Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day 2008
5/5
We rented this on AppleTV after seeing a preview in the theater, partly because the story looked so cute and partly for the cast--Francis McDormand (Oscar winner, “Fargo”), Ciarin Hinds (“Rome”, “Calendar Girls”), Amy Adams (“Enchanted”), and Shirley Henderson (“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”). I had never heard of the director, Bharat Nalluri, but I’ll be watching for him from here on out!
This is the simple story of a failed governess in the late 1930s, Miss Pettigrew (McDormand), who ends up thrown out on the street without a farthing to her name and standing in bread lines. Through the courage to take a chance, she ends up as the (supposed) social secretary to American social-butterfly actress Delsyia (Adams), who doesn’t appear to have the brain of a peahen and is sleeping her way up the ladder to success despite the lure of True Love with an impoverished pianist.
The entire movie takes place in one day, as Pettigrew tries to keep up with Delsyia’s antics and help her straighten out her life while dealing with the problems in her own. Along the way she meets lingerie designer Joe (Hinds) who was engaged to a rather bitter and manipulative younger woman, Edythe (Henderston) who blackmails Pettigrew into restoring her engagement.
There are several neat subplots, and while a bit predictable, everything gets neatly tied up in the end to the viewer's satisfaction. McDormand is just spectacular, especially when she goes from a downtrodden, dowdy old maid to a much more confident and handsome matron during the course of the movie--but no matter what, she never looses her spirit. Everyone else is just perfect as well, with a special note of Henderon’s performance in the scene where she’s blackmailing Pettigrew--it’s an incredible piece of work well-handled by a fine actress that could have ruined the rest of the movie if not handled perfectly.
I was very, very impressed by the cinematography, sets, costumes, and directing. This is a carefully and finely-crafted movie, with nothing that shocks you out of the time period. The overall look and feel of the movie is much like those made in that time period, with outstanding Art Deco sets and meticulously perfect dialog--when Delsyia runs around shrieking, “Gee willikins!”, you buy it.
If you like movies like “Mrs. Henderson Presents”, “Greenfingers”, and “Waking Ned Devine”, don’t miss this one. And even if you don’t, give it a try--it may surprise you.
The Lost Boys 2 - The Tribe 2008
1/5
I would have liked this movie better had I been able to treat it like a Good Bad movie and heckle it. But as my husband was Really Watching it, I had to settle for a silent second soundtrack in my head. Now I rather wished I’d taken notes, because I can’t remember all that was wrong with it... probably because there was so little right!
Trust me, when a movie goes straight to DVD there’s a reason for it. I’m still angry that the husband woke me up when I fell asleep halfway through it!
The only good part I can recall was the return of Edgar Frog (Corey Feldman), and they even ruined that with the final scene after the credits began to run. Speaking of running, stay FAR FAR away from this thing unless you’re a Good Bad movie buff, and even then I’d say it’ll be better with a drinking game, say every time there’s graphic, unnecessary sex in the movie. You’ll be happy drunk and better off in no time!
Religulous 2008
5+/5
This is going to be a very short review.
Those who need to see this movie, won't.
Those who don't need to see this movie, will.
Foul Play 1978
5/5
I originally saw this movie several times in the theater during its initial run and probably more than once on cable since then, but it’d been at least 20 years since I’d seen it before today. But I remembered that it was cleverly written, very funny, and well-acted. I also knew that it was the type of movie that my 24-year-old son would like, so I talked him into watching it with me when it recorded on TiVo.
The story is that a reclusive young librarian (Goldie Hawn) recovering from a rough divorce gets embroiled in an assassination scheme by picking up a hitchhiker (remember, this is 1978) who slips her proof of the upcoming plot as he’s being chased by the murderers. Said murders turn their attention to Hawn’s character, who despite her wide-eyed dewiness is far from as helpless as they think. Many hijinks ensue, with the unforgettable help of her friend and landlord played by Burgess Meredith, and an attractive cop who is assigned to protect her although he can barely protect himself from his own klutziness (Chevy Chase). The are dwarves, albinos, men with scars, mistaken identity, the cardinal’s stolen limo, and The Mikado. Dudley Moore has a brief, recurring, but unforgettable role as the eternally-hopeful bachelor that Hawn’s character keeps running into in the oddest places.
