2007 Movie Log
The Great Debaters
♥♥1/2
This drama is based on the true story of Melvin Tolson, a professor at a small, all-black college in Marshall, Texas (Wiley) during the Jim Crow era. In 1935, Tolson (Denzel Washington) created the school’s first debate team, which went on to compete against Harvard in the national championship. I feel so cynical giving this film ♥♥1/2. It’s a superbly made film – and it should be required viewing for every student age 10-18. However, to me the film felt heavy-handed and forced at times, and I believe that could have been avoided. The 1930’s sets and costumes were spot-on – and the acting was wonderful – especially Washington, Forest Whitaker, Jurnee Smollett and relative newcomer Denzel Whitaker (age 17).
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Eastern Promises
♥♥♥1/2
I missed this crime drama when it was on the big screen. I’m kind of glad – watching the brutal fight scenes and the unbelievably graphic throat slittings (yes, plural) on my TV was hard enough. I watch through my fingers a lot in the theater – this was the first time I had to watch through my fingers AT HOME. That said, it was a terrific movie. Viggo Mortensen stars as Nikolai, a mysterious player in one of London’s most powerful organized crime families. Naomi Watts plays Anna, a law-abiding midwife trying to help an orphaned newborn. Their paths cross on a rainy London street, and……heck, I don’t want to spoil anything—go rent the DVD. Remember, the movie is incredibly violent – but it tells a perfectly-paced and gripping story. Great movie.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Gone Baby Gone
♥♥♥
Ben Affleck directed and co-wrote the screenplay for this gritty Boston-based crime drama about two investigators (Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan) hired to help find a missing 4-year old girl. Ed Harris, Morgan Freeman and Amy Ryan also star. Fine, fine acting all around. The heavy Boston accents and realistic dialog tripped me up at times – but they made the film authentic and believable. The plot twists and moral dilemmas presented in this movie will stay with you after you leave the theater—- much to think about and lots of fodder for discussion. Hard to find fault in a film that does that.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Juno
♥♥♥♥
I LOVED THIS MOVIE! Juno (Ellen Page), the title character, is a quirky 16-year old who finds herself pregnant after a one-time encounter with her good friend Paulie Bleeker (Superbad’s Michael Cera). Snappy dialog and stellar acting make this indie film worthy of every bit of praise it is receiving. Films that become the darling of the critic circles sometimes don’t live up to the superlatives heaped upon them. 2004’s “Sideways” comes to mind—don’t get me wrong, I really liked that movie, but a “Best Picture” Oscar nomination? Come on! However, “Juno” lives up to the hype–all of it, every last bit. Diablo Cody, the screenwriter, deserves the Oscar for best original screenplay. Hands down.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
♥♥
Such farcical silliness! I’m a big fan of the biographical films “Walk the Line” and “Ray,” and this film spoofs the best parts of both movies. Walk Hard tells the life story of fictional music legend Dewey Cox (John C. Reilly – don’t you love him?). Even though this movie was hilarious, I recommend waiting for the DVD. It would be a perfect rental, and there’s nothing in the film that has to be seen on the big screen. Also, beware of watching it with your teenagers – there is full frontal male nudity, I kid you not. This film earns its “R” rating honestly.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )National Treasure: Book of Secrets
♥♥1/2
Great family film! Nothing like a history lesson or two thrown in with your Indiana Jones-style action sequences. Nicolas Cage returns as Ben Gates in this sequel – and instead of treasure as his motivation, he’s seeking to clear his great great-grandfather’s name as a co-conspirator in Lincoln’s assassination. And, shock of shocks, he finds some serious bling in the process (a whole city’s worth). Helen Mirren plays his mom, Emily Appleton, a scholar of Native American Languages. She is always a joy to watch on the screen – and her scenes with ex-husband Patrick Gates (Jon Voight) are truly memorable.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )I Am Legend
♥♥♥
I Am Legend is one of those movies that succeeds because the lead role was perfectly cast. Will Smith was stellar; he won’t win that Oscar – but he should be mighty proud of his performance. Smith plays brilliant scientist Robert Neville, living in the vast wasteland of NYC in 2011. Neville may be the last person on earth after a man-made cancer-eradicating virus turned deadly in 2009 and wiped out society. Those who are infected and managed to survive have mutated into “dark seekers” – flesh eaters that come out at night. They look a bit like Voldemort from the Harry Potter movies (but the dark seekers have managed to keep their noses). Neville spends his days in survival mode while still seeking a cure to the virus. Take “Cast Away,” “28 Days Later” and “Signs” and roll them into one edge-of-your-seat film……and you have “I Am Legend”. Suspenseful and taut, perfectly paced and edited…..a must-see if you like thought-provoking thrillers. The visually stunning scenes of post-apocalyptic New York City are worth the ticket price. See it on the big screen.
