SPLATTER'S FILM BLOG

NEW BLOG SITE!

2010-11-14T13:12:00.000-08:00

A well-informed blogger recently forced me out of my happy comfortable g-site and into the next world via WORDPRESS.

Please retain your sweet allegiance to my film opinions and keep reading at:

http://splatteronfilm.wordpress.com

HEREAFTER...Damon (lead) Eastwood (Director) Spielberg & Marshall (Producers)...2011

2010-10-26T22:19:00.000-07:00

A line of scripture, one that Clint Eastwood no doubt has perused in his day, reads, "...a cord of three strands is not easily broken." In Eastwood's recent offering, he slowly braids three threads of storyline, eventually intertwining them, hoping to create a strong and lasting hope in an eternity attainable. The opening sequence recreates the instant inundation of Thailand via tsunami. Tone settles like debris reminding me that when Eastwood nods to or foreshadows some tragedy or sadness, he delivers. He's not a liar. Rather, his films tell the stark, raw, unapologetic truth. The sad mingles with hope, yet there is a familiar loneliness, a longing most can relate to. Matt Damon succeeds in this role, but even his performance wanes in comparison to the french woman of the film, Cecile De France. Matt Damon at least secures top billing as he makes all seven deliveries of the line, "It's not a gift. It's a curse," feel almost believable and with an air of debonair.

Perhaps Eastwood, becoming what Shakespeare would call "much in years," has begun pondering his own afterlife. Yes this film provides a thoughtful, researched line of questioning,but it's slow pacing and neglected payoff provide too faint a glimmer to represent a perceivable light at the end of the tunnel.

SALT...in all of Jolie's wounds 2010

2010-10-02T19:47:00.000-07:00

Purposeless,

guessable

violence.

SALT.

EAT, PRAY, LOVE...2010...Julia Roberts at her best

2010-08-15T01:06:00.000-07:00

This could have been called Walk, Sit, Smile. As our hero rushed out of her ordinary world, she became a traveler, a thinker, a mimic, a devout even thoughtful character. I cried through this whole movie. I kept wondering why as I walked away from the theater and down toward the waterfront to catch the last bits of sunset. What had I learned from this film? Certainly, my lessons are not the same, but I feel for her as she experiences pain . I ache for the lost, the compassless, the grieving. This film opened a stranger's medicine cabinet, and allowed viewers ample opportunities to recognize that the perscriptions have our names inscribed on them. We feel for Julia. In many ways, as any good story should, we feel we are not simply like the hero, but that we are the hero. My story may not take me around the world, but the obstacles, the triumphs, the discoveries, the journey itself : these are the same. My compass, however, is the Jesus and His word. Without it, I too would likely find myself on a similarly blunderous journey listening to all voices longing for the one that sounds most like a father.

ROBIN HOOD...2010...Crowe, Blanchett

2010-08-14T13:36:00.000-07:00

Despite fluctuations in accent, Crowe played his straight-arrowed Hood as flawlessly as ever. He and waifish Blanchett were beautiful together, and gave the last 20 minutes of this film the romantic glances, battle tension, and purpose needed to redeem it. Redeem it? You ask? Yes, I say. No quirky redheads, no flatulent Keamys, no host of British greats could rescue the unnatural pacing used for unnecessary character development. And, I have nothing against the bald beauty Mark Strong for his meanness or ability to woo an audience. Sadly, in stature, he pales meanly as the dwarfed dark knight. No matter the fighting words, a Troyer-esque antihero doesn't frighten, and waxes unrealistic. Stand him on a box, and try shoulder pads for the next period film. Too cruel?

While we're on the subject: ROBIN HOODS reviewed.

Russell joined the legend, the legacy of men in tights. He, however went for the far less disconcerting leather pants. Good choice.

Kevin Costner used his bow hunting skills and Chuck Norris hair for good as the Prince of Thieves in 1991.

Disney's foxy Robin was a childhood crush, next to Ralph Macchio, as he foiled that phony Prince John.

Cary Elwes, and even Sean Connery make the list of comical green do-gooders robbing from the rich to feed the poor.

But, perhaps my favorite of these hooded heroes is the original worthy swashbuckler Errol Flynn, of 1938.

INCEPTION...Leo,Ellen, Joseph, & many more...2010

2010-07-17T16:41:00.000-07:00

I would like to exhale now. And as I do, a slow facitious "Thanks alot" will be directed at the creators of the show LOST, Lieber, Abrams & Lindelof, for taking me far away on that lovely train ride for six years only to reveal a final year in pergatorial limbo. As one of Kristen Wiig's best characters would say, "I'm not angry. I'm just very upset."

The midnight crown yelled. Yelled, at the closing frame. It sounded like, "Whaaaaaa???AAhhhh!" Then, it was 4:30 am before I fell asleep, granted we left at almost 3. But, what is time? Dream time feels more like real life. Layers. Didn't the priest from Princess Bride coin the phrase, "...a dream within a dream." Believable, striking, lovely. The well-selected team of actors gave depth to decidedly pragmatic characters, endearing them through pure curiousity. Joseph G.L. was given perhaps the most memorable sequence in anti-gravity fighting circa Fred Astaire's spinning room dance sequence.

Thanks to this phych-thriller, I am plagued with questions and needing to see it again. I woke up the next morning pondering new theories and casting possibilities after a stream of violent, but very cool dreams.

DESPICABLE ME...a Universal and Illumination toon...2010

2010-07-14T11:32:00.000-07:00

I'm learning the hard way that if it's not Pixar, I can expect some of what the rating board calls "crude humor." Did I laugh with the junior high boys in the room? Okay. But would I want to take my little kids to it? I guess not. Now, I know that I watched The Love Boat as a kid and loved it. I missed ALL of the crude humor then. But somehow I feel that xeroxing butts and laughing, responding "Poop" in frustration, and calling the known Villain "hero" and "good dad" brings daddy issues to a whole new level.

EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP...A Banksy film...2010

2010-07-09T23:47:00.000-07:00

Throw legos down on the floor of a nursery and two types of children will emerge: thinkers and doers. The thinkers pose with purpose - piecing mental masterpieces and creating the vision with precision. Thinkers care about how others perceive their work, since internally the work is the outpouring of the worker, a hint of self, desiring to be known. It plays upon the eternal to leave such a mark - a grasp on immortality, some might say.

For the doer, however, the project is one of accomplishment. Block towers are built to be torn down. The rubble is equal joy to the construct itself. It is in the doing and the done.In this documentary film entitled Exit Through the Gift Shop, artist Banksy shares much of the life of accidental artist Thierry Guetta. Banksy is a self-proclaimed, self-promoted, yet ironically self-effacing graffiti artist. He shouts art for art's sake. I have always appreciated, in some rebellious way, well-placed graffiti.

And, though unfamiliar with his name until tonight, I recognized Banksy's work immediately. Maybe that's his true point: promoting ideals, not effort, propaganda through paint. His bitterness felt acutely, Banksy used mostly old footage from Guetta's possessed "filmmaker" days before Guetta himself used what he learned, became a copycat street artist, and took the nom de plume: Mister Brainwash. Unbeknownst to world-renowned street artists such as Banksy and Shepard Fairey, they were training Guetta as master teachers would an apprentice.

