GLEE- Flash Mob Rome

This is just a fun thing to see! Enjoy.

Avatar: Review (minor spoilers)

This is a very upfront movie, so I'll be upfront, I LOVED Avatar. I have to say the marketing of Avatar didn't do much to explain what the heck the movie is about - all I really understood was that it had blue people and flying dinosaur-like creatures, and from interviews on TV I knew that Sigourney Weaver and Sam Worthington were in it. But that's about all I understood. I saw the 3D version, which is spectacular, but just given the amazing visuals, I bet the 2D version is just as beautiful and entrancing. Here's a little explanation of what it's actually about: Marine Worthington arrives at a planet called Pandora (around the year 2150) where he's replacing his brother as the operator of an avatar (a Mii for the Wii crowd, or basically a physical representation of yourself that operates under your control but separate from your body) to integrate himself into the indigenous people so he can 1) learn more about them for Weaver's scientist, and 2) persuade them to abandon their homes so a company can extract a valuable ore from beneath it. Because he's replacing his brother, Worthington has no experience with either the language or customs of Pandora or the Navi (the tall blue people with tails). This works to his advantage and he begins to learn about them. He's pulled between his military commanders and the science and sociology people trying to learn as much as they can. He meets Neytiri (voiced and acted thanks to James Cameron's amazing new techniques of motion capture by Zoe Saldana) the daughter of the chief of the local Navi clan, and ultimately, his instructor in what it means to be Navi. He goes through the rites and rituals of becoming a Navi, riding an indigenous horse, flying on a raptor-type animal, and understanding the Navi's deep connection with their planet. Ultimately a huge fight goes down between the company and Navi (and you can guess what happens).

James Cameron has truly changed the art of movie-making in many ways. The ability to actually capture an actor's performance and then morph that performance into a different species with different shapes and environments is amazing. The sci-fi genre may never be the same (or many others either, given the imagination of Hollywood). However, he's still James Cameron, and wrote the movie too, so the inspiration of other movies in the past kept hitting me. The one that keeps sticking is that Avatar is what might have happened if Dances with Wolves had ended differently. However, the movie-making skill and futuristic (rather than historic) story gave Cameron the chance to tell a story without stooping to basic cliches. He only spends moments (in a very long 160 minute movie) describing how avatars work, or Worthington learning the language, or basic information about the Navi. But the collective whole of the movie gives you all the information you need to understand a beautiful story. Much of the back story is told through voice-overs from Worthington's video diaries. I went in knowing how long the movie would be, so I was conscious of when trimming might have been done, and honestly there were few moments even a couple of seconds could be cut, and definitely never an entire scene.

The acting throughout was superb. Weaver is excellent at playing a ball-busting scientist, pissed off at the conditions she's constantly fighting to get the best possible science done. The incursions the military has had with the Navi stopped her school (an easy explanation for why some Navi can speak English) and she's constantly fighting to get better things done. Her fascination with Pandora is infectious. Zoe Saldana (pictured above, left) as the only main character who is NEVER shown as human (most of the others appear in their avatars as well as human) is terrific. She's funny, tough, smart, and tries very hard to help her people work with the humans again even though it hasn't gone well in the past. And finally Sam Worthington is terrific. For a newcomer he carries the whole movie really well. I'm guessing he'll have trouble getting recognized for it since he spends at least half the movie as a giant blue man, rather than himself. His struggles with learning about the Navi and triumphs when he masters new skills are powerful to watch, while never stooping to over the top acting option. I really really liked Avatar as did the people I went with, so I give it 5 of 5 stars/lambs.

Sherlock Holmes: Review

I would have gone to see any movie with Robert Downey, Jr., but I was also excited to see a new big-screen adaptation of the great characters of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as I didn't know much about them. Downey, Jr. plays Holmes, with Jude Law as Dr. John Watson, and Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler, and American con artist thief (and the love of Holmes). We first see Holmes and Watson stopping a ritualistic murder, and catching the serial killer. During the ensuing months Watson begins the process of moving out of their rooms to marry a young woman named Mary. Holmes does all he can to thwart their match, as he doesn't want to lose Watson (their bromance is both taken seriously and played for laughs and definitely reminded me of House and Wilson on "House, M.D." in that Watson protects Holmes from himself, and Holmes is fiercely loyal to Watson and secretly loves Irene). Holmes is going stir-crazy trying to find challenging things to do, as all his offers of work seem silly. However, at the time their serial killer is to be hanged, Holmes and Watson get drawn back into a much larger investigation surrounding the man about to die. The whole story is reminiscent of Indiana Jones, with mysticism and mystery, but as it is Sherlock Holmes, ultimately, it's more like a Victorian Age Mentalist.
The acting, directing, story-telling and overall look of the movie are terrific. The one complaint I had was the difficulty in understanding the rapid-fire, mumbled dialogue. I was always a few moments behind understanding the terrific dialogue, which does make the experience a bit tiresome. One of the best movies of 2009, and I can't wait to watch it again on DVD so I can rewind any dialogue I don't understand. 4.5 stars/lambs

