Early on in this very likeable dramady John Grogan decides to adopt a Labrador Retriever that he names after Bob Marley, as a birthday surprise for his wife Jennifer, at the urging of his best friend Sebastian. He doesn't feel quite ready for a child and Sebastian convinces him that a dog will help complete his family for the time being, without all the obligations that a child would ensue. Big mistake, as he soon finds out that he has adopted the dog equivalent of Dennis the Menace, Chucky, and Jaws, all rolled up into one. Of course Marley is as lovable as can be throughout all the destruction he causes, and let's hope that the Grogans got all their furniture, bedding, and just about anything else in their house at a steep discount. Owen Wilson plays John Grogan as a wannabe newspaper reporter who ends up as a successful columnist and who envies his friend Sebastian, who writes hard hitting pieces for the New York Times. Mr. Wilson and Jennifer Aniston, who plays his wife, have a great chemistry together and they are quite believable as a couple. Eric Dane plays Sebastian as basically his same "himbo" character from Grey's Anatomy, as he uses Marley, and then the Grogan's eventual kids to pick up South Beach hotties. Time for Mr. Dane to branch out. Owen Wilson usually plays the laid-back and unflappable slacker, which he does in this film, minus the slacker part. If you enjoy that character, as I do, you'll enjoy the film even more. Alan Arkin is excellent as Grogan's gruff and lovable (is there any other kind) editor, and Kathleen Turner plays a very demanding, and scary dog trainer. By the way if you haven't seen Ms. Turner since Body Heat, brace yourself. This film tackles a number of issues that many couples go through, such as career and family decisions, in an entertaining, and oftentimes serious way, and is not just a film that says, "hey, look at that dog". The film is based on Mr. Grogan's book of the same name, which I didn't read, so I have no idea how true the film is to the book. In any event, although Marley is a far cry from Lassie, you'll love him anyway. One note: The film is rated PG and it's pretty safe for kids but just be warned that it takes a more serious turn near the end.
Rating - Light 3
Doubt, based on the Broadway play of the same name, begins with a sermon from Father Flynn, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman. The thrust of the sermon is in fact doubt and crisis of faith, and this in part arouses the suspicions of Sister Aloysius, the Principal of the parochial school to which Father Flynn is attached to. She feels that the Father may be referring to himself in the sermon, and as a result asks the much more innocent Sister James, played by Amy Adams, to watch out for any suspicious behavior on the part of Father Flynn. The focus of her suspicions is the relationship between Father Flynn and Donald Miller, the lone black child in the school. The two main protagonists reflect different sensibilities within the church, as Father Flynn is likable and friendly and reflects a more modern outlook, while Sister Aloysius is stern, unsmiling and traditional. This is a first-rate cast and the confrontational scenes between Mr. Hoffman and Ms. Streep are outstanding. Viola Davis, as the mother of Donald Miller also makes a powerful impact in a small role. She plays vulnerable, yet strong when she has to be, and the scene between her and Ms. Streep is one of the highlights of the film. The film also does a good job of capturing a more innocent era in outer borough New York City, and the neighborhood almost has a small town feel. This is an engrossing film, and the feeling that will be engendered most is the one reflected in the title.
Rating - 3 1/2 Stars
Valkyrie tells the story of the plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler towards the end of World War II, when it was becoming pretty obvious that Germany was going to lose badly. The plotters, led by Colonel Claus von Staffenberg hoped to replace der Fuhrer with a new set of leaders who would presumably be able to negotiate a more advantageous peace for the third Reich. Tom Cruise plays the Colonel as the leader of a group of "good" Nazis, an oxymoron if there ever was one, who is also obviously ashamed of many of the excesses of the third Reich. As someone who knew the basic outline of the plot, but not all of the details, I would have to say that the film does a good job of filling in the blanks, and at times resembles a "procedural". The main trick that this film has to accomplish though, is to make you feel sympathy for let's face it, Nazis. I mean, who knows what these guys were up to before they said whoa, der Fuhrer has gone too far this time. Also, except for the Colonel, who expresses misgivings at the excesses of the Nazi regime, the other guys seem only concerned with the fact that Germany is losing, and how they'll be treated by the allies at the end. In spite of all this the film worked for me. The direction, by Bryan Singer of the first two X-Men movies and The Usual Suspects, was such that you felt the suspense build, even though you pretty much knew that things weren't going to work out for the plotters. The acting was fine, in spite of the variety of accents, including basic American, English and German. A good film with some history thrown in.
Rating - Solid 3
Clint Eastwood has recently announced that Gran Torino will be the last movie that he'll be acting in, and if that's truly the case then he picked a fine vehicle to make his exit in. Mr. Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski, a recently widowed, retired Ford assembly line worker who's one of the last white hold-outs in an increasingly Asian Hmong neighborhood. He's none too happy about his changing neighborhood, and pretty much about everything else as well. Early on in the film he defends a teenage Hmong boy who lives next door against a gang made up of young Hmong toughs. As a result of this act he becomes a hero to his neighbors and begins receiving an onslaught of gifts from them in the form of food and flowers. Slowly he begins to bond with the young boy who was being pressured to join the gang against his will, and takes him under his wing. Mr. Eastwood plays angry and bigoted, but of course deep down you know he's a good guy. He has some big regrets which are revealed as the movie unfolds, and this has obviously effected his less than ingratiating personality. This is an excellent story with fine acting not only by Mr. Eastwood, but by a group of relatively new Asian actors. This is a must see for anyone who appreciates a fine, and very entertaining motion picture.