As far as documentary films go, this entertains as though a Christopher Guest creation. The artist reveals his own absurdity without analytical reinterpretation. Where Banksy delights in educating the world through careful placement and purpose, so Guetta proves only to paint the tower just in time to see it crumble to the ground. And afterward, I felt a possessive impulse to go and tag a building myself, but it was getting a little late.

ECLIPSE...Edward, Bella, Jacob...Team, uh, Howard? 2010

2010-07-06T12:02:00.000-07:00

So, I did it. Pulled the old bait and switch. TS3 was exiting the theater, and my curiosity pervaded my decision-making centers and pulled me into the next theater in time to see Bryce Dallas Howard in a bare-toothed battle against Robert Pattinson. My sister's boyfriend calls my action petty larceny. Semantics. I feel that I was the one wronged. I had a skin-glimmer of hope that Oprah was right this time and that this extreme, blood-soaked trilogy was worth its weight. But wait, what's going on? I stifled the laugh from the back row of the sniffling audience as Taylor welled up all of the sweat that he could muster from his well-read abs. Sadly his best acting occurred beneath CGI fur. And Pattinson showed all fifteen magnum facial expressions as Bella professed that her agitated life force found its belonging in his ways and and in his kind. You know that feeling when you've cried so hard you start to laugh? Or throw up. Or that feeling of feeling nothing because you don't understand the popularity of these three awkward enemies finally finding friendship and love. Wow. Yes, I've opened the book...research. I perused a few chapters. It seems enticing, certainly. I want to understand the fanaticism, and the rare eqinanimous love affair with book and film alike. Perhaps the effect of a ubiquitous media education...and what my mother calls demonic influence.

Dakota Fanning says she really enjoyed the challenge of wearing the red contacts.

I'm glad that she and Kristen are friends. Everyone needs friends. The big puzzle for me is Bryce. Bryce, daughter of filmmaker Ron Howard & M. Night's fav it girl, is an actual actress. She, however, may also have let curiosity damage her hypothalamus.

TOY STORY 3...Buzz, Woody, & the whole gang 2010

2010-07-06T11:48:00.000-07:00

Pixar! Do you remember being little, sitting on the porch step with your orange half a popsicle dripping down your legs? Ah, youth. Ah, reminiscence. Ah, summer. Ah, life. Toy Story 3

KNIGHT AND DAY...Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz...2010 (by James Mangold)

2010-07-02T13:25:00.000-07:00

Classic Cruise and Classic Cameron. In fact that's the whole idea. This perfectly paced film plays on the well known stereotypes. Cruise is an action movie star. And, he's crazy. Cameron is on screen for her body of work...actually just her body.

A favorite professor of mine used to say, you are only allowed to mock from within your own culture group - essentially you should only mock yourself. Tom Cruise embraced these perceptions and obviously made fun of himself to my utter delight. It was such fun. I laughed for 2 hours - good medicine they say. Well done.

A-TEAM...oh, Blue Eyes...

2010-06-16T11:15:00.000-07:00

Hannibal - Once George Peppard, now Liam Neeson. To you both I bequeath my little girl hand to hold, since you have both fathered me through. I trust that you will always have a plan and love it when that plan comes together.

Mr. T - I will never know what the T stands for, but I appreciate that your first name is B.A. for... Bad Attitude. You cannot hide from me - you are the gentlest of the bunch. Kudos to the new: Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

Murdock - To you (Dwight Schultz & Sharlto Copley): I offer you my old spirograph set and my brothers micro machines. Take care of them. You'll love them.

Face - Dirk Benedict, yes, I admit to having a small crush on you when I was young, but we've both matured. So to you, Bradley Blue Eyes Cooper, I pledge my love. I loved you first as Will Tippin. Dibs.

LETTERS TO JULIET...Redgrave, Nero, Seyfried... 2010

2010-05-30T17:42:00.000-07:00

The true love story of this film is the real life story of love between Vanessa Redgrave and Franco Nero, who first starred together as Lancelot and Guenever in the 1967 film version of Camelot. Originally a sappy singing duo whose sensual screen romance shocked and enticed the world so many years ago, they now live as man and wife and sparkle together again in this sweet little romcom.
The Minnie Mouse type Amanda Seyfried forced lines and dressed 40 while her quirks wooed the male counterpart MIckey Mouse with his equally awkward walk and quintessential British mannerisms. The fiance', Victor (Gael García Bernal), played Goofy very well. But this Disney trio was not the endearing focus. Stepping back, it was the precious connection between Juliet (Redgrave) and her Romeo (Nero). And it was the sweet, felt longing for a mother to come and simply listen, spend time, and so gently brush the hair of a sweet daughter. This was what made this film endearing, enjoyable, and sweet.

PRINCE OF PERSIA...Ah, Jake, finally the action hero!

2010-05-30T17:38:00.000-07:00

As the sands of time...so are the days of our lives. Didn't Socrates say that? (Bill & Ted cough). Original and curiously enjoyable, this action film is an oasis in the dry theater this week.

At the Lincoln Cinema, at Bellevue Square, in plush seats. 3D? No, thanks...I almost puked at Clash of the Titans. Yeah, I think was the 3D... maybe. Lights dim. Jake Gyllenhaal has abs? Yes, a 6 pack. CGI? Possibly. I wonder if that girl (Gemma Arterton) feels she can only do these mythological period films. Audience response? Applause. Long applause and standing O from the man who looks like a kid. Think he grew up playing the video game? Definitely. He looks pleased.

Here's a picture of me walking with Jake. Yeah, we hold hands.

CITY ISLAND...2009...Andy Garcia, Julianna Margulies, Emily Mortimer

2010-05-22T08:26:00.000-07:00

Some films stay with you. Some films teach. This film provided this familiar discomfort and disgust of an unvarnished indie with the cozy warmth of trustworthy acting. An actor like Andy Garcia can believably play the discouraged prison guard/family man turned vulnerable acting student. Shockingly acceptable. Some scenes /storylines belong in a poorly made 80's movie, but a few characters and scenes took me by surprise as classic dramatic irony brought everyone's secrets into the open. What's your great secret? Each character dealing alone with unconfessed sins while attempting to protect loved ones from the truth, lives in desperate pain and wears a mask: contented wife and mother, A+ college student, high school normal, acting mentor. Oxymorons. Emily Mortimer, Julianna Margulies, and newby Steven Strait (also seen shirtless in odd-duck flop 10,000 BC), beautifully and believably frame this narrative and provide perfect resolve. A favorite author, Flannery O'Connor, has written many City Islandesque scenarios, in which the stable family comes undone and the convict plays the Christ-figure. Well done. Writer/Director: Raymond De Felitta.