Funny People...not so funny, but still good

Adam Sandler has had mixed success with his movie career. Definitely a big movie star with huge grossing movies, he's rarely taken seriously as an actor. He's tried several times to do more serious roles (Spanglish, Punch Drunk Love) with mixed reviews. My favorite movie of his is hands down 50 First Dates with Drew Barrymore. This past summer he teamed up with Judd Apatow's team to make Funny People a look at what happens when a comedian gets everything he always wanted and has no idea how to enjoy it. Then he gets sick and doesn't have anyone to help him through the problems he's facing. Then he meets Ira Weiner (Seth Rogan) and his roommates (Jonah Hill and my least favorite actor Jason Schwartzman). Seth and Jonah are comedians and he hires Seth to be his assistant. The problem is that Seth is basically a good person with morals, which Sandler seems to have lost along with any friends or family. We watch Sandler get sick, then better, and meeting up with an old love, Leslie Mann (and her kids again!) and screwing up her life. Overall, it's definitely a drama, with the career of a comedian as the back-drop to offer some comic relief. Good movie, but not great. 3 of 5 stars/lambs

I loved this!

Merry Christmas from Insight into Entertainment!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I hope to see lots of movies during the next week, particularly Avatar in 3D! I hope you all get everything you're looking for this Christmas.

Inglorious Basterds: DVD Review (with minor spoilers)

I was definitely worried that Inglorious Basterds wouldn't live up to the hype, or that it would just be another incredibly violent movie from Quentin Tarantino. Thankfully, it totally lived up to the hype and also was a very violent movie, though not as gratuitously as some of his others. It returns to a lot of the strengths that he brought to Pulp Fiction, with strong story-telling, with different characters ultimately arriving at the same place and the story coming full-circle. The analogy that kept coming to mind to describe the connection between the two movies was Pulp Fiction is to crime movies as Inglorious Basterds is to war films. That is to say, it's only vaguely related to their larger genres. Basterds follows a group of Jewish-American soldiers led by Brad Pitt who will be dropped into occupied France to "kill Nazis". They build up a reputation of brutal slayings, pissing off the Nazi higher ups, specifically, Col. Hans Landa (Christopher Waltz in his Golden-Globe nominated performance) who has built up his own reputation as "The Jew Hunter". The story is told in chapters, each small story adding up to the complete and final chapter. The first chapter shows Waltz trying to find out if a family is hiding a Jewish family in their farm. He's jolly, and friendly and ultimately scares the crap out of you with his cruelty, which is what you remember every time he reappears. You're never sure if he'll be evil or jolly (sorry, that's an odd word to describe him, but it's what he seems to me). Meanwhile, we meet a French cinema-owner who strikes the eye of a German war hero (Daniel Bruhl). He convinces Goebbels to move the premiere of the new German propaganda movie to her theater. She decides to blow up the theater to trap them all inside. At the same time our Basterds have reached Paris and also plan to blow up the theater, though they need help getting in from a film star (Diane Kruger). She meets the Basterds in a bar, which ends in a pretty great gun fight as other German soldiers are there and they blow their secret identities. Ultimately, their scheme succeeds, but I won't tell you how or who survives.

Overall, I really liked the movie. It was long, (158 minutes) but it doesn't drag very often, and each new chapter brings in new characters. Also, and I vaguely remember this being an issue when it came out, all the characters speak the language they're meant to speak based on their character and the conversation taking place (i.e. Brad Pitt speaks English when he's talking to his troops, Landa speaks German to soldiers, but French to the local people). They actually justify, very subtly, the language being spoken at any moment. All the acting is terrific - particularly Waltz and Melanie Laurent (the French Cinema owner), both pictured. Also, by just setting the story during WWII and using the same characters, but letting the story run however he wants, Tarantino maintains the tensions in ways most war films couldn't. You can't assume anyone lives or dies just because history says they did (or didn't). Very good movie, definitely deserving of a spot in the top 10 movies of 2009. 4 of 5 stars/lambs

