Moon 2009

     Sam Bell has a three year contract to work for Lunar Industries. For the contract's entire duration, he is the sole employee based at their lunar station.  His primary job responsibility is to harvest and periodically rocket back to Earth supplies of helium-3, the current clean and abundant fuel used on Earth.  There is no direct communication link available between the lunar station and Earth, so his only direct real-time interaction is with GERTY, the intelligent computer whose function is to attend to his day to day needs.  With such little human contact and all of it indirect, he feels that three years is far too long to be so isolated?  He knows he is beginning to hallucinate as the end of his three years approaches.  All he wants is to return to Earth to be with his wife Tess and their daughter Eve.  She was born just prior to his leaving for this job.  With two weeks to go, he gets into an accident at one of the mechanical harvesters and is rendered unconscious.

     Moon is a good psychological sci-fi drama with some emotionally big ideas and some strong language.  Starring Sam Rockwell as Sam, he is a lone astronaut with just a computer for company.  This movie touches on themes that range from isolation, unethical corporate behavior to the very nature of existence and what it means to be human.  Positive character traits include compassion, empathy and teamwork.  Sam tends to use bad language when he is under stress!!  This movie has some scenes of violence with a fist fight that results in a bloody nose and some mild body horror elements as a character's body starts to decay.  During this scene, the person vomits blood and loses a tooth.  There is also a vehicle crash with mild bloody injury and a character accidentally burns their hand with boiling water.  There is one brief scene between a couple and a woman strips to her underwear.  A man's naked bottom is shown in the shower.  With its existential themes, families will have a LOT to discuss when this thought-provoking movie is over!!  2 1/2* (This movie is OK)

Special Note:  Kevin Spacey read the script and agreed to voice GERTY but only when the film was finished and if he liked it.  He loved it and he recorded his lines in half a day.  This film was written for Sam Rockwell but Duncan Jones wanted to cast him in a film different from this one.  Jones and Rockwell could never come to an agreement on which part Rockwell should play?  Because he wanted to work with Rockwell so much, Jones created this film for him.  Outdoor moon scenes were shot using practical effects (small models).  Shooting took place over 8 days according to Cinefex magazine July 2009.  

Mistakes:  The final time Sam tries to log on to the computer, before Gerty does it for him, the "Access Denied" voice chimes in before he is finished typing in the password?  When Sam is watching the video message from his wife Tess and young daughter Eve, the boom mic operator intrudes into the right of the frame a few times.  When GERTY tells Sam he can't go outside and at the first Eliza transmission, the computer monitor reads "satellite link lost" but the word "satellite" misspelled?  When Sam first launches a full canister of helium-3 back to Earth, he repeatedly hits two keys at a time while punching in the launch code?  

97 min, Drama directed and written by Duncan Jones and also written by Nathan Parker with Sam Rockwell, Kevin Sapcey, Cominique McElligott, Rosie and Adrienne Shaw, Kaya Scodelario, Benedict Wong, Matt Berry, Malcolm Stewart.

Note:  Imdb 7.9* out of 10* with 337,222 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 90% with 194 critic reviews, 89% with 100,000+ audience scores, Roger Ebert 3 1/2*, Metacritic 67 out of 100 with 29 critic reviews 8.3* out of 10* with 510 user scores, The Guardian 3* out of 5* Peter Bradshaw, Amazon 4.5* out of 5* with 2688 reviews, Common Sense Media 1* drinking, drugs & smoking, 3* violence, sex, positive role models, 4* language.

Leap Year 2010

     Anna Brady plans to travel to Dublin Ireland to propose to her boyfriend Jeremy on February 29.  This is leap day and according to Irish tradition, a man who receives a marriage proposal on a leap day must accept it.