IRON MAN 2...R.Downey Jr. ...2010

2010-05-12T23:14:00.000-07:00

Well, if you must know, I really liked it. What's not to like? Robot action flick, a very scary and believable bad guy (probably the most frightening man alive), excellent acting, bright colors & spectacular showmanship. And they only gave Scarlett Jo a few monosylabic lines and some kicking - I was happy. The ending was a bit anticlimactic, but I still a blast. Oh, R.D.J., why do you tease me so...

BABIES...2010

2010-05-12T21:37:00.000-07:00

In the debate of Nature vs. Nurture, I tend to to lean into the side of Nurture knowing that the milieus in which we are raised affect us greatly. This film peered brilliantly and honestly into 4 individual stories from 4 unique countries, giving the audience that long-coveted fly-on-the-wall feeling. 4 BABIES come into their own worlds, interact with parents, eat, sleep, poop, throw fits and coo. The coo's become intelligible words just as crawls work up to dance. We climb. We conquer. In these are everyman and yet none of these represented groups that I feel I will ever truly understand. I was horrified by the cultural lack of hygiene and equally mortified by one family's constant absence as the baby sat tied to the bedpost all day. I delighted in the culture of community in one story, but sat stupefied by the over-the-top American example. At least the American example reminded me of the very important truth one family does not represent every - that the one African family is not every African family, that the Mongolian family does not represent all of Mongolia, and so forth. This, one of my first documentary film viewings, led me through fascinating journeys of thought into the probability that we are not only affected by our surroundings but that at whatever age, we also work to impact the environments in which we are placed. I also realized that I am so very Western. I know it's not wrong to appreciate baby wipes, or to be more grateful suddenly for undergarments like bras, but this film stretches worldview. It gives a Truman-esque perspective. What will these little lives turn out like? What will they choose to do and become? How are they formed and forming in thier surroundings? How are they the same? How do they differ? How would they be different if they grew up elsewhere? All excellent studies, but perhaps this film taught me more about motherhood...like the fact that I'm okay without that responsibility for now. I walked out of the theater more grieved than enchanted.

DATE NIGHT...Tina Fey & Steve Carell...2010

2010-04-24T21:26:00.000-07:00

Tina & Steve take the city and work it believably as middle-marrieds in this fam-com. Classic Steve. I was only disappointed when they used the same jokes multiple times and had to add the visit to the cesspool for a pole dancing scene. Didn't I see most of this premise on an episode of King of Queens? ...just checking. I suppose it's worth a viewing. Or you could always revisit the most classic of date nights =

YOUNG VICTORIA...2009...Emily Blunt

2010-04-06T10:49:00.000-07:00

Blunt is fabulous. Strong and fabulous. She gave Queen Victoria youth and life, poise and dignity, strength and wit, romance and passion. Helen Mirren, of course, opened the window into Buckingham palace, so now Emily Blunt has made public Victoria's diaries. "Even a palace can be a prison."
Rupert Friend, her Albert, unfortunately more recognized currently for his relationship with Keira Knightley than his excellent presence on screen.He is Wickham no more. I may be a bit in love with him for his devotion and strength opposite the stubborn thin shell covering the Queen's insecurities. They were a lovely match - well cast.

Some would complain that period pieces become sleepy, but this does keep moving. The tension remains long enough to enjoy the resolve. I found it transporting and truthful, and, as Matthew would say, "lovely" (pronounced: lahv -f -lay").

My lovely, late Grandma Sota was enamoured by the British monarchy. She spoke about them with awe, and I believe that this is why my mother wears large hats out in public. My Grandmother, like Victoria was genteel and proper.

I'm standing taller today. Posture = elegance. Quite right.

BAND OF BROTHERS...2001...Spielberg & Hanks produce

2010-04-06T08:55:00.000-07:00

"He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,

Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,

And rouse him at the name of Crispian.

He that shall live this day, and see old age,

Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,

And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian:'

Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.

And say 'These wounds I had on Crispin's day.'

Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,

But he'll remember with advantages

What feats he did that day: then shall our names.

Familiar in his mouth as household words

Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter,

Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,

Be in their flowing cups freshly remember'd.

This story shall the good man teach his son;

And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,

From this day to the ending of the world,

But we in it shall be remember'd;

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother;"

Shakespeare's King Henry V, Act 4, Scene 3

CLASH OF THE TITANS...2010...Liam, Sam, blockbuster remake

2010-04-03T08:54:00.000-07:00

Today, the epic clash ensued between titans! Greek Gods, demigods, and men battled for the power over and worship of mankind. Liam Neeson (the one I deemed my 2nd Dad after Taken) plays an ever-powerful Zeus, and Ralph Fiennes (an excellent Voldemort and beautifully fascinating creature indeed) is again the antagonist as Hades. Both typecast? Not likely...but commonly cast certainly. Aslan most definately released the kraken today.

Much like the sense of familiarity when smells evoke memory, so somehow my childhood was laced with these adventures and 80's wonders. Perseus must defeat Medusa, ride the pegasus, and destroy the kraken. I've always known this somehow.

It seemed somehow appropriate that this film would come out right before Easter - the day of the resurrection of THE hero - the salvation of the world. The one sent by His Father to save us all. It was interesting that Zeus said in the film, "I will not sacrifice my son for the sake of humanity." When that is exactly what God did. The legendary superman lives on in echo through characters like Perseus, but we must never equate these to Jesus. The Greek gods were selfish, angry, too like humans.

Yet the Greeks of old constructed temples and made sacrifices to appease these gods. We see the fanatic followers on the screen and laugh because we have forgotten that so much of creation is re-creation - this was religion for so many not so long ago.

I like an epic action flick, so I again donned the 3D's

today to spend a few hours vicariously saving the

world. There was no nudity or language, and only

black blood. Don't take little kids, cause they'll pee

the $14 seats. It's fun, though. Dangerous and fun. Hmm. Two words I associate with God.

Call me unique, but I do. Happy Easter, all! Blessings.

HE is risen indeed!

ALICE IN WONDERLAND...Burton's Best story re-creation yet! 2010

2010-03-06T09:51:00.000-08:00

Twas Alice at the midnight Lowes

Did friends and film class students vade

to see Tim Burton's modern show,

the Alice cavalcade.

Undaunted sat we glaring up

at marvels never seen,

But it was young Miss Wasikowska

who lit up every screen

Burtonesque, you can be sure

that Edward trimmed the trees,

that skullheads skulk through eerie dreams,

and his red Helena is queen.

Anne and Johnny play their roles

as children with new stacking blocks

gallumphing through the mystic woods

and quoting Carroll's Jabberwock

I believe Jane Austen would approve

this glam-fest period piece 3-D,

she'd thrill and push for women's rights

discussing creatures over tea.

SHUTTER ISLAND...Scorsese 2010

2010-03-06T01:16:00.000-08:00

Scorsese, the scar-faced Santa Claus, delivers coal to sinful souls through a wet, red door in his newest film entitled Shutter Island. Justice and mercy, forgiveness and grief - these intermingle as Leo fights demons and seeks truth. In finding it, however, he also finds himself in interminable pain. This journey is a powerfully concocted trudge through the tortured mind, and ironically it's a thinker film without a lot of action. Are we meant to see ourselves in one of the two pairs of shoes - as potential patients? Are war "heroes" made at the price of, how did Leo put it in the film...something like, "our God-given moral code?"