As I remembered, this is a very well-made and extremely funny movie, though it does have its “oh come on” moments. Still, the scenes where Hawn throws a dwarf out of her apartment window, beats him with a broom and causes him to go rolling down the San Francisco streets in a barrel is absolutely side-splitting hilarious. Hawn and Chase have excellent chemistry, and their first kiss is one of the best screen kisses ever. The final car sequence is some of the finest stunt driving I’ve seen outside of “The Blues Brothers”, and Meredith’s karate fight with a bad guy who happens to be a woman has to be seen to be believed.
My biggest problem is that I recently saw Hawn’s daughter Kate Hudson in “Fool’s Gold” and I kept seeing her face in Hawn’s! I had no idea they looked and acted so much alike until I saw this movie.
Overall, a very cute and enjoyable movie for its time that’s held up well and I would recommend for a couple hours’ brainless enjoyment.
August Rush 2007
5/5
This movie caught my attention as soon as I saw the first preview last year, but with as little time as I've had to watch movies in the last year or so I just hadn't gotten around to it. I happened to catch it playing on HBO HD, and set it to record a different showing. That was several weeks ago, and it's been patiently waiting on our TiVo for me to get to it. Tonight I did, and I regret having waited so long.
The base story is about two young musicians (he's a rock'n'roll singer, she's a guest cellist with the New York Philharmonic) who spend one magical night together and are torn apart, later unable to find each other again. Unbeknownst to him she becomes pregnant but is told the baby has died by her controlling father. In reality their child has been sent to a county home where he's tormented by the other boys for being able to "hear" his parents, and even the viewer begins to wonder if this kid is all there. But when he runs away to follow the music he hears from them, you become a believer right along with everyone he encounters. I don't want to give away too much of the plot because I really enjoyed watching it unfold, but it turns out that he's searching for his parents even as they are searching for each other and him when his mother discovers that he's alive. Some of it reminded me of "Oliver and Company" as well as "The Fisher King", but these were shallow reminders and this is really its own story.
One of the things that had attracted me was the cast, as I had loved Keri Russell in "Waitress", everything I've seen Jonathan Rhys Meyers in (most notably "Bend It Like Beckham"), and Terrance Howard ("Crash", "Iron Man"). I didn't know Robin Williams was in it, and I'd never heard of the kid, Freddie Highmore, who plays the lead character. I also love music, from classical to classic rock to heavy metal to Big Band, and tend towards any movie about or with a lot of music in it.
The first thing I want to note is the amazing performance by then-twelve-year-old Freddie Highmore. This was one of those films that couldn't exist without a strong lead, and he gave it in spades (much like Anton Yelchin in "House of D"). From the dreamy, slightly air-headed beginning character to the confident, incredibly talented end one, this kid doesn't put a foot wrong. I was absolutely blown away by him, and hope we see him in many more things. Russell and Rhys Meyers were likewise outstanding, and of course Williams did his usual amazing job as the creepy, domineering entrepreneur who takes the boy in and sees dollar signs in the child's stunning natural talent. And the director, Kirsten Sheridan, gets a special note for the stunning close-ups and lovely panning shots of NYC--this is a beautifully and carefully crafted film and it shows.
The only part I had a real problem with was this street child being taken into Juilliard with no questions asked, but I quickly forgot about it as the movie progressed. Other than that no part of the story jolted me out of the movie, and I really enjoyed the New York locations as well as the original music. Since I've broken down during movies like "Mr Holland's Opus", "Once", and "De-Lovely" mostly due to the music, I suspected I'd be a sniveling fool by the end and so I was--if you don't cry your eyes out at the end of this one then you're a stronger critter than I am. If you love music or just a good story featuring music in general, then this movie may be for you.
The Invasion 2007
4/5
I watched this movie mostly because of Nicole Kidman, who has impressed me in films that I didn't care for such as "The Others" and "Dead Calm". Even if I don't like the movie, I tend to enjoy her performance in it so I figured this was a pretty good bet. I've seen two of the other "Invasion of the Body Snatcher" movies, my favorite being the 1956 original (I discovered that there was another version made in 1993 thanks to IMDb, but have not seen that one) and while I'm not big on remakes, I figured it couldn't be too horrible.