     This upbeat but shallow romantic comedy follows closely to traditional Hollywood formulas.  While there isn't much in the way of age inappropriate content for older tweens and teens they may find the banter between stars Amy Adams and Matthew Goode only somewhat amusing?  The movie does tap into tired stereotypes about men, women and romance.  Adams' character is supposed to be seen as self-sufficient?  But, she ultimately seems to be just another regular Hollywood female character.  She is just waiting for "the right one" to make everything right in her life.  On the up side, language, sex and violence are quite tame.  There is one upsetting scene involving a man killing a chicken!!    2 1/2* (This movie is so-so)

100 min, Comedy directed by Anand Tucker and written by Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont with Amy Adams, Matthew Goode, Adam Scott, John Lithgow, Noel O’Donovan, Tony Rohr, Pat Laffan, Alan Devlin, Ian McElhinney, Dominique McElligott, Mark O’Regan, Maggie McCarthy, Peter O’Meara, Macdara O’ Fatharta, Kaitlin Olson.

Note:  Imdb 6.5* out of 10* with 96,476 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 23% with 141 critic reviews 47% with 100,000+ audience scores, Metacritic 33 out of 100 with 30 critic reviews 6.1 out of 10 with 78 user scores, Roger Ebert 3*, Common Sense Media S. Jhoanna Robledo 2* out of 5*, age 11+, 1* role models, 2* positive messages, violence, sex, language, consumerism, drinking, drugs & smoking.

Special Note:  This is the first movie for Amy Adams set in Ireland.  The castle the two leading characters climb up to is the Rock of Dunamase in County Laois  although it has been added to with CGI.  The bridge on which Anna and Declan have the conversation about his ex-fiancée is in St. Stephen's Green, a well-known park in central Dublin.  Matthew Goode slammed the film after its release saying he only took the role to be close to London. "That was the main reason I took it - so that I could come home at the weekends".

Mistakes:  When Anna and Jeremy are at the restaurant, Jeremy says they "might have to go in through the spine." No surgery of any kind ever goes "through the spine," particularly any cardiac surgery.  In human anatomy, the common term "spine" actually is the vertebral column.  The statement made by Jeremy literally would mean you would split the patient's vertebrae to get to the heart.  One of the old men in the pub says that the last train left Dingle in 1987.  The last train from Dingle left in 1953 on the narrow gauge line to Tralee.  At breakfast at the B&B, Anna is told that trains are not running because it's Sunday.  When everything in the room is being destroyed it shows the bottle on the table by the window being smashed on the floor.  In the next scene, the bottle is back on the table?
 

The Longest Day 1962

     In 1944, the U.S. Army and Allied forces planned a huge invasion landing in Normandy France.  Despite bad weather, General Dwight D. Eisenhower gave the okay and the Allies landed at Normandy.  General Norman Cota travels with his men onto Omaha Beach.  With much effort and loss of lives, they decide to get off the beach and they travel deep into French territory.  The German military due to arrogance, ignorance and a sleeping Adolf Hitler delay their response to the Allied landing with crippling results.
 
     The use of over 43 actual star names in bit and pivotal roles helps keep up the aura of fictionalized documentary.  But it is the action, time, place and the actual machinery of war, that are the important things.  The battles are coordinated by associate producer Elmo Williams ably take their places among some of the best ever shown on the screen.  A German is strafing the beach, Yanks scale a treacherous cliff only to find that there is no big gun there and British commandos take a bridge.  Yanks are blowing up a big bunker, the French are taking a town, all are done with massive action involved.  The black and white and CinemaScope screens help keep the focus on the surge and movement.