Did you hear about the Morgans?: Review

I know there are a lot of haters out there in blog land for the new romantic comedy, Did you hear about the Morgans? with Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant, and chances are they won't like the movie, regardless of my review. However, for the people willing to watch a movie BEFORE they decide they hate it, this review's for you. Did you hear about the Morgans? is the story of a separated couple Meryl and Paul Morgan who witness a murder and have to be protected from the escaped murderer. I'm guessing you can figure all that out from the commercials. While it does follow several movie cliches - the fish out of water (city mouse/country mouse) and the bickering couple that make amends, the movie does avoid offending either the city or country people. The Morgans are New York City people, transported to super-rural Wyoming, and their ignorance of rural life is played for laughs rather than mocking the rural people for not having the big-city options, like a lot of other movies. As a bickering couple, they spend a lot of time watching Grant attempt to make-up to his wife with gifts and apologies and such. Advice from the couple taking care of them (Mary Steenburgen and Sam Elliot) is seen as wise and important (even though they're mostly teasing the city couple). However, the couple that steals the show for their few scenes is Elizabeth Moss (from "Mad Men") and Jesse Liebman (in his first movie according to Imdb) as Meryl and Paul's assistants. They basically dislike each other but have to plan their bosses lives with each other. Moss is terrific as a shrew bossy know it all, and Liebman as the bumbling but sweet foil for her.
Overall, a good romantic comedy without anything problematic or particularly wonderful. Right in the middle. 2.5. of 5 Lambs/stars

Random round-up!

Last weekend, it was snowing and cozy by the fire, so I watched a bunch of movies, the first from a Netflix DVD, and the others from the Netflix Watch Instantly feature on Roku. All were surprisingly good movies, perfect for a quiet weekend.

Away We Go stars SNL alum Maya Rudolph and The Office's John Krasinski as expectant parents. They've moved to be near his parents for the birth of their baby, only to be told his parents - Catherine O'Hara and Jeff Daniels - are moving to Belgium. Untethered by either family or jobs, they decide to find a new place to live near people they know. Thus begins a journey of some of the most extreme characters ever. Allison Janney is a vulgar ex-boss in Tuscon, Maggie Gyllenhaal is an over the top mother in Wisconsin, and Melanie Lynsky is a perfect mom of lots of adopted kids in Montreal. We watch Rudolph and Krasinski's voyage to find a place to live, as well as discover what kind of parents they want and DON'T want to be. Their dialogue provides most of the humor of the movie, quick and sharp, as they discuss the crazies they thought they might want to live near. I thought it was a really good, very original movie, carefully constructed to avoid cliche, but almost misses the mark. It could easily have been really boring, but the strength of the cast makes the movie thoroughly enjoyable. 4 of 5 stars/lambs

The next movie we watched is How About You, a movie Netflix recommended to me and they were right and I enjoyed it. It's about an Irish assisted living facility run by Kate. She's struggling to keep it together when her long-term residents scare off any potential new clients coming to visit. Her ne'erdowell sister Ellie, comes to mooch off of her and gets a job helping clean the home. When their mom gets sick at Christmas, Kate has to leave to take care of her, but can't find a place for 4 residents who have nowhere else to go (they've been banned from other homes). Ellie says she's stay and take care of them for the holidays. The residents are a hoot. Vanessa Redgrave plays an aging actress who remembers a terrific career that never was, and dances around demanding more olives for her martinis and making people jump to her whim. Two sisters - Imelda Staunton and older sis Brenda Fricker - live at the home to escape their childhood struggles (slowly revealed during the movie) and harp on any perceived slight from the staff. Fricker even makes Staunton wear an eye patch after Ellie throws a piece of toast at her. The final person to complete their holiday quintet of lonely hearts is well known British actor Joss Ackland (I spent most of the movie trying to remember where I'd heard his voice before), a widowed, former alcoholic judge. None of them are friends and none of them will give an inch to make life easier for Ellie. Ackland insists on breakfast in his room at 6 am, the others want specific foods at the regular breakfast time. They all run around making life hard for Ellie, but as it takes place at Christmas, you can figure out that all will end well, and it does. A small heartwarming movie with lots of character. 3.5 of 5 stars/lambs