To my vast relief, it is not. I actually liked it better than the 1978 version other than the ending, although the original will always be my favorite--there's nothing like a good Cold War paranoia movie made back in the day. I didn't care for the ending in this version, but I'm not going to say why so there's no need for a spoiler warning.
There is a neat twist on the original story: instead of pod people, we have an alien virus that infects a person and changes their brain chemistry. But the "changed" people are just as creepy as those in the previous two movies, though they don't hiss or point. No, they just drag off screaming, struggling un-changed people with totally straight faces and no emotion whatsoever which gave me the cold chills.
Nicole Kidman was, indeed, worth watching the movie for, as was Daniel Craig (whom I normally don't care for), and Jeremy Northam, who always makes a great "bad guy". I was tickled to spot Veronica Cartwright, who was in the 1978 remake, as well as Roger Rees, whom I've liked since "Robin Hood: Men in Tights". The kid who plays Kidman's son, Jackson Bond, was adequate but not outstanding, although I do want to note that another child, Eric Benjamin as Gene, really caught my eye as he had to play totally emotionless one minute and then act "human" again, which he did very well. The cinematography was particularly good, and it was great to see lots of live-action stunts that credited almost two dozen people. Some of the flashback sequences, however, were a bit confusing and I suspect that some parts were edited for time that didn't need to be, such as when she's attacked by a "census taker" and apparently wakes up in the neighbor's house the next day--or did he stay with her? Only the outtakes know.
The filmmakers seemed to have a real fondness for people running screaming through the streets and into traffic, although they don't scream "They're here already!" or "You're next!", instead they beg for help--as if! Most of those seeing them are changed, and the screamers are instantly dragged away to blank stares from anyone watching. My most chilling moments came from those situations. This is not, unfortunately, a very scary or startling movie. I didn't jump once as all possible jump moments were openly telegraphed, although there are some good tense parts when some of the main characters have to pretend to be infected to pass among the changed.
Overall, I say see it if anything about it interests you, but don't expect too much and you don't be disappointed.
Mad Money 2007
4/5
I hadn't planned to watch this movie this morning, or any movie for that matter. I simply turned on the TV to keep me company while cleaning the house and watched the end of "Wild Hogs" on Showtime and wasn't paying attention when another movie started until I saw Diane Keaton on the screen. I've liked her work for years and so she caught my attention, and after hitting "info" and seeing what the movie was, I decided to sit down and watch just a few minutes since I'd heard of it and had wanted to see it. Shortly thereafter I hit the "record" button so that the TiVo would record the rest to be watched another time--and an hour or so later the movie ended with me sitting right where I'd started. Oops.
This is an amusing and well-made movie. The principals are Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah, Katie Holmes, Ted Danson, and Stephen Root, and they are all outstanding. It's about three women who work at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and one of them (Keaton) figures out how to rob the place without anyone knowing since the money they'll steal is marked for shredding by another worker (Latifah). They're helped by the woman who pushes the carts down to the shredding area (Holmes). This works fine for a while, but of course they get greedy and that's when the police and IRS (don't forget about not paying taxes!) move in. But the movie's far from over at that point, there's an excellent twist at the end that makes it all worthwhile. Overall the story works well with suspension of disbelief, especially the funny parts which aren't nonstop but are usually guffaw-worthy when they do occur.
It's s pleasure watching these three fine actresses work together--and anyone who knows me, knows Latifah is one my favorites--and none of them puts a foot wrong. There are a couple of misleading subplots that IMHO didn't work well, Holmes' diabetes for one, and when her husband shows up out of nowhere it's a bit jarring since they don't take the time to introduce him which I suspect was edited out for time. Other than those, this movie worked on all levels for me and I'm glad I watched it, and I think there will be a few repeat viewings as well.
Bolt 2008
5/5
First of all, let me explain that I saw this movie with my three granddaughters aged 10, 8, and 3. Although I did miss *some* of the movie due to bathroom breaks and occasional squirming ("Gramma, wanna see Bolt! Where Bolt go?" "Sit down, Kaycee, he'll be back on screen in a minute." "BOLT! BOLT! There's BOLT!" "SHHHHH!") I do think I saw enough to write a coherent review.