     The Longest Day is a black-and-white docu-drama and it is a predominantly an accurate depiction of D-Day, June 6, 1944.  This is the date when Allied troops invaded German-occupied Europe via the western coast of France.  This film takes place over one 24-hour period and it uses three distinct points of view.  American, English and German (with subtitles) to tell the story.  The first two hours reveal the preparations and initial skirmishes that set up the final hour.  There is a depiction of the massive air and sea battles that launched the Allies' assault on Omaha Beach in Normandy.  Combat is almost continuous.  Men are gunned down, lifeless bodies are seen on the beach and some dead hang from trees.  Despite that both graphic violence and brutality are kept to a minimum and the camera does not dwell on the human destruction.  An effort is made to show German officers in a balanced way, though some are buffoonish and wrongheaded to the extreme.  This was a momentous achievement when it was released, filmmakers didn't have special effects and computers to rely on.  This film retains the historical and emotional impact that was intended.  Some smoking, drinking and a few "hell" and "damn" are used.  5 1/2* (this is an excellent movie)

     This movie is based on a novel written by Cornelius Ryan. Eddie Albert, Paul Anka, Red Buttons, Sean Connery, Fabian, Mel Ferrer, Henry Fonda, Peter Lawford, Roddy McDowall, Sal Mineo, Robert Mitchum, Edmond O’Brien, Robert Ryan, Tommy Sands, George Segal, Rod Steiger, Robert Wagner.

178 min Action directed by Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton, Gerd Oswald, Bernhard Wicki, Darryl F. Zanuck and written by Cornelius Ryan, Romain Gary, James Jones, David Pursall, Jack Seddon.

Note:  Imdb 7.8* out of 10* with 52,381 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 87% with 23 critic reviews 90% audience scores with 25,000+ audience scores, Metacritic 75 out of 100 with 7 critic reviews 7.3 out of 10 with 7 user scores, Eye for Film 3* out of 5* Scott Macdonald, Common Sense Media Renee Schonfeld, 4* out of 5*, age 12+, 1* language, drinking, drugs & smoking 4* positive messages, role models, violence, Amazon 4.7* out of 5* with 5445 reviews.

The Haunted Airman 2006

      During the conflict of  World War II, airman Toby Jugg is hit in the spine during an airborne attack.  Consequently, he is left a paraplegic.  His aunt-in-law Julia Jugg is his only living relative and she sends him to have a rest in a clinic in the countryside.  Toby is in love with Julia and he writes several letters to her.  She does not respond back to Toby?  Toby is haunted by shadows and bugs and Dr. Hal Burns.  This is the doctor is responsible for his treatment.  Dr. Burns complains that Toby does not open his up feelings to him.  One day, an intern goes to town and brings a letter from Julia to Toby.  The intern finds out that Dr. Burns is hiding Toby’s letters from Julia.  When Julia is informed of what is happening, she comes to the clinic to stay with Toby because he seems to be mentally ill.  One night, Dr. Burns gives a razor to Toby and tells him to do the right thing!!  Obviously, he is trying to get Toby to commit suicide.  But late in the night, Toby discovers there is a secret between Julia and Dr. Burns?  

     Toby was a fighter pilot shot down in combat.  He is now confined to his bed with little hope of walking again.  At night, he is becoming increasingly disturbed by a strange presence, a mysterious shadow thrown by the moonlight through a gap in the blackout curtains.  He is convinced the shadow is cast by a malevolent and unnatural entity trying to get into his room.  Toby is unable to convince anyone of the reality of this entity.  He slowly comes to believe that there is a plot against him.  Possibly trying to make him mad or to make it appear that he is already mad.  Is this some form of hallucination?  Is this unearthly creature real or a product of his imagination?  Are the people caring for him actually plotting his demise?  Or, are they sincerely concerned for a young man whose grip on sanity is steadily weakening?  2 1/2* (this movie is so-so)
 
68 min, Drama directed and written by Chris Durlacher and also based on a novel written by Dennis Wheatley with Julian Sands, Rachael Stirling, Robert Pattinson, Daniel Ainsleigh, Scott Handy, Melissa Lloyd, Peggy Popovic, Robert Whitelock.