Rating - 4 stars
I'm not so cynical that I can't be taken in by a good sentimental story of selflessness and redemption. This is not one of those stories. Will Smith plays Ben Thomas, an IRS agent who's apparently on a mission to help people by "really" giving of himself. He spends a good part of the movie searching for and getting to know some of the people who will benefit from his largess, most particularly Emily Posa, the character played by Rosario Dawson. Woody Harrelson also has an extended cameo as an extremely patient, almost saintly, vegetarian blind man who happens to work the phones for a mail order meat company. There are flashbacks throughout the story which portray Will Smith's character in a previous life, where he was obviously quite successful and happy. It's obvious that he's atoning for, as well as punishing himself for some horrible thing that he did, although you don't know exactly what and how until near the end. Whatever he did he felt that it was bad enough for him to donate bone marrow to a young cancer patient without benefit of anesthesia. What doctor would actually go along with this? The characters and situations bare little resemblance to real life, and since this isn't Ironman, it's somewhat of a problem. At a certain point in the film I realized that this is one of those of stories that you stick with because you figure the ending will be worth it. Not really.Rating -2 Stars
Slumdog Millionaire is the new film directed by Danny Boyle, the director of Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, and other films of note. The film tells the story of Jamal, a poor Indian orphan and his lifelong love and devotion to Latika, another Indian child from the slums. The film follows their story from childhood to young adulthood, the highlight being Jamal's appearance on the Indian version of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire. The film uses flashbacks seamlessly to highlight key points in Jamal's life, which include a stint as a beggar, as well as his relationship with his criminally connected brother. The film also reminds us that in spite of the explosion of the Indian middle class there are still people, including many children, who lead a life of poverty, brutality and exploitation. There is one particularly disturbing scene where the leader of the band of beggars that Jamal is attached to employs a particularly brutal method to ensure that his charges bring in as much money as possible. It was hard to watch, and not to watch.
This film is receiving considerable positive buzz, and with good reason. It's an interesting story told in a unique style, with characters that you'll both love and hate, and, there's a touch of "Bollywood" as well. It's a film that you'll remember.
Rating - 4 Stars
Milk tells the story of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to major public office in the United States. The film, directed by Gus Van Sant, is told in quasi-documentary style and tells of his evolution from scruffy neighborhood activist to a suit wearing San Francisco supervisor. Anyone old enough to be familiar with Harvey Milk's story will be able to remember a time when gay people were openly persecuted and subjected to physical violence by people who had little to fear in the way of retribution. For those younger, the film starts off with some old news footage that illuminates what it was like before anyone could have conceived of gay people having the right to marry. Many people might even find it hard to believe that there was a time when even San Francisco contained significant animus towards homosexuals, and that in part is a tribute to the progress made made thanks to Mr. Milk, and others of course. The film does a seamless job in weaving in contemporary news footage into the narrative, and the film is both engrossing and informative. Sean Penn does an amazing job of portraying Harvey Milk and Josh Brolin also excels in portraying Dan White with all of his pathetic, needy creepiness intact. An excellent film and history lesson.
Rating - 4 Stars
Anne Hathaway stars as Kym, who has arrived home from rehab for her sister Rachel's wedding. Kym's appearance causes a lot stress amongst her family as everyone expects that she'll do something to upset the proceedings. It's especially stressful for her sister and her sister's best friend, who doesn't especially like Kym, probably for good reason. Bill Irwin plays the two sister's dad, and is as well meaning as he is annoying, as he tries his best to keep the impending nuptials on a an even keel in the most placating way possible. This movie did receive some excellent reviews when it came out, for the acting, script, and overall final result. Anne Hathaway, who plays Kym is even being talked about in terms of an Oscar nomination. I did like the film, but not as much as most of the professional reviewers. My problem is that I can't completely enjoy a drama if there isn't at least one character who's more than passably likable or at least somewhat heroic. If you don't have that problem you'll likely like it more than me since it's got everything else going for it. Speaking of unlikeable characters, Debra Winger makes a great cameo appearance as Kym and Rachel's mother, and it's easy to understand why Kym got so screwed up.
Rating - Light 3
This movie is a re-make of minor classic starring Michael Rennie that was released in 1951. I'm mentioning this as a piece of information only and will in no way try to compare the two films. First of all I saw the original too long ago, and second, I believe that any film, whether based on a book, prior film or show, deserves to stand on it's own. Now that I've said that let's get to the film. In short, it has positives and negatives. On the plus side Keannu Reeves has likely found the perfect role for himself, one where he has to show a range of emotion as expansive as the distance between two cars in midtown Manhattan during rush hour. I know this sounds, and is, somewhat facetious, but it's actually true, he's the perfect fit for the part. On the minus side there are a number of logical lapses which can't be completely overlooked, and to discuss them would be giving too much away. The supporting players all do well in pretty standard roles, and it was nice to see John Cleese in a cameo appearance. If you don't already know, Reeves plays an alien from a higher civilization who arrives on earth in response to the fact that humans are in the process of destroying it due to pollution, global warming and all that kind of stuff. Actually as a recycled film, it's true to itself. I enjoyed it but it's nothing anyone has to see.