To follow up this sweet charming movie, we watched a French film about a former prisoner trying to find her way in the world after her release. I've Loved You So Long (Il y a longtemps que je t'aime) stars Kristin Scott Thomas as Juliette, just getting out of prison after 15 years and moving in with her sister's family. I won't spoil anything about what she was in prison for, which is slowly revealed throughout the movie, as other people reveal what they think they know about what happened and how they treat her because of their misconceptions. However, the movie isn't really about her reintroduction to society, but to her family and friends. She has been silent for so many years that they don't know her or anything about what happened to send her to prison. The movie is terrific - you'll just have to believe me. The story they tell will sit with you and make you think a lot about what you might have done differently if you'd been in Juliette's situation. 4.5 stars/lamsb

The final movie I only saw to try to prove that Emma Watson (Hermione from Harry Potter) can act. Sadly, she can't act any differently than Hermione's personality allows, even in a non-Harry Potter movie. Ballet Shoes is based on a children's chapter book that follows three orphaned little girls who grow up in 1920s London and to help the family that raised them they join a theater academy and each go on to different fields, acting, dance, etc. It was a decent movie for little girls, but not terrific acting or a good story. 2.5 stars/lambs

Ballet Shoes
I've Loved You So Long
How About You
Away We Go

Not quite the saddest movie ever

Some of the saddest movies I've ever seen are The House of Sand and Fog, Cold Mountain, and The Pursuit of Happyness. I think of them as the saddest movies because very little happy happens, and the very saddest things imaginable actually happen and you're forced to watch. None of those movies are exceptional in almost any way, except that they're really good at inducing crying. I didn't expect much more from My Sister's Keeper. The bald girl in the trailer is obviously sick, and the whole story is about her and her family. However, somehow it's still not that sad. Very good at making you cry, but still a fairly interesting story. I read the book before I saw the movie, and it's one of the best sad books I've ever read, so I was excited to see how they made it into a non-weepy movie. Cameron Diaz is the sick girl's mother, and does a good job of being the lioness running over everyone in her efforts to save her daughter. Jason Patric is the dad, and his role is much smaller in the movie than the book, so he can't be blamed for being just a flicker. Abigail Breslin and Alec Baldwin are terrific fighting Diaz for Breslin's right to her own body (which means her sister will die without the kidney she's fighting to keep). As with all of Jodie Piccoult's (the author of the book) there's a twist that turns everything on its head, but it's not particularly vital to the ending. Overall, a good movie, but be warned, YOU WILL CRY. 3 lambs/stars

Short review: New Moon (that Twilight sequel)

So much has been written about New Moon already, and I don't think that many people who read my blog care much about the new Twilight: New Moon movie so I won't post much. I liked the first movie more than I expected, so I read the books, which I liked less than expected, although I couldn't put them down (I also can't put down a bag of Pirate's Booty - that doesn't mean it's quality food). There were a few things I did like about the movie (beside staring at cute semi-naked guys). The movie did a good job convincing me that Jacob (the Native American kid who turns into a werewolf) might be a legitimate love interest for Bella, which it did much better than the book. Also better than the book was the movie's ability to scrub some of the teen angst and broken-heart isolation that Bella suffers after Edward leaves. The story was compelling, and I liked the set up for the next film. Decent entertainment, but not a terrific movie (and the acting is still pretty bad). 2.5 of 5 Lambs/Stars.

Best Christmas Movie quotes!

These are a compilation of my and my brother's favorite movie quotes. We've always sent quotes back and forth to challenge one another so this year I thought I'd ask for help coming up with our favorites. I couldn't limit myself to just one quote per movie, and when it comes to Christmas, the more the merrier. Please let me know if I've missed your favorite.

1. You'll shoot your eye out, kid. - Santa, and many others. A Christmas Story





2. Something REeal Niice. Cousin Eddie - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Eddie: Shitter's Full.
Clark: Honey, have you checked our shitter lately. - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation





3. Does this look like a LITTLE weight? - Scott Calvin The Santa Clause



4. Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color? - Buddy, answering the phone - ELF
I'm sorry I ruined your life and crammed 11 cookies into the VCR. Buddy (typed on an etch-a-sketch) - ELF



5. God Bless Us Everyone - Tiny Tim, A Muppet Christmas Carol



6. Merry Christmas, you old Building and Loan - George Bailey It's a Wonderful Life Teacher says, "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings." - Zuzu Bailey It's a Wonderful Life







7. Ma'am I'm eight years old, Do you think I'd be here alone? I don't think so. Kevin McCallister - Home Alone




8. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more! - The Narrator How the Grinch Stole Christmas




9. Doris: "Faith is believing when common sense tells you not to. Don't you see? It's not just Kris that's on trial, it's everything he stands for. It's kindness and joy and love and all the other intangibles."
Doris Walker: "I was wrong when I told you that, Susie. You must believe in Mr. Kringle and keep right on doing it. You must have faith in him." - Miracle on 34th Street

The Blind Side: Review

The following review explains a lot of what I like about the movie, and thus might contain spoilers, but as it's a true story (or based on one) of a currently living, well-known individual, if you don't already know much of it, you're a little behind anyway.