Note:  Imdb 4.5* out of 10* with 1922 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 37% with 5000+ audience scores, Amazon 4.3* out of 5* with 395 reviews, Letterboxd 2* out of 5*, Amazon gives the book titled The Haunting of Toby Jugg 4.3* out of 5* with 97 reviews, Ebay 4* out of 5* with 23 reviews,

Special Note:  The source story, The Haunting of Toby Jugg was written by Dennis Wheatley to have much stronger occult themes.  The man in charge of the convalescence home (Dr. Burns) is not what he seems to be??  He has a definite personal reason for wanting Toby to be mentally ill.  He also doesn’t want to give Toby the treatments that would help him return to the man he used to be!!  Toby Jugg was a fighter pilot and he is now confined to his bed with little hope of walking again.  He is also the heir to a considerable fortune currently administered by a board of trustees until he comes of age.

Mistakes:  The closed captioning on the American DVD repeatedly misspells the name of the convalescence home.  It is a Welsh name with a double "l":  Llanferdach?  When Toby arrives at the home, the darkness is very obviously achieved using filters.  You can see the high contrast of the shadows and this indicates it was filmed in bright daylight?

Easy Virtue 1928

     This film is adapted from a play written by Noel Coward.  Larita Filton is named as correspondent in a scandalous divorce case.  She flees to France to rebuild her life and she meets John Whittaker.  Later they are married but John's well-to-do family finds out Larita has a secret?  This is one of Hitchcock's earliest films.  It is a silent film, so if you do not enjoy silent films I would give this a pass. 

     Supposedly, Larita is a notorious woman and she is blamed for her lover’s suicide plus she is divorced by her husband.  She falls in love, marries and everything is fine until they return to England.  She meets the new in-laws and her mother-in-law takes an instant dislike Larita.  When all the juicy  details come out, it doesn’t help Larita’s status or situation!!  There is a remake of this film from 2009 with Ben Barnes and Jessica Biel.  

80 min Romance directed by Alfred Hitchcock and written by Noel Coward and Eliot Stannard with Isabel Jeans, Franklin Dyhall, Eric Bransby Williams, Ian Hunter, Robin Irvine, Violet Farebrother, Frank Elliott, Dacia Deane, Dorothy Boyd, Enid Stamp-Taylor.

Note:  Imdb 5.7* out of 10* with 2544 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 67% with 9 critic reviews 26% audience scores with 500+ ratings, Amazon 3.9* out of 5* with 19 ratings, Letterboxd 2.6* out of 5*.

Special Note:  The play opened in London and New York City in 1925.  The New York City production began on December 7, 1925 and had 147 performances with Jane Cowl as Larita, Robert Harris as John and Halliwell Hobbes as Colonel Whittak.  For their advertisements at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival sponsor McRoskey Mattress Company used the distinctive photo from this movie of Isabel Jeans in bed with her arms raised.

Mistakes:  While sitting with Larita after she is hit with the tennis ball, John's sitting position changes between shots.  When Larita's hurt face is being tended to by a nurse, Larita's hand jumps from being in her lap to near her face between shots.  John's distance from Larita changes dramatically after she finishes shaking her cocktail at the other table then suddenly is next to Larita's table?  When Sarah and Larita first meet, John stands in between them.  But in the next shot he is shown on the far left of the women?

Bullitt 1968

     San Francisco Police Lieutenant Bullitt is sent out on an assignment to guard Johnny Ross.  He is a Chicago mobster and he is about to turn evidence against the organization.  Walter Chalmers wants Ross to be safe at all cost or else Bullitt will suffer the consequences of not doing his job properly!!

     This 1968 police movie remains famous for its lengthy and white-knuckle chase scenes through the streets of San Francisco.  It's a no-nonsense thriller with a focus on characters and details rather than action and suspense.  Even though star Steve McQueen is still cool and even though the car chase still works, some younger viewers may find the movie a bit dull?  It does have some grisly shootings with spurting blood and gory corpses.  The main character and his girlfriend share some intimate scenes with no nudity.  There are a couple of choice swear words saved for the film's final sequence.