Motifs flourish in this film: water & death, fire & life, light & escape. Most of the elements are present, but Scorsese's most impressive elements are the cast members themselves. Each performs perfectly in his / her roles. I love this cast. Each one would make my list of "people I would have lunch with...living, dead, fictitious..." Ben Kingsley is lovely as always - a father/mentor figure. Mark Ruffalo has the role of "foil" down pat, and he such a handle on de-emotionalizing and controlling his characters. I feel safe in his performances - curious, but safe. A favorite and most telling scene is the conversation between Leo and Ted Levine (Monk's Captain Stottlemeyer). And I've come to expect seeing Christopher Plummer lately, so of course he was the man in the chair. Leo is stunning. He is dangerous and unapproachable as a human being, a perfect match to the foil. He is the hero. I love his purpose and his approach to the journey - he fears not for himself - a heroic earmark.

I am a Gretel. I love following bread crumbs. (Beware: light spoilers to follow.) It opens with a Hitchcockesque score, which doesn't continue, but bursts forth once again at the very end. I was surprised to hear the conflict indicator line "A storm's coming" in the first five minutes of the film. Crumbs: Ruffalo's gun, accent, and sideways glances; the guards' boredom, the supposedly-menacing lighthouse (usually a beacon of safety), the darkly humorous interviews. It's not a question of what is real, but what is actually unsafe? Scorsese sets the audience up well and moves the story at a digestible pace, but shows me too much gore to ever want to see it again. Yes, Scorsese indulges in a violent commentary on life, but at the expense of all comfort. What initially advertises as beautiful is frightfully bloody and heart-woundingly sad.

LEAP YEAR...Amy Adams and newest celebrity crush...2010

2010-02-22T22:32:00.000-08:00

Far fetched but surprisingly unpretentious.

Contrived but timely in a wish-it-was-The Quiet Man sort of a way.

Amy Adams attempts to prove to this world of romantics such as myself that it truly IS the cocky, overly-sensitive, high-maintenance perfectionists who get the hot, manly, foreign guys after all. So, if you don't mind feeding yourself this lie for 2 hours of frosted chick-flick indulgence - eat up! Just remember that frosting is more fat than fuel.

P.S. It's exactly what you think it will be. So, no, Riley, don't bother.

VALENTINES DAY...who isn't in it? 2.14.2010

2010-02-15T22:34:00.000-08:00

Dear Gary Marshall,

I'm glad that its' been a few days since I saw your film, and I'm equally glad that I didn't watch this on the day for which is was named. First a question, Mr. Marshall.

Why would you choose to call in all of your favors for this film that I've heard called "fluffy?" Julia, Ashton, Jennifer, Patrick, George,

McSteamy, Topher, Latifah, BlueEyes, both Taylors (who sadly ended their relationship about a week too early to match the film release), Anne, Jamie, the Jessicas? Wow. Impressive cast list. But for this? ...for these empty roles?

PS. It's amiable for you to use your entire family in your films, but I have to say that it's just not as endearing for those of us in the fold-down, popcorn-pelted seats. Penny is the only real acting talent in the family. Your daughter's lines make even those of legends like Julie Andrews and Shirley MacLaine feel laughable. Wooden. Truth.

A complaint = Lodged today. 2.15.10. I went expecting a light and friendly Gary Marshallesque chickflick/ romcom. I left so saddened by the unexpected realizm, the darkness of deception, and the expectation that lust will always win over in a selfish humanity. Is there no love? No hope for selfless affection, no joy in pleasant pink days of gifts and candy and flowers? I walked into a Starbucks on Valentines Day and all of the women were wearing red. There must be hope.

A compliment = I've had time to review, to ask, to ponder your reasonings. You are obviously a family man, and I am going to venture a guess that this film was made as a personal commentary - almost your version of a documentary - to show your perspectives on love and marriage to your family. To the oldest in the family =true love stays with it despite disappointment and allows the years of faithfulness and acceptance of quirks to cover the momentary afflictions and poor choices. To the young and ready to marry = don't be stupid, and make sure you marry your best friend. To youth - sex before commitment is just sex, not love, and frivolous sex destroys people. Your other possible messages, I'm afraid, faded beneath a star-studded quilt of wish-it-was-funny jokes about phone sex and pent-up frustrations. So, Mr. Marshall, perhaps it's not too late to call in that one last favor and make a film that's funny and fun without the stifling edge of painful relational disappointment.

Sincerely,

me.

WHIP IT...Drew Barrymore's directorial debute...2009

2010-02-03T23:11:00.000-08:00

Oh Drew.

Oh Ellen/Juno.

Oh Landon Pigg.

ET.

XMen2. Ok, true. Just Juno.

Fallin for you...at a coffee shop, in this film...wherever the Love begins, it may fade if based on the acting... but do sing, though. Sing to me. I saw you once at Fido, a great coffee shop in Nashville. Maybe I could take the song personally.

Since the release of this film, my roommate has begun investigating the world of derby. When asked what her roller name would be, she had an immediate response. What would mine be, I wonder? Meanwhile, she's saving up for skates.

Whip It: I will remember food fights, the pool scene (ummmmhhh...uhhhh... no words. awkward), the costumes, the retainers, the skating, and most of all Kristen Wiig. The rest I will put behind me quickly. Yes. Quickly.

ME AND ORSON WELLES...Efron, Danes, and ???...2009

2010-01-06T00:13:00.000-08:00

Really, don't bother. You may be thinking that that Zac Efron, (proper spelling in place, thank you Melynda), you know, the kid from High School Musical, is the next big one so you better see everything that gets him there. Sure, he's an amiable two-tap Charlie and a class act with youthful zeal. But it can't sell me on a plotless sleeper. Ouch. Yes. Of course, if you have done stage productions and you miss the rush of a curtain call, or if you teach the book Julius Caesar you will want to show the final play production to your class. The Welles character has incredible stage presence, a brooding voice, and moments of vulnerablility - a cad - and a true thespian. Clare Danes (yeah, that girl from Romeo & Juliet - who has got to be in her 40's and is now prancing around with Efron in this film) plays a nominal, poorly written character.

Dear Zac, my advice to you is that you better be careful and not take every "17 year old character who can sing/dance" that comes around. Maybe Disney has you contracted. You did flip someone off in this film, and drink wine, and call Clare Danes your "lover." Ooooh, dangerous. But it doesn't make you a man. Just as paying for my ticket didn't make this a great movie. Sorry Orson.