Insight's Rules for adapting a true story for film:

1. Most viewers know how it turns out - that's not the interesting part, focus on how he or she arrived at the point everyone knows about.

2. If the end point is good, find whatever needed to be overcome to arrive at the good. If the end point is bad, focus on what good was lost to reach the bad. DON'T pretend something is good or bad if it isn't. To relate to audiences it has to be something EVERYONE knows to be good or bad, and not just in relative terms.

3. Very few things in life continue on an all up or all down path. Most stories are filled with ups and downs, make sure those count.

4. If you want people to like your movie and not just respect it, don't end a very sad story with a single moment of happiness, you have to prove to people that watching the whole sad story was worth it to them, and not just the real person who is now happy (I'm looking at you The Pursuit of Happyness).

The best movies based on true stories use these rules, but the stories they adapt for the screen have more than the sum of these parts, usually a main character worth caring about. The best movies have an entire cast you can find a reason to care about. Sandra Bullock's new movie, The Blind Side, is based on a true story of a young black boy, Michael Oher, in Memphis who has fallen through the cracks of his family, his community and the state, but has figured out a way to take care of himself. He's lucky enough to have a friend who helps him get into a private school, where he can barely be bothered with classes or sports. However, he isn't bitter or mean, he's just quiet and accepting of anything that comes his way, both good and bad. When he's spotted walking down the cold street at night, Sandra Bullock's Leigh Anne Touhy, brings him home for a warm place to sleep, without the realization that there are kids who attend her children's school who have nothing and no one to help them. His story is heartbreaking, both to Leigh Anne, and to the people watching it unfold. We watch as the Touhy's are changed by having Michael in their lives, and how his life is changed, even if he's still the same person he always was. It's a pretty funny movie as we watch Michael learn to play football, and Leigh Anne's tough love of the entire world as she struggles to be a good person. Sandra Bullock is terrific as a tough-ass southern woman making things happen. She takes life seriously, but knows that she is lucky to have everything she has, and is happy to have Michael in their lives. It's mostly their story, but her family, Tim McGraw as her husband, and her two kids, play a huge part of making a family that includes Michael. Of course, since Michael ends up playing for the Baltimore Ravens, there's a lot of football in the movie too. That is part of the ups and downs. While everyone assumes a big guy like Michael should be a natural at football, he takes a while to learn the basics, much to everyone's frustration, and amusement. Overall, this is a terrific movie, and obeys all my rules, so you leave feeling wonderful about life, even if you can't forget that it doesn't work out for everyone. 4.5 stars/lambs.

Glee!

"I find it hard to be in the same room with you, especially this one, which looks like where Strawberry Shortcake and Holly Hobby come to hook up." - Kurt (Chris Colfer), Glee

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here's a little something to enjoy for the holidays.

Review on the fly: Fantastic Mr. Fox

I'm currently waiting in the airport for the next flight, but saw Fantastic Mr. Fox last night during my quick stop in the city so figured I'd post before I forgot it. A friend described Wes Anderson (the director) as much less annoying when he's communicating through animals. I agree. All of the depth and seriousness his previous movies (Rushmore, The Royal Tennebaums) though humorous, were often dragged down by their cerebral efforts. Fantastic Mr. Fox makes that seem ironic and funny. The voices are terrific, particularly George Clooney as Mr. Fox. Basically, Mr. Fox is starting a family and has to give up his life of stealing chickens. However, because he's a wild animal he goes back to it with a huge caper. I liked it a lot. I promise to add more, but they're calling my flight.