     I REALLY liked this movie!!  The cars of this period are interesting and something to see.  The Mustangs and the Chargers from this time period are worth a LOT of money now!!   I really liked the chase scenes too.  It’s great to see the cars levitate because of the bumps in the SF roads!!  There is extra drama with a plane at the SF airport when one of the bad guys tries to leave the country.  There are a LOT of details involved in the surveillance of the man who is supposed to testify and those who want to keep him quiet.  Bullitt takes heat for this part of the movie.  5*+

114 min, Action directed by Peter Yates and written by Alan Trustman, Harry Kleiner and based on a novel by Robert L. Fish with Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, Jacqueline Bisset, Don Gordon, Robert Duvall, Simon Oakland, Norman Fell, Georg Stanford Brown, Justin Tarr, Car Reindel, Felice Orlandi, Vic Tayback, Robert Lipton, Ed Peck, Pat Tenella.

Note:  Amazon 4.7* out of 5* with 45 ratings, Imdb 7.4* out of 10* with 61,577 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 98% with 41 critic reviews 85% with 15,000+ audience scores, Metacritic 81 out of 100 with 20 critic reviews 7.1 out of 10 with 91 user scores, Common Sense Media Jeffrey M. Anderson, 4* out of 5*, age 14+, Roger Ebert 4*.

Special Note:  Although Steve McQueen was credited with driving during the chase sequences, it was actually shared by McQueen and Bud Ekins.  He is one of Hollywood's best stunt drivers.  From the interior shots looking forward inside the Mustang, it's easy to see which one is driving.  When McQueen is driving, the rear view mirror is down and reflecting his face.  When Ekins is driving it is up, so his face can be hidden.  Bullitt's reverse burnout during the chase scene actually wasn't in the script, Steve MacQueen had mistakenly missed the turn.  The footage for this scene was included in the film.  Two Mustangs and two Dodge Chargers were used for the famous chase scenes.  Both Mustangs were owned by the Ford Motor Company and part of a promotional loan agreement with Warner Brothers.  The cars were modified for the high-speed chases by veteran auto racer Max Balchowksy.  Stunt coordinator Carey Loftin got Bud Ekins got to drive the Mustang for most of the stunts.  Both of the Dodges were junked after the filming and one of the Mustangs.  The other less banged-up Mustang was purchased by a Warner Brothers employee after all production and post-production was completed.  The car ended up in New Jersey a few years later where Steve McQueen tried to buy it.  The owner refused to sell and the car now sits in a barn.  It had not been driven until it was used by Ford to promote the 2018 "Bullitt" Mustang revealed at the Detroit international auto show.

Mistakes:  During the chase scene you can hear a manual stick shift changing gears on the Mustang during exterior shots of the car.  But shots inside the vehicle during the chase show an automatic and not a manual stick.  A microphone is visible as the killer questions the doctor.  When Chalmers tells Bullitt on Friday that he needs to keep Ross out of reach of the organization for 40 hours until the senate sub committee hearing on Monday, it should be 64 hours. 40 hours would put the sub committee hearing on Sunday.  Bullitt and Delgetti go through the dead man's luggage, handling every single item without wearing gloves.  Then Bullitt asks the evidence guy for "fingerprints on this stuff."  Detectives messing up the evidence was commonplace into the 1970s but these actions are laughable rookie blunders.

 

Blackmail 1929

     Alice White is the daughter of a shopkeeper in London during the 1920’s.  Her boyfriend is Frank Webber and he is a Scotland Yard detective.  Frank seems more interested in police work than in Alice, at least that is what she thinks?  Frank takes Alice out one night but she has secretly arranged to meet another man?  Later that night, Alice agrees to go back to this man's flat to see his studio?  He has other ideas and he tries to rape Alice!!  She defends herself and kills the man with a bread knife!!  When the body is discovered, Frank is assigned to the case.  Of course he would be handling this case!!  He quickly determines that Alice is the killer based on the evidence.  Someone else has also learned that Alice is the killer and there is a threat of blackmail!!