Rating - Light 3
Here are some quick thoughts on some films that are either finishing, or have finished their theatrical runs and will likely be on DVD in the near future.Religilous - A must if you're a Bill Maher fan (which I am). Some will find this film offensive since it does poke some serious fun at most of the major religions, and if you're easily offended by this type of stuff then avoid it. If not, then enjoy. It helps to live in a Blue State. 4 StarsRocknRolla - For Guy Ritchie fans only, and if you've seen any of his previous films you know exactly what to expect. Low-life English criminals, ultra-violence, capers that don't run exactly to plan, hard to decipher accents...it's got it all. I happen to like this stuff, hence....3 Stars.Flash of Genius - This is an excellent film that was basically ignored by the viewing public. Greg Kinnear stars as Bob Kearns, who invented the intermittent windshield wiper, and I guess America just wasn't ready for a film where windshield wipers play a pivotal role. Actually it's the story of guy with a great idea who gets screwed by the big corporation, and becomes obsessed with fighting back. The few people I know who have seen it have all loved it, as did I. Rent it on a rainy day. 3 1/2 stars
At the risk of sounding like Jerry Seinfeld, "what's the deal with all these upper crust English accents in films that are set in non-English speaking countries, where English is the language used in the film". We've all seen these films set in France or Germany, or whatever, where the upper crust accent denotes "foreignness". Of course whenever we see these films we have to suspend our disbelief due to the fact that the actors in the film are communicating in a language that they never would use in the normal course of events. If the story and acting are good it's usually pretty easy to get over this. Of course for the U.S. market the English accent is foreign, but for the overseas market English spoken in a Brooklyn accent would be just as foreign as any other. It obviously has to do with importance of the U.S. audience in a film's profitability margins, which actually is fine with me. Paging Kenneth Branagh!
This film stars Kristin Scott Thomas as a woman recently released from prison now living with her sister and family. The reason for her imprisonment as well as other key plot points are best left unsaid as this movie is best enjoyed with as little knowledge as possible. I must say that I was tense throughout much of the film in expectation, and was in no way disappointed. Great acting and script, as this film should interest anyone who loves a serious story about serious adults. This film is in French with English subtitles which might make some of you wonder since the film stars English actress Kristin Scott Thomas in the lead role. Ms. Thomas has lived many years in France and acts in both English and French Language films.
Rating - 3 1/2
Australia was one of the first movies to be released for the fall, when the "so-called" serious, Oscar-worthy films come out. The movie has been heavily promoted and you probably know something of the basic plot already. In short, a proper English lady (Nicole Kidman) travels to Australia to save her murdered husband's cattle ranch, with the help from The Drover (Hugh Jackman). There are the usual bad guys who are out to sabotage her efforts for their own financial gain, and of course Nicole and Hugh find love in spite of all their differences. The movie was slow to get started and did get better as it went along, although never to the point where it really was engrossing. It's a long film (2 Hours, 45 Minutes), and a movie this long had better suck you in.....it didn't.Rating - 2 Stars
This film tells the story of Chess Records, founded by Leonard Chess in the early 1950's. He recorded mainly African-American blues artists, which other companies wouldn't touch, and who hoped one day to 'cross-over". Jeffrey Wright plays Muddy Waters, and it's his story that forms the framework of the film. Willie Dixon, Howlin' Wolf, Chuck Berry, and the largely forgotten Little Walter also play important roles, although I would have liked to see more time devoted to Mr. Berry, and hopefully one day someone will make a film devoted to the true "King" of rock n' roll. In short, great music, acting and story...see it.
Rating - 3 1/2
I enjoyed this film for one important reason, I'm a big Vince Vaughn fan. If you're not, you should read no further. In short Vince, and his live-in girlfriend, played by Reese Witherspoon try their best to avoid seeing their respective parents on x-mas eve by concocting a story about about going on a humanitarian mission overseas. When they're spotted on TV during an airport shutdown their story falls apart and they have to visit the dreaded parents. The Vince Vaughn cocky, overly sincere persona is in full swing here, and it's always great to see him with Jon Favreau (actually when don't you). There's some slapstick here and some real funny moments with Vince and Sissy Spacek, who plays his mother, and who happens to be dating Vince's former best friend. The sparse audience I saw the film with laughed pretty hard at a lot of scenes and if you're looking for some light mindless entertainment, well here it is. By the way, this film features in supporting roles, in addition to Sissy Spacek, Jon Voight, and Robert Duvall,, all Oscar winners for best actor/actress. Mr. Voight has one poignant scene where he talks about the importance of family. I had the feeling he wasn't acting at the time.
Rating - Light 3