During the course of the movie, I noticed the gorgeous artwork “reproductions” hanging in Neville’s home (near Washington Square)—-Starry, Starry Night by Van Gogh and The Sleeping Gypsy by Henri Rousseau. In one scene, I noticed a big ol’ stack of framed artwork in the corner—then it dawned on me — Neville TOOK these paintings from museums and hung them in his home! Why not? It’s not discussed in the movie at all—just one of those things some folks may notice. I went online after the movie – and, lo & behold, both of those works are currently in the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. There were other famous works of art in Neville’s home – but these were the two that I remembered after the movie. It’s hard to miss Rousseau’s painting – it’s huge!
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead
♥♥♥
The story of two brothers who plan the robbery of their parents’ jewelery store – and everything goes horribly wrong. This is one of those films that I consider really good because of the great acting and directing—but the characters were so flawed, some misguided to the point of being downright evil, that I didn’t care if they all walked off a cliff and the credits rolled. I wish the film had been tweaked just enough for me to care, then it would have been a great piece of work, in my opinion. Ethan Hawke’s character, the younger brother, ALMOST made me care. I loved the fact that I didn’t know where this film was going – it was not predictable. Philip Seymour Hoffman gave a wonderfully nuanced performance – a tug on his pants leg before sitting on the edge of his desk was praise-worthy. I could have lived the rest of my entire life, however, without witnessing the first 3 minutes of this film. Believe it or not, the director, Sidney Lumet, was born in 1924. He directed “Running on Empty” back in 1988 – one of my favorite films. River Phoenix–man, I miss him.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )No Country for Old Men
♥♥♥♥
Holy moly. Where to begin? What an incredibly intense film. Don’t see it alone because as soon as you leave the theater, you’ll want to sit down in a coffee house and talk, talk, talk. The ending–you’ll want to talk about the ending. Javier Bardem–you’ll want to talk about him until your lips crack. The film, set near the Rio Grande, is about the string of destruction and violence that occurs after a hunter finds a truckbed full of heroin bricks, $2 million in cash and a considerable amount of dead bodies. Superbly acted, directed and edited. Josh Brolin–what a surprise. Where has he been hiding? He was great in “American Gangster” – but he knocked my socks off in this movie. A fantastic piece of film and my favorite Coen brothers film to date (which is saying a lot because I loved “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” and “Fargo”). Oscars all around, I say.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )This Christmas
♥1/2
Though I enjoyed looking at the beautiful people who starred in this film, I think it was flawed. The singing portions were badly edited and looked lipped-synched. I hate that. During the course of the film, one character decides to leave her spouse — and everyone clinks glasses & happily toasts the absence of the husband – IN FRONT OF THE COUPLE’S KIDS! I couldn’t believe it! Even though he was a complete jerk, he’s still the children’s dad. Also, there was a scene involving a belt and some baby oil that was supposed to be funny, I guess – it was not. No one in the theater (all 8 of us) laughed.
I did love the family – its matriarch, its secrets, its beautiful LA home. Wait for the DVD.
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