SHERLOCK...R.D.J. & Jude...Guy Ritchie...2009

2010-01-05T23:44:00.000-08:00

I was accused recently of taking movies a bit too seriously. I assume this meant always watching critically for details rather than just allowing myself to be entertained. It's true that the number one prerogative of films seems to be entertainment. So, with this advice in my left back pocket, I ventured into the weekend blockbuster. To my surprise and delight, this film was exactly what I had hoped it would be - an action-adventure with witty, likable characters. The Sherlock tales of old came to life with an entirely new face, enabling me to sit more comfortably in my familiarity. I've always seen a staunch, heady, emotionless Holmes in my mind, (an admitted deterrent despite my love for his irrepressible sleuthing and attention to detail). Oddly, a freshness surged forth from beneath a thick layer of grimy filth. Robert Downey Jr.'s dirty face, dusty jacket, and disheveled hair actually gave Holmes this precious, tangible, and realistic air. I loved him. I don't know when it happened, but at some point (I suppose it was post Clinton administration), the world began to trust R.D.Jr as an actor again. Jude Law, too, was magnificent. Can he even make a monocle sexy? I'm still deciding if ANY girl could have played McAdams' role. Probably. She did bring the pretty face. My one fear walking in was that the film would be too dark and venture too boldly into the grotesque of the spirit world or into the sensual imaginings of Madonna's former spouse. In the end, however, in true Scooby Doo fashion, all masks were stripped away revealing science, not spirits. Holmes at the helm brought all to right and back into the light once again. "Delightful. Well done," she remembered saying with a grin. Well, that's entertainment for you.

AVATAR...2009...Cameron

2009-12-21T17:09:00.000-08:00

I am a firm believer in the fact that filmmakers are storytellers. In the case of this sci-fi lovers dreamworld, (taking place in a galaxy far away...), humans can step into the literal bodies of the aliens that they are studying via a personal "avatar." The word avatar, according to Princeton's world.net.web, means: embodiment: a new personification of a familiar idea; "the embodiment of hope"; "the incarnation of evil"; "the very avatar of cunning." It also means: the manifestation of a Hindu deity (especially Vishnu) in human or superhuman or animal form; "the Buddha is considered an avatar of the god Vishnu." Hmmm...that's disturbing. RPG'ers will also lay claim to the word as they "live" their games...and get the snot beaten out of them at school in their real lives.

I've asked myself if James Cameron,

writer/director/producer of Avatar, is simply appealing to the masses or if somewhere deep within himself is a young sci-fi nerd living his other life on the big screen. Leave it to Cameron to produce a sci-fi 3-D action thriller "for the whole family" with 500 million dollar budget (probably the highest on a film yet). Cameron farmed out to the best in the biz - Lucasfilms, Weta, Skywalker Sound. The outcome was the

astounding marriage of CGI

and real life action, a believable story, and an empathetic tale of colonization that should hit pretty close to home.

I just taught the book Things Fall Apart - a tragic story about the British colonization of Nigeria in the early 1900's. Its author, Chinua Achebe, claims to have written his book as a reminder to his people not to completely lose the old ways, and to the world to not repeat the wrongs of the past. Achebe speaks of the "white men" coming into his native tribe in Africa - some who come peaceably to befriend and learn about the tribes, and others who come to take and force compliance. Native Americans will also relate to the moral of the Avatar story. They know of forced compliance and the general disrespect of their gods. As in Native American culture, the "Blue People" of this far away planet, have a pantheistic religious milieu that encompasses all that they do. They are people of the trees, athletic and naturalistic. It's an REI member's dream to get to live like they do. The adventures are palpable, the landscape beautiful. We, the theatergoers, see through the eyes of Sam Worthington, a truly solid character. He is believable, and (like the hero "Jack" from the show Lost) he has a refreshing understanding of stillness. He's the jarhead-made-Avatar.

Now to the penny-drop: I was deeply disturbed by this film's blatant freedom to show nudity as justified by cultural differences and CGI affects, sexuality as justified by the idea that at least one party believed that they were "mating for life," and pagan rituals as truth justified once again by the difference in culture. Our culture seems to demand tolerance and acceptance of differences while rejecting critical thinking. In life's classroom, this is an unacceptable practice. The family sitting behind me probably should have shielded their 5 & 6 year old's eyes during a number of scenes - or not brought them at all. People are bringing their whole families into the bedrooms of random strangers and encouraging them to watch. I am disgusted.

So, to end this rant, I believe this film to be an action-packed thrill-ride with a message much like Achebe's - go and learn of the cultures but never feel that you are better and can take what you want from them. I also believe that this film is dangerously beautiful - attractive in a way that makes you say "oh, I guess it's ok. It's just a story." And later as you enjoy his Worthington's last few words, "Afterall, it's my birthday," you smile. You may not realize that you've accidentally downed the entire bottle of poison - slowly, so it was barely noticeable.

THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX...ahhh....good old Wes Anderson

2009-12-16T23:26:00.000-08:00

Miles of unrest have lead me to this moment in time when I should be asleep, but I've let my mind wander to the place of recent joy...

Who knew that a simple night at the theater would prove a visionary stroll into a realism personified to the degree of Watership Down and Animal Farm. I love the characters in this film, as I love the characters in all Wes Anderson films. They are intricate, broken - fractured by insecurities and confused relationships. Father/son play the common dueling roles, as usual, and lines are delivered as dryly as possible. Long camera shots show thoughtful parallels as characters grow and change through struggle and heroism. Forgiveness is the bravest trait of all, it turns out.

The voices of Clooney, Streep, Wilson, Schwartzman, Dafoe, and of course Mr. Murray provide anchors of zest and quirk to each character as personality sparks from puppets originally frozen in frames. Sin, life callings, marriage, parenthood - Fox and friends grace these themes, find resolve, and dance! Mr. Fox and his trademark whistle truly are fantastic!

2012...Cusak. No Joke.

2009-11-21T18:16:00.000-08:00

Somehow, John Cusack can even make the end of the world seem like a glib 80's party. I actually enjoyed the effects without having any kind of emotional response. The scenes in LA were a Disney ride. The characters were lackluster enough for me to care little if they were swallowed up in the mass inundation of the planet. I felt like they could have titled this film "The 2nd Flooding" or "Cusack Builds an Ark" or "John Almighty." The intertwining love stories forced a happy ending despite the virtual destruction of the planet. Love blossoms between the president's daughter (The president was played by none other than the ever-amiable Danny Glover.) and the scientist who becomes a hero when he stands on his moral convictions to save the final few hundred people in the last lemming-like sequences.

I left my seat in the theater feeling like I had just sat through Titanic 2. Reminiscent. Minus the stark empathy and sadness - an even sadder truth in light of an apocalyptic obliteration. John and his ex-wife Amanda Peet rekindle their original fire and potty-train their daughter who announces the final line of the movie, "No more pull-ups." Glib. 2012.

THE BROTHERS BLOOM...Brody, Ruffalo, Weisz

2009-11-01T21:47:00.000-08:00

Weiss. Weiss is quirky and unforgettable as the epileptic photographer.
Brody plays the perfect brooding brother.
Ruffalo, the wild, true con artist.
All is well with the Brothers Bloom, all except their lives. Bloom, after playing scripted characters for his brother’s approval and the family survival for as long as he can remember, now longs for an unwritten life. Steven Bloom plans and plays it all out professionally – a flawless performance as the paralleling Icharus character. Bloom agrees to play one last character and meets the most “real” girl he’s ever met.
I’m still pondering whether Weiss’s character is created or simply lived. A girl called “Bang Bang” also adds quirk and intrique. This film is a must-watch. It must be watched at least a few times. The details are brilliant. Please beware the silly scenes, the few unnecessary phrases. Do recognize the artwork, the scenery, the poetry. Dwell in the moments delivered to you via Rian Johnson’s Directorial masterwork.