If you've seen the previews, know that this movie far outshines them--and those previews are very good. The story is well-told with an absolutely stellar ending (no spoiler here, go see it for yourself), the voice talent is outstanding, and the animation and direction are just about perfect. Unfortunately we didn't see a digital copy so we didn't get the 3D effect--had I know that this theater wasn't digital I'd have seen it somewhere else :-( The only thing I didn't like about it was its runtime--at 96 minutes I could have watched a lot more, and the kids as well. Even my active 3-year-old was totally entranced whenever Bolt was on the screen; she didn't like it when he wasn't, but as long as he was up there she was quiet as a mouse.
Story-wise, Bolt is the co-star of a TV show but doesn't know it, much like "The Truman Show". The explanation they give for keeping him in the dark regarding reality actually works, as does how and why he escapes from the set. He hooks up with a cat he thinks knows about the bad guys but is, in reality, just a stray alleycat (the setup between her and Bolt by the pigeons is hysterical) and the way the hamster joins their merry little band is belly-laugh material. I don't want to give away much more than this as I was careful not to read reviews or spoilers regarding the movie and really enjoyed finding out more as it happened.
The only known voices in this movie are John Travolta as Bolt (absolutely perfect), Miley Cyrus as his co-star Penny, Malcolm McDowell as the TV villain, and James Lipton (of "Inside the Actor's Studio") as the TV show's director. The rest may sound familiar, but none are well-know actors and each is just right for their character.
I couldn't recommend this movie more highly for both adults and children, even young ones that might not sit still for other movies. This one opens with an exciting action sequence and other than maybe 5-6 scenes with just adults talking, usually has enough animal action to keep the little ones entertained. As shown above, the only time my three-year-old granddaughter got antsy was when Bolt wasn't on screen; the rest of the time she sat and quietly watched the movie, which I've never seen her do before. Although not quite as good as the Pixars, it's a worthy addition to the Disney stable and one that I'll see at least twice more before it leaves the theaters--hopefully in digital 3-D!
The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane 1976
5/5
I had read this book in junior high and saw the movie in the theater when it first came out as well as catching it on cable sometime in the mid-1980s. But I hadn't seen it since then and didn't remember much, although I did recall that I'd loved the book as a teen.
This movie is not outright horror, but more of a psychological thriller. It's about a thirteen-year-old girl named Rynn Jacobs (Jodie Foster) who lives with her reclusive poet father in a remote house at the end of a lane in what appears to be a small New England town (though it's never said). You meet Rynn when she's celebrating her birthday alone on Halloween night and is visited by her creepy neighbor Frank (Martin Sheen). Later you find out that the police are watching him and he's known to be the neighborhood pervert--and you're not surprised as Sheen gives an absolutely goosebump-inducing performance as said creep. She's also being hassled by Frank's mother, who's their landlady, and when backed into a corner she makes these people regret having messed with her. Later she meets her soon-to-be partner-in-crime, the young magician Mario (Scott Jacoby), who stands by her against all comers but, in the end, is powerless to help when she has to face Frank on her own.
This is a finely-crafted thriller, and even though I knew Rynn's "secrets" I was still shocked as the movie went on and revealed each one. The movie is dated, but not unrealistic if you factor in the time period that it was made in. These days of computers and cell phones Rynn wouldn't be able to get away with it, but I bought her situation just fine for 1976. Some of the camera work, especially panning through the house, was a bit shaky but otherwise the rest of the movie was well-made, with good set decoration and cinematography in particular. I had totally forgotten Foster's nude scene and was a bit surprised by it, but it fit well within the story and wasn't done for simple shock value.
Jodie Foster has always been a fine actress and despite not being able to do much of an English accent in this one (and it's mentioned several times that she and her father just moved from there) she absolutely shines as the quiet but determined Rynn. She and Martin Sheen are just outstanding together in their scenes, and he is particularly stunning as the bully-who-can't-take-what-he-dishes-out when Rynn and Mario stand up to him. The final scene, which is a four-and-a-half-minute UNBROKEN close-up shot of Foster's face, must be seen to be believed.
It's been great fun to watch movies I saw as a teenager and see how I like them thirty-some-odd years later; I'm tickled to report that this, like "Tommy" and "Aloha Bobby and Rose", is one that's been worth seeing again and which I would recommend for anyone who thinks it looks of interest.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall 2008
2-1/2/5
First of all, let me say that this movie has the most full frontal male nudity I've ever seen in something not rated X--and it's about damn time!