10pm that day: Arrived safe and sound in Maine. The rest of Fox involves his caper with the rest of the animals, all equally interesting and funny, particularly Bill Murray as a lawyer Badger who tries to get Mr. Fox to see reason about their ability to escape from the three farmers they're stealing from. It's a huge snarl by the time it reaches the end. It is VERY LOOSELY based on the actual book by Roald Dahl, and loses a lot of its child-like humor thanks to the license taken with the plot. Good movie. 4 of 5 Lambs/Stars

A Christmas Carol 3D: Review

I know I haven't posted a lot lately - not a lot of great movies in my little town. Luckily, Veteran's Day provided a chance to travel to a bigger theater, and they had 3D!!! I know, I'm WAY behind on figuring out this was way better than Captain EO's version of 3D back in the 80's, but I was not expected for how amazing the new version of A Christmas Carol could be. It was more faithful to the original text by Charles Dickens, in that it was scary - the spirits weren't benevolent aides in Scrooge's search for his own soul, but a Dickensian version of "Scared Straight". They had a tinge of the goofiness of Disney's animated version with Mickey Mouse, but mostly the story was strict in its interpretation of the story. Jim Carrey was terrific - I'm not even sure how many different characters he played throughout the movie, but he was joined by Bob Hoskins, Robin Wright Penn, Gary Oldman, and Cary Elwes (hard to see the Princess Bride actors together again). Watching the scenes come to life felt like you were actually looking through a window at it. It made me wonder how the same thing would look in 2D, and it definitely wouldn't be as good - just not as magical as the whole ghosts and spirits visiting demands. There weren't lots of things jumping out of the screen, they just made each scene contain depth and substance in a way 2D just can't. I really liked it. 4.5 of 5 Lambs/stars

November 5: Happy Guy Fawkes Day!

"Remember, Remember the 5th of November, the gun-powder treason and plot. I know of no reason why the gun-powder treason should ever be forgot." Those are the opening lines of V for Vendetta, a post-apocalyptic story of how fear can drive a society to relinquish rights for security, and of course, as the saying goes, get neither. However, a vigilante called V appears on November 5th promising that in one year, he will blow up the buildings of Parliament (like Guy Fawkes hoped to do). As the year goes by he also murders several members of the ruling party for reasons that aren't revealed until the end. However, on that first night V crosses paths with Evey (Natalie Portman), a TV producer, and she becomes a somewhat willing participant, embroiled in his struggle to bring down the government. There is a police Inspector Finch (Stephen Rea) who is unraveling V's reasons for the murders and what could be behind his vendetta against the government. Finch discovers that the fear of disease and the need for quarantine and thus the strict regulations and controls by the government were in fact created by the government itself to give itself complete power. Overall, the society rallies together to fight what it begins to understand is not a benevolent governing body, and Guy Fawkes ideas are achieved.

The movie is based on a graphic novel, and thus contains quite a few scenes set up with a comic book in mind - larger than life leaders on huge screens, cartoonish costuming, and extremes in language, dialogue. People are either good or bad, black or white actions, very little middle ground. However, I don't think that's bad. It's an interesting look at what you'd do about terrorists (or vigilantes) in such a restrictive society, and how perhaps it's important to examine why such a society would spawn someone willing to risk everything to take it down. I like this movie a lot, the dialogue is creative, plays on words, examining the meaning of power, etc. The acting, particularly by Hugo Weaving as V is spectacular. He has to get across a complete character while wearing a creepy mask and wig the whole time. It's all in his voice. Natalie Portman does a good job being transformed by V and holding her personal need above the fight for national change. I recommend watching it every November!

PS - This post is part of a general Guy Fawkes Day celebration to be shown on the 5ht over at Matte Havoc. Don't forget to check it out, particularly if you like V for Vendetta.

Two Really Different British Films: Run Fatboy Run and Endgame

I've previously mentioned my theory about one's inability to fully grasp or accurately remember major events in a 20-year span around your birth (obviously you don't remember things before you were born, but people don't feel the need to educate you about them either, it's somehow assumed knowledge). I do remember the day Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1994, and I can recall learning a bit more about him, and the definition of apartheid, but I'm sure I never understood how its end came about. The recent Masterpiece Contemporary piece on PBS was Endgame, with William Hurt, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Johnny Lee Miller ("Eli Stone") and Clarke Peters ("The Wire"), depicts the conferences and conversations and covert discussions that helped bring an end to Mandela's imprisonment and eventually a new government. As I understood it, Miller's character, Michael Young, approached Ejiofor's Mbeki (future President Mbeki) on behalf of a mining company to begin discussions of how to begin discussions with others to change the South African government. They recruit Hurt's Professor Will Esterhuyse, an Africaaner who preached social justice. Along with other influential people, they met frequently in England to discuss what was needed from all parties to begin changing their world. It's a pretty good movie, particularly the acting, but as an ignorant American, I was often confused by who was trying to subvert the actions of the others. I do recommend seeing this, both for its historically fascinating part (if you were born in the late '70s, you're allowed ignorance) and the terrific acting. 3.5 of 5 Lambs