     A lot of this movie was originally shot silently.  When sound became available during the course of shooting, director Sir Alfred Hitchcock re-shot certain scenes with sound and this was his first talkie film.  There was one complication with this change.  Leading lady Anny Ondra had a very thick Czech accent and this was not appropriate for her character Alice White?  Joan Barry was chosen to provide a different voice for Alice.  During post-production, dubbing technology did not exist.  The solution was for Barry to stand just out of the shot and read Alice's lines into a microphone.  Ondra mouthed the dialogue in front of the camera.  This is generally acknowledged as the first instance of the voice of one actress voice being dubbed by another.  Even the word "dub" is technologically inappropriate in this case.  This movie is really a BLAST from the past and I really liked it.  5*

85 min, Crime directed and written by Alfred Hitchcock and also written by Charles Bennett, Benn W. Levy and Michael Powell with Anny Ondra, Sara Allgood, Charles Paton, John Longden, Donald Calthrop, Cyril Ritchard, Hannah Jones, Harvey Braban, Ex-Det. Segt. Bishop.
 
Imdb:  7* out of 10* with 9748 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 87% with 23 critic reviews, 65% audience scores with 2500+ ratings, French Films 4* James Travers, Letterboxd 3.4* out of 5* with 5 fans, Slant Magazine 3 1/2* out of 5* Chuck Bowen, Amazon 4.4* out of 5* with 71 ratings.

Special Note:  In one key shot, The Artist Cyril Ritchard is photographed with a thick shadow (caused by the arm of an overhead chandelier) across his upper lip.  Sir Alfred Hitchcock wanted the image to evoke the old-fashioned and heavily mustached villain found in many silent movies.  He later called this touch "my farewell to silent pictures."  When this movie was released, the silent version did considerably better business than the sound one.  This was because few theaters other than those in big cities were equipped for sound.  With film The Jazz Singer (1927) doing spectacular business, the producers decided that the last reel of this predominantly silent movie should have sound.  Sir Alfred Hitchcock thought that this was an absurd idea and he secretly filmed the entire film with sound!!  This is the first British movie and also the first movie directed by Sir Alfred Hitchcock to have sound.
 

The Goods: Live Hard Sell Hard 2009

     In a desperate attempt to save his rapidly failing used car dealership, Ben Selleck hires a crack team of car mercenaries to ramp up sales during the Fourth of July weekend.  The team is led by the fast-talking, foul-mouthed, self-assured Don “The Goods’ Ready.  This group has only three days to sell over 200 cars!!  As Don undertakes his newest mission he quickly falls for the boss’s daughter Ivy.  He realizes he will have to trust more than his cars and his crafty skills in deceit to make a success out of this daunting weekend!!

     This is a raunchy comedy packed with over-the-top, crude language and sexual jokes/innuendo from beginning to end.  No bodily function is left unreported, no serious issue is safe from the lowest forms of humor.  Expect a constant stream of racial slurs, fat jokes, outrageous come-ons and religious send-ups.  Interspersed with these verbal assaults are the visual ones, erotic lap dances, bare breasts, full-frontal female nudity, a bizarre brush with pedophilia, an exaggerated clothed male erection and dildos literally falling from the sky!!!  The objective in all cases is non-stop gross-out humor???  2* (I didn’t like this movie)

89 min, Comedy directed by Neal Brennan with Jeremy Piven, Ving Rhames, James Brolin, David Koechner, Kathryn Hahn, Ed Helms, Jordana Spiro, Tony Hale, Ken Jeong, Rob Riggle, Alan Thicke, Charles Napier, Jonathan Sadowski, Noureen DeWulf, Wendie Malick. 

