie is right up my alley. I have a list of some of my favorite edgy teacher movies (see side-bar), and I may have to add Hamlet II to the list. I will have to let that marinate a bit, though. Hamlet II is quite hilarious though. The British actor, Stephen Coogan (who is HI-larious in general), is freaky drama teacher who tries to save the school's drama program with his own creation, he calls Hamlet II, a play that seems to have very little to do with Hamlet and a lot to do with the playwright's father issues, with a sexy Jesus thrown in. He also has the school's Latino "thugs" and a bi-curious good kid to playing the leads.

Speaking of inspirational movies, or meant to be inspirational anyway, I saw Seven Pounds, another Will Smith ain't-I-great movie. It was okay, but what I found irritating was the big mystery that you had to try to figure out for over half of the movie while you were just left confused for the first half. When you did finally get to the big "reveal", it was anti-climactic. I used to like Will Smith after I saw him in Six Degrees of Separation where he played an ambiguous and interesting character. But now it seems like his movie roles are meant to be roles that showcase his greatness -- which is a little boring.