Where the Wild Things Are...MAX & the MONSTERS!

2009-11-01T21:29:00.000-08:00

Adventures with Max are phenomenal, well-written, well-played, well-dreamed, and well-filmed. Ordinarily, book-to-film adaptations lack depth and intrigue. This film, having no more than 10 pages to work with, however surpassed my every reading of this book before. Little Max gave an astounding performance. I could feel his pain, understand his loneliness, sense his sorrow, and at the same time, he made me more resilient with his every battle cry!
Henson’s monsters ala Sendak spoke candidly, played violently, felt intensely. Each highlighting and honing in on an aspect of the boy’s internal sensibility, became a kalidescope of kid-sized reactions and thoughts. The new “family” made him their king and asked if he in his power could take away the sadness and loneliness. His response became the backbone of the film, “I have a sadness shield and I take loneliness and do this…kapkooo!” King Max grew up over his short season as king of the Wild Things, learning how to deal with his inner termoil and how to love his family again. Saying goodbye, Max sailed back across the sea to the perfect sound track by Karen O and the Kids.
So, let the wild rumpus begin!

17 AGAIN...Ephron

2009-11-01T21:23:00.000-08:00

Sometimes first impressions are tainted by circumstance. Upon first viewing, this film felt so Ephron-centric, so Wonderful Life-remake, so Lord of the Rings-mocking, so dunce-cap enducing, so Ashton-Demi, and so role-generalizing that I could barely stomach it. All I could think was that I was a teacher and that “15’ll get cha 20.” (Years-old to years in prison).
I wondered if another perspective in a different theater with a different audience could redeem it – or at least give me new eyes…it was also the only one at the cheaps that I felt I could go see at the time…so I went. Sure enough; the row of 12-14 somethings behind me who googly-goggled at Zach Ephron’s every phrase released me of my initial trepidations, and I watched with learned gaze as Ephron actually delivered a decent, even inspiring performance getting some of Matthew Perry’s mannerisms down pat.
Today I saw it again with my roommates who wanted to rent it. I hesitated but decided to try one more time. To my delight, I realized that the messages presented are lovely – promoting abstinence until marriage, supporting the idea that “girls should respect themselves enough to expect men to treat them with respect, and raising the level of importance, endurance, courage, selflessness, and love involved in preserving and stabilizing a quality marriage and family. Zach’s character pursued his wife, unlike my first impressions presumed. My hope would be that students would see and remember these valuable lessons rather than Zach’s perfect body and Ned’s nerd-seduces-princess success.

VALKYRIE...Cruise...2009

2009-08-20T13:08:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard of the term "Wooden Ducked?" My family says this whenever someone tells us to do what we were about to do already, or when we are made to feel like idiots. The term comes from a film called Every Girl Should Be Married (1948)with Cary Grant in which Betsy Drake throws a wooden duck at her boss when he makes her feel small in this way. Oddly, Watching Valkyrie felt a lot like being wooden ducked. The director allowed us to feel twinges of something, then would subsequently give a close up to remind us of what we were supposed to be feeling. In a beautiful scene, a woman is crying in the corner of the screen. She is not the focal point (Cruise no doubt saw to that...sorry Tommy.), but we observant types know and see that she is crying. We may even know why. Then the drop. The pan in to the tear itself and the lines that tell us why...

Why? Mr. Singer, after a lovely first 2 xmen movies, would you choose Superman Returns over redeeming the 3rd X. Be the hero you are hoping to revive and make X3 already. Sorry. Rant. And, now Mr. Singer, with money and phenomenal actors at your disposal (hmm...disposal...hmm), why would you choose to create an emotionless holocaust piece?

Sadly, I was never allowed to forget that Tom Cruise was Tom Cruise. Despite his loppy, curly top, this sad and true story, and his piercing glass eye (which he treats as souvenier /calling card), I always thought "hmm...Tom".

The cast as a whole is brilliant, including the indelible Kenneth Branagh ("that guy who does a bunch of Shakespeare" - as I've heard him called). This is why I must choose to blame Cruise and Singer for the emotionless plea throughout this lamentable film / story. We kept feeling like we were supposed to care...then... we'd see Tom. Perhaps it was Cruise's singular, stoic, stone-faced expression. Perhaps we knew the inevitable outcome. Perhaps it was the unabashed blend of non-German accents used by the actors who were supposed to be playing Germans.

This film did challenge my perceptions in one way, however. I have always naively considered all WWII German soldiers to be brainwashed Nazis. Valkyrie (pronounced Wal-ku-ree in the literal German) reminded me that this was not the case - that even at the highest ranks of the greatest evils, leaders do think for themselves and die for truth.

JULIE & JULIA... Amy & Meryl... 2009

2009-08-10T18:59:00.000-07:00

I love seeing movies with my siblings. They can discuss films intelligently almost immediately after viewing them. They are the ones who reminded me that though funny in parts, this movie ran a bit slowly. True, it felt almost documentary in the pacing. My brother felt that 2 more months of planning would have made this a better movie. He also said, however, that the film was worth seeing if only to listen to his sisters laugh and giggle out loud every time they heard the tones of Meryl's melodic and convincing Julia Child impression. Meryl is as believable as Amy is lovely. They are an excellent team.

Perhaps this is why Julie & Julia felt to me, in true Nora Ephron fashion, very Sleepless-esque. Two characters lives, shown in tandem - one whose obsession leads her on a journey to find herself within the discovery of the other. We kept waiting for Meg Ryan to appear in Amy Adam's apartment in Queens as she blogged. You could almost hear Meg saying, "Don't you just love New York in the fall?" Missing pieces in the story, however, created disappointment as the plot lagged. Characters met and mentioned were never followed up on, and unlike Sleepless, the finale feels inconclusive.

Despite the pacing and plot holes, I will say that foodies and non can appreciate the joy in each slab of melting butter and whisk of egg whites. They can also appreciate partaking in Meryl's sumptuous caricature. Delicious!

STAR TREK...J.J., Pine, & Crew 2009

2009-07-03T20:57:00.000-07:00

J.J. Abrams revives the tribute of my lifetime. I had no idea that years of choosing to spend time with my dad in front of what he just affectionately categorized as "Sci-Fi" would turn me into a Trekkie. Sure, I've heard of Tribbles, Jean-Luc Picard is my personal Gandalf-esque mentor, and Janeway reminded me of my more feminist professors in my more mind-shaping classes. What of it? It was about the phasers set to stun and the Vulcan mind meld and the hyccup phrasing of Captain Kirk.