If you'd like a British movie that does nothing to educate you, but will make you laugh and reinforce your correct feeling that marathons aren't a good idea. Run, Fatboy, Run, directed by David Schwimmer, stars the amazing Simon Pegg as a immature ne'er-do-well who left Thandie Newton pregnant at the altar. Five years later, Newton has started dating a serious, weathly American marathoner, Hank Azaria, and wants Pegg to help her convince their son that it's a good idea. Pegg, who is actually a great dad, decides to prove to Newton that he can be as good as Azaria and says he'll run a marathon with him in a few weeks. Pegg's gambler cousin bets that Pegg will finish the marathon and becomes his coach, along with his landlord, Mr. Goshdashtidar (Harish Patel - also found on No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency), a really funny Indian man who rides his scooter threatening Pegg with a spatula to run faster. Not a perfectly crafted film, but remarkably funny for a movie that puts its main joke right in the title.
4 of 5 Lambs

Where the Wild Things Are: Review

I really wanted to see this movie, and was trying to figure out what I liked best about it. Then I read several blogs, and several helped condense what I liked about it. For me I liked the voices of the wild things, and how based in reality everything was. They didn't feel the need to explain the imagination of a little boy, they just let you observe. Also, I saw it with a bunch of little kids, and no one was scared, though a few were a little bored after a while. Here are some of my favorite summaries:

From The Cooler:
"I didn’t realized how much I’d come to miss environmental tangibility in movies until I watched Jonze’s film, but 30 minutes in I was painfully aware (again) of how often the physical paradises of old now get paved over by flat CGI parking lots. Jonze’s film isn’t without CGI landscaping – the fort Max designs with the wild things is a digital doozy – but the effects here are minimal and practical. Most of the film’s shooting, under the guidance of cinematographer Lance Acord, was done on location in Australia, marrying actual three-dimensional environments with actual three-dimensional performers – a combination that seems so simple, not to mention natural, but that has managed to become endangered in fantasy films. The results are awe-striking: boulders and cliff faces that evoke the Tunisia-as-Tataouine locales of Star Wars, gnarled forests that evoke The Wizard of Oz, rolling sand dunes that evoke Lawrence of Arabia, and so on. Max, in his furry white pajamas, isn’t the only one who gets dirty whenever there’s a rumpus; the beasts get dusty, too, and that’s significant."


From Reel Fanatic:

"And it certainly helps that the 9-year-old in question was played by Max Records, though the studio fought him on that choice too. As the movie Max, young Mr. Records captures his state of mind perfectly, wanting to be - and often acting like - a savage while at the same time unable to mask the fear and doubt that cloud up his life. As he rampages through the woods with his wild creations, Jonze isn't afraid to let young Max get as sweaty and snotty (enough to match his attitude) as a kid would left to his own devices. My favorite Max moment, however, came early on as you see the perfectly reasonable horror on his face after a teacher tells him the sun is going to die. It's all around certainly the best movie performance by a youngster this year."

My rating: 4 of 5 stars/Lambs for excellent and beautiful storytelling.

The Return of Friday Night Lights!!!

I've been reading about the return of "Friday Night Lights" next Wednesday, Oct. 28th on the DirectTV channel before jumping to NBC in the new year. I can't wait. The third season was a huge return to its amazing form after a sophomore oddness. We saw a lot of the wonderful characters graduate, and big changes come to Dillon, TX. Now, there will be some new cast members, and I'm so excited. Jurnee Smollett is joining the cast. She was terrific in The Great Debaters and in her two-hour episode guest spot on "Grey's Anatomy" ending its 4th season as a brain cancer patient. I can't wait.

Female Characters Good for Halloween

I'm a big fan of Halloween and trick or treating, but I do think it belongs to kids, probably under the age of 10 or 12. There are the obvious costumes like ghosts, witches, pumpkins and clowns (yes, I was all of these at one point), but there are also quite a few from movies that I've been thinking of that are also appropriate for girls rather than trashy options that seem to dominate the stores, but I'm sure there might be others. Here are 5 I'd recommend:

1. Hermione Granger - Excellent role model, magical and has great friends.














2. Mary Poppins - She can fly, sing, has a movie, a book, and a musical. Also, easy to wear a heavy coat and scarf if you're up north.




