However, that just couldn't save this film for me. From the previews I expected a comedy, which it does start as, but it then degenerates into a partially serious, often depressing, and not funny enough mess in parts. It has its moments, but it clearly couldn't decide what it wanted to be and was, in turns, boring and uncomfortable to watch although the ending was very well done if predictable.
The story also wasn't what I expected from the previews, being about an actress and her composer boyfriend who work on the same TV show, then she breaks up with him and goes off with the rock star she's left him for. From the previews, I thought he would catch her cheating which actually comes up much later in the movie. They both end up in the same resort in Hawaii, where he proceeds to drown himself in booze and making friends with the hotel staff as well as getting interested in the front desk clerk (wonderfully played by Mila Kunis). In the meantime, Sarah parades around with her new boyfriend, who is a clueless and unlikeable (if incredibly hot!) rock star who keeps getting followed around by a hotel clerk with a bad demo CD and spouts some of the stupidest dialog I've heard outside of an Ed Wood movie. I found much of the middle of the movie boring other than the beautiful Hawaiian background, and what wasn't boring was uncomfortable to watch. It had its funny moments, but certainly not enough to be called a comedy.
The acting was, however, stellar across the board as was the directing, cinematography, and lighting. For such a carefully made and beautiful-looking movie I wish it it had had a more even and less predictable script. Overall, if you like this crew's movies I would say check out "Knocked Up", which is just as predictable in parts but much better written.
The Secret (Si j'étais toi) 2007
5/5
I had never heard of this movie until I saw it being discussed on one of my movie groups and then went to look it up. I've been a steadfast fan of Duchovny's since "Kalifornia", and of Lili Taylor since I discovered her in "Six Feet Under" and remembered that they'd had good chemistry together on "The X-Files". They were my main reason for seeing this film as the subject matter seemed a little odd, but after reading a few of the wildly mixed reviews on the Netflix site I decided to see it for myself.
The story is that the spirit of the mother moves into her sixteen-year-old daughter's body after a fatal car accident--causing much angst and confusion for not only her, but the husband/father as you can well imagine. But unlike movies such as "Birth", this situation is handled with tact and consideration by these filmmakers and actors. While the subject of possible incest is danced along, uncomfortably in some parts, it is also handled carefully and with the utmost respect for the characters and the choices they have to make. Some parts of the story are weak but in the overall scheme of things I had no problem suspending disbelief in those parts that required it.
But as good as the two adults were (although Lili's only in the first fifteen minutes or so), this movie wouldn't have been half as good without Olivia Thirlby, who plays the daughter. When the mother's spirit takes her over, she clearly and easily mimics Lili Taylor's body movements such as touching her ear and brushing her hair back, which is what really made me buy the spirit-transference part. It's not just that she knows all the interesting little details of her married life that makes the father/husband believe that it's his wife inhabiting their daughter's body, it's that she clearly acts like the mother no matter who she looks like. The conflicts that arise aren't always the most obvious ones, especially when Hannah/Sam wants to attend a teenage party and is it the father or the husband who has a problem with this? And on so many levels.
I have no clue whatsoever why some critics have panned Duchovny's performance. He was spot-on perfect as an average everyday happily married man who is suddenly and unexpectedly thrust into a situation he is ill-prepared for and deals with it as best he can. This character would have been absolutely ruined by an over-actor; he gave it just the right amount of emotion without being over-the-top or too detached. You really feel this poor man's pain as the movie goes on and I felt he stayed perfectly in character the entire time. I think it's one of the best performances of Duchovny's career next to "Kalifornia" and "House of D".
Technically this film was very well done, with very straightforward camera angles and cinematography most of the time, without the director trying to say "Look how great I am!" but simply using the camera to tell the story without embellishment. There are a few insightful and artistic shots, and the Sam photography sequence was beautifully done. The music was wonderful right up until the credits, but the song that played during them was absolutely abysmal.
Overall I felt a deep empathy and attachment to this movie and absolutely loved it, and suspect I'll be thinking about it for days if not weeks. It's a deep, in-depth character study not only of how people interact, but on the dynamics of a family and how you may think someone sees you is likely not the way they really do. If you like carefully made and intense character studies, I highly recommend this film.