Now, however, the crew members of the Starship Enterprise are my age, Starfleet Academy is accepting applications, Bones is attractive, Romulans have a nasty streak, and I want Chris Pine to father my children.

TRANSFORMERS 2...Shia 2009

2009-07-03T20:37:00.000-07:00

Theory: Michael Bay is 10 years old, 14 at best. I've seen his public self before, but I believe that man to be his decoy. At least I know this movie's target audience: pubescent boys. Why else would they have asked monosyllabic valley-girl Megan Fox back for the second. Oh, and the idiot parents - "Let's get the mom high in this one" says the jr. high cheer squad slash billion dollar action film consultants. Shia gets better at his job while the rest of the world slips into action-induced comas. Drunk on visual-stimulus as robot warriors change back and forth from vehicles to heroes, I'll admit I appreciated the visuals and even the story. I like action, so perhaps if they had removed everyone except the robots, Shia, (and I suppose the very pretty Josh D.) I would be speaking more highly of this sequel.

Shia, you've got a good thing going here. Don't blow it. I like your

Cusackisms.

PS. A word on sequels: Don't bother, unless you consider them the necessary transition period between the original and the usually more appealing 3rd. Sad, but true.

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE...2009

2009-03-08T22:41:00.000-07:00

I weep. My heart breaks for the children of India. This film scouts through the slums of Mumbai and Bombay as two orphaned boys flee from terror to seek home, peace, safety, shelter, food, and family only to find slavery, torture, danger, and death. This journey grows them up, and tears them apart. I ache for these children, and the millions like them. Slumdogs. So few escape. Our hero is the moral brother, the Christ-like, the hopeful, the dreamer. He is Jamal.

Jamal's story is told, ironically, through each individual question of the show Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Each answer reveals a piece of his mystery, of his heart, and of his pain. And his heart, we come to find out, belongs to a girl named Latika.

Dumas' Three Musketeers provides an interesting literary underlayer as the "dogs" become the heroes and three children become the freedom fighters of their own destinies. Poverty, pursuits, and passions forge the journeys of the musketeers who become sword wielding peace-keepers as well as for the children who fight for survival . As we follow our little musketeers through India, we meet Jamal's Aramis, called Latika. Dumas' wrote his 3rd musketeer, Aramis, as the true best friend of the three - the one who holds friendship in sacred high regard and who speaks the truth. It is foolish to believe that scriptwriters choose these parallels by mistake. I believe that filmmakers Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tandan, as well as writer Simon Beaufoy create a shocking visual venue for truth through this film by showing the real lives of dump-dwellers, impoverished youth, and corrupt and immoral society members. This film shows real life for many broken people in our broken world.

This film is precious. It speaks for the children who cannot. It lives for the children who have not. It fights for the children who will not. It is for me and for you now to speak, to live, and to fight.

THE FALL...Lee Pace

2009-02-03T18:19:00.002-08:00

For film lovers. For art lovers. For those of you who have ever loved a storyteller.

The Fall speaks in color and beauty - transcending traditional filmmaking. This is an art film. Each scene a painting in itself, this film is a Salvador Dali come to life.

The motif of "falling" is the resplendent repetitive notion of lives in motion, making mistakes, sinning, falling from our pedistals of chance and fate and grace. It's a question. It's a fear. It's a risk that, once taken, affects the entire rest of your life. It's about life and living it. It's about family and fathers. It's about loving someone enough to stick around for the rest of the story. It's the retelling of a silent picture as seen in the mind of a little girl. The teller becomes her hero and her friend. The percieved quest is one of external healing; the actual is internal as the listener becomes the unexpected hero to save her dear friend.

For Andrew: Don't worry. It ends well.

AUSTRALIA...Jackman, Kidman

2009-02-03T18:19:00.001-08:00

Thank you, Baz Lurhmann. I love you.

INKHEART... Fraser, Mirren, Bettany, Serkis

2009-02-01T08:55:00.000-08:00

INKHEART. According to the two third-grade girls chatting it up with me after the movie:

blonde braids-"This was a good one."

brunette BFF- "Really good."

blonde braids- "Did you know that the producer was Cornelia Funke?"

me-"Funky."

braids - (smiling) "I know. Funky. (small giggle) I have two of her books. Did you know that she hand-writes a copy and they're worth like a thousand dollars. I don't think I could ever write all that. I have one, but it's the regular kind."

me- "Who was your favorite character? Did you like the dad? (Brendan Fraser)"

BFF - "umm. I don't know."

braids - (after a 'you're crazy' glance at bff) "The dad was okay. He was sort of ...

me- "poorly cast? ready to find his new calling in hotel management?"

braids- "He was okay. Dustfinger was the best. Did you see him blow fire?"

me- (Did I ever. Since when did he start working out - he was body-beautiful in this.) "Yup."

(Dustfinger was played by the scene-redeeming Paul Bettany. Great casting choice, says I. I love him. He's walked a long road since his naked role in A Knight's Tale with the late Heath Ledger. I also enjoyed the camio by his lovely wife Jennifer Connelly.)

me- "He was so cute."

braids - (shoots me the 'now you're crazy' look and corrects me.) "He was good."

me- "I liked the old lady (that's kid-speak for the illustriously prominent Helen Mirren.)

braids- "Yeah, she was so funny."

me- "She was hilarious. When she rode on the little scooter... and the unicorn!"

bff- "...or when she.."

braids- "That shadow guy was SOOO scary."

bff- "yeah."

(By this time we'd reached the outside doors.)

me- Thanks for chatting about the movie with me.

bff- "It was nice...to meet you."

braids- "I hope we see you again. Here. Sometime. Hope again."

me- Thanks. I hope so too!

BENJAMIN BUTTON,The Curious Case of...Pitt...2009

2009-01-01T20:41:00.000-08:00

F. Scott Fitzgerald, author who created the infamous Gatsby, also wrote this charmingly odd tale of Benjamin Button. The screenplay is a very loose retelling taking merely the notion of a man living his life backwards.

www.readbookonline.net/read/690/10628

It's beautifully filmed in a progression of sepia tones which build into vibrant colors as time passes. Time plays an interesting character, possibly the antagonist, as the clock builder loses his son "too young" in the war and eventually takes his own life. He intentionally builds his clock to run backwards as a memento to his dream that time would allow him to have his son back. The clock's life mirror's our hero's, running backward making a statement, which was??... How very Merlin.

Filmmakers did a nice job of providing visual reminders of the age Benjamin would be at each stage, usually with his excellent counterpart, played in large part by Cate Blanchett.

Her performance is astounding - she's ageless. It's shocking, really. My favorite scene comes in an odd sequence showing that Blanchett is doomed by a set of events, which would have changed had one element veered. This is displayed in scenario so beautifully by the director. It felt a bit Amelie. I loved it. I didn't love the outcome of this desperate sequence. (Spoiler...)

How could he leave?

Even if he didn't. She was stubborn, in pain, alone...what a horrid recovery time that would have been. Hopeless. Sad.