3. Dorothy Gale/Wicked Witch - I have no problem with good or bad characters, just as long as they're fun and recognizable.






























4. Belle (or many of the Disney princesses, including the new one, Princess Tiana from The Princess and the Frog)

























5. Jessie the Yodeling Cowgirl - Okay, the guys costumes from Toy Story are a lot more fun, but I think being a cowgirl is still really cool.

Back from Italy

Well, sadly I didn't see George, but did put my toes into Lake Como where he swims, so it's practically like we shook hands (just kidding). Traveling around Italy for 10 days was lovely. Lots of cool and cultural things were seen and experienced. But for my fellow film fans, here's a photo of the site where Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala get married at the end of the second Star Wars movie. It's on Lake Como itself (or at least that's what they told us when we passed by, but it looks right from this clip).

Oh, I also saw several movies on the plane that I'll think about reviewing in a few days.

A brief hiatus

Dear loyal readers (both of you), I will be away for the next two weeks or so, but fear not, all is well, I'm off to explore Italy. I'm particularly hoping to see George Clooney's house when we tour Lake Como! I might have movies to post about on the return, overseas flights always have movies.

And now for something completely different... Lars and the Real Girl

I hadn't expected to love a movie about a synthetic woman and the community who loves her (she gets elected to the school board). Okay, Lars and the Real Girl isn't really about the fake doll, Bianca, but about her "boyfriend", Lars (Ryan Gosling) and his relationship with his family and the community of which he is part. I expected this to be a fairly seedy story of a man who couldn't or wouldn't deal with women and satisfied himself with a fake girl. It's NOTHING like that. In fact, it's very chaste, with a few sidelong glances from disbelieving neighbors curious at the idea, but nothing unseemly. Lars lives in his brother's garage and is painfully shy (possibly autistic), though holds a job and takes care of himself. He can't talk to the girl he likes at church, and orders a perfectly live side (and anatomically correct) doll online. That's where any of the marketing kind of stops and a totally unique movie takes over. Lars acts completely as if Bianca is real. He introduces her to his brother and pregnant sister in law, explaining that they met online, and she can't walk because someone stole her wheelchair at the airport. Because his family, as well as the entire community, loves Lars, they embrace the tale and try to be nice to and inclusive of Bianca and Lars (not easily at first, but it gets stronger). There are a lot of interesting and humorous moments when we see how the community participates in Lars delusion without mocking him or Bianca. It's a way for Lars to deal with his inability to interact with people, and his dislike of physical contact. He does see a doctor (Patricia Clarkson) because Bianca has a "blood disorder", and they talk while Bianca rests after treatment, and Clarkson helps Lars through his problems without ever saying anything to dissuade him of his delusion.
It's just another wonderful movie, by a first-time director, that makes you think about how a community can come together and what it means to be part of one.

New Release: Surrogates

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** If you haven't seen commercials for this, there will be spoilers, however, I'm not revealing anything that isn't obvious from the trailer. **

Bruce Willis' new movie, Surrogates, follows a police detective trying to figure out who and what could have started killing humans, by killing their synthetic surrogates. The future is "peopled" with machines that aren't sentient, but can do everything their human operators are thinking, and relay back all the images they are seeing. So, humans can stay in their home forever, while a better version of themselves, physically, can walk the world. The machines were designed for people with disabilities, so they could more normally experience the world. However, the rest of the world became addicted to never having to wash their hair, or exercise, or get dressed, instead sending their surrogate out in the world to represent them while they operated it from the safety of their home. But someone has made a weapon that will kill a human by destroying their surrogate. Bruce Willis and his partner,Radha Mitchell, investigate leads that bring them to one of the "reservations" of people who refuse to use surrogates, no machines allowed. Lots of complicated ethical questions prevail, but none are developed too deeply, so the movie stays at a light level throughout, though the fight scenes are pretty fun given that machines are doing a lot of the fighting. I think if Bruce Willis' character had been written more like his Die Hard or The Fifth Element characters, this movie would have been more fun along the same lines as those movies. Instead Willis is flat, and none of his dialogue is memorable, which is disappointing given his skill at sarcasm and grouchy cop banter. It's a pretty good movie, and fits well into it's futuristic, sci-fi genre, arguing that to be fully human, you need to experience the world yourself, much like the better Matrix and I, Robot argue convincingly. 3.5 stars/lambs