Another disappointing element in this film was that love is yet again portrayed as merely physical. The film was FAR too sexual. Old in body/ young in mind doesn't equal frequent brothel visits. Developing a friendship between two lonely people doesn't have to end up in a raucous affair with a married woman. Relationships do not have to be throw-away. Over all, Button's relationships leave all parties unsatisfied and terribly lonely, including the illusive one created through letters he leaves to his own daughter. Blanchett's character is lovely until she throws herself into the wild, wilful, and very permiscuous life behind the stage. Suddenly, she doesn't seem the prize she once was. They are only able to share a short time when their lives "meet in the middle."

Wait. Admittedly, The Way We Were is a guilty pleasure film and, yes, I own it. It's brilliant. So, I absolutely appreciated the overly obvious nods to that film - the Redford-esque sailing scenes, the life on a mattress - costumes, era, etc. Beautiful. Noteworthy. However, again too sexual. Need we constantly be reminded that Hollywood thinks that sex is love. Is there no deeper thought in the minds of screenwriters? I need to know.

Julia Ormond, perfect choice for the daughter of this odd pair, flawlessly emotes on her single set within the hospital room. There we catch the last moments of the woman who grew with and loved Benjamin. An aged Cate Blanchett tells the sad story reluctantly as her last act. So much sorrow blends with depth of secret remembrance in these scenes. They are precious, though rough to watch. Grief plays into the curiosity that they are attempting to build throughout the framed narrative.

I'm grateful for the intermittent "storm" reminders. Storms also provide metaphoric markers as they consistently follow Benjamin Button through his life.So, this film creates this very "curious" tale which leaves us pondering life, yes. It's also beautifully filmed and intriguing. I appreciated the times with the elderly in the home - great twist on Fitzgerald's tale. Each person adding a glimpse at how to appreciate life and the people in it as it's lived. Comic relief comes throughout from the guy who was struck by lightning 7 times - each time captured in black and white like a silent film. Death is a sad reality of life. Interesting theme to capitalize on. Religious themes are touched on, but not positively as Button's life continues.Benjamin Button lives a full life. He certainly experiences life, but he regretfully doesn't seem to learn anything from his experiences. He just has them. In this way, he's childlike, and selfish. I don't know. Maybe I was expecting more. I wanted him to learn and grow from his unique life. The film emphasizes sameness in life - beginning to end. We end as we begin - in diapers. I missed the hope, the joy of learning from experience. In Button, I saw a life lived in selfishness and loneliness. I'm left with nothing to hold onto, except that frivolous hint of academy nods. Sad.

YES MAN...Carrey...2008

2008-12-28T06:53:00.000-08:00

After being snowed in for a week, we decided to get out and see a flick. Unfortunately, we chose this one.

The director obviously had been missing every one of Jim Carrey's old characters from In Living Color, so he chose to honor them all in this film. And the writer decided to include every almost funny idea he ever had from the boss throwing theme parties, to singing someone off a ledge. Throw classic Carrey into situations like: sex-driven old lady next door, hospital gown + motorcycle, bar fight, and a cultish YES seminar, and you have a film that tries too hard to be funny. Perhaps if you checked your brain at the popcorn stand (which, granted, many go to the movies to do), but then you threw morality into the Despereaux auditorium, and then asked for a title-for-plot film with pretty colors and vaudevillian humor, then you'd enjoy this one. How about Home Alone minus Kevin = just bad guys falling down.

I did laugh. Sure. Zooey Deschanel in a genreless band wearing parrot/pirate/patriot costumes crooning about her last love who can't call after 11, but can still call at 10:59. That's enjoyable. She adds a lovely, worry-less feel to any role she's in. I don't think she sweats. Ever. But chemistry with Carrey dissipated and she looked about 20 to his 50. The wanna-be-Ricky Gervais played the insecure, Harry Potter-loving, people-pleasing boss to a British tea. Loved his "Norm. That's great. That could be my nick-name. I could call you Car. That could be yours instead of Carl." Quick. Funny. Decent.

One last note on Will Tippen. Bradley Cooper plays Jim's best friend. Brad is the quintessential best bud with the right amount of hold your best friend accountable when he's being an idiot and be there for him when he's in need. Ah, Will. I know it takes movies with A-list stars like this to build your repertoire and get you bigger roles, but this? Why, blue eyes? Why.

Ambiance

I give it three "Get me out of this body's"

Audience & Attitude have, I believe, been aptly covered.

Thanks for reading!

LORD OF THE RINGS...again

2008-12-26T19:15:00.000-08:00

When one is snowed in, it is appropriate for all in the pleasant predicament of home stay to say, "Let's watch Lord of the Rings!" Now, one must prepare to watch LOTR. It is, afterall, a considerable commitment. This time around, we worked in shifts, watching one disk per day over a week's time of the extended edition. Something new strikes me every time. This time I watched Aragorn win the day with new depth. He captures something lovely and admirable in his portrayal of the literary hero. He breathes kingship. He is the reluctant leader who deserves the throne. I saw many new connects to typology of Christ. Self-sacrifice, fight, kindness and fairness for his people, endurance, grace, lasting hope, leadership, and poignant deep love. As ranger, warrior, and finally King, Aragorn lives and I return to watch him win...for Frodo. : )

HONEY...Alba...2003

2008-12-26T14:08:00.000-08:00

The hips that made Alba famous...and abs. She's the well-dressed, midriff-showing "hood rat" with a bleeding heart for the street kids who she knows will turn out to be "bad" if they don't turn to hip hop. Hip hop is hero in this "making of" film. She's a Jenny from the Block who frequents a club, gets spotted by a music video director, and immediately starts choreographing major music videos for famous artists. Professional (but mildly pornographic) dance routines - shout out to the obvious actual choreographer who just happens to be in every scene. Pretty sure he's the only one who can kick behind his head while stretching out and spread-eagle toe touch in the kids dance benefit finale at the end. Alba plays the angel to Bronx-talking, demon, pimp, music video director "Michael" who is none other than "David" from Newsies. He also may or may not have aged at all in the 20 years since he played a young Tom Hanks in Big. He tries to pull off a swear word here and there, but can't quite make it believable. Sure, he looks like a slimeball, but under it all we know he's still about to burst into the song "Seize the Day." You can take the boy out of the Newsies...

Disconnect: Alba's mother runs the "center" for kids in the bad part of town so they'll have a place to be and won't start selling drugs. She always looks down on her daughter for spending her time helping kids instead of making something of herself as a ballerina. Hmm. Unfortunately, the center becomes a hub for drug dealers to teach young kids their insidious ways. Later the center gets shut down because of disrepair. Alba's dream is to finally open a dance studio for kids in the bad part of town so they'll have a place to dance instead of selling drugs. Take that, Mom!

Three Part Rating System:

Audience...older Siblings

Ambiance..."kick, stretch, and kick!"...and laugh. Laugh a lot. Then try the moves over Christmas desserts to make your grandparents laugh so hard.

Attitude...Curious - flipping channels & you are just so curious, so you sit through most of it, only flipping intermittently to Monk re-runs because you just have to figure out how the guy from ER got his start in this movie.