 
Note:  Imdb 5.8* out of 10*  with 20,820 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 27% with 103 critic reviews 37%, 2* violence, 3* drinking, drugs & smoking, 4* language, Roger Ebert 3*, Amazon 4.5* out of 5* with 765 ratings.

Special Note:  Nine cast members in this film have played a major to a small role on the sitcom The Office (2005); David Koechner, Ed Helms, Craig Robinson, Paul Lieberstein, Rob Riggle, Will Ferrell, Ken Jeong, Jessica St. Clair, and Jean Villeique.  Five cast members in this movie also appeared in The Hangover (2009): Ed Helms, Ken Jeong, Rob Riggle, Bryan Callen, and Matt Walsh.   The Trans Am at Selleck Motors most likely wasn't used in the making of Smokey and the Bandit (1977). The most telling sign of this is that the interior is golden brown, the interior in the original Bandit car was black.  

Mistakes:  While trying to convince Paxton Harding to purchase a vehicle, Don Ready suggests he take his band on a tour of the Florida Panhandle.  The first city he mentions in Gainesville located North Florida is not the Panhandle?  As seen in the beginning, the Trans Am is placed on a metallic support in the air.  By the end of the movie we see Don and Ivy talking inside the vehicle.  When exiting, Don gets down as if the car was on the ground before the take was quickly cut to a next scene?

  

 

Georgy Girl 1966

     A homely but vivacious young woman dodges the amorous attentions of her father's middle-aged employer.  There’s a bit of a dark turn in this one area considering Georgy’s father’s employer has been hitting on her for years.  Her dad knows about these events but the boss ends up being very benign.  Georgy herself is so wonderful that you never doubt she’ll be perfectly okay.  This is a movie about a swinging sixties girl!!  They’re all positive and hyper, awkward and slightly detached from what’s going on around them.  They still want very much to have fun.  They run around together trying to get their lives together.

     If this film were made now, Georgy would not need to compromise.  Single-parent families are much more accepted in this modern society.  It’s important to remember that in the 1960’s this kind of a life was nearly impossible.  That’s why there should not be such negativity towards this film.  It would be more satisfying to see Georgy defy society by declaring her own self-worth and maternal capabilities enough to abandon Joss and Leamington.  She should head off into the sunset with her friend's baby.  But around the corner would be the very same social workers who tore the children from Carol White’s arms in Cathy Come Home.  That’s what life was like in this time period.  Hate the period but not the film.  Georgy Girl is reflective of its time and it is an extraordinary moment.  It saw the demise of the old and the birth of the new.  3 1/2* (I liked this movie)

99 min, Comedy directed by Silvio Narizzano and written by Margaret Forster and Peter Nichols with James Mason, Alan Bates, Lynn Redgrave, Charlotte Rampling, Bill Owen, Clare Kelly, Rachel Kempson, Denise Coffey, Dorothy Alison, Peggy Thorpe-Bates, Dandy Nichols, Terence Soall, Jolyon Booth.

Note:  Imdb 6.9* out of 10* with 3,429 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 91% with 11 critic reviews 70% with 1000+ ratings, Goodreads gives the novel by Margaret Forster 3.41* out of 5* with 301 ratings and 31 reviews, Letterboxd 3.3* out of 5*,  dvdtalk.com 2 1/2* content, 3* video, 3* audio, 1 1/2* replay, Amazon 4.4* out of 5* with 271 reviews.

Special Note:  This movie was nominated for four Academy Awards, in the categories of Best Actress in a Leading Role Lynn Redgrave, Best Black-and-White Cinematography Kenneth Higgins, Best Actor in a Supporting Role James Mason and Best Music - Original Song for the song "Georgy Girl", with music by  Tom Springfield and lyrics by Jim Dale but failed to win in any of these categories?  Vanessa Redgrave backed out of the role of Georgy just before shooting started.  Her sister Lynn accepted the part instead.  Lynn Redgrave’s Best Actress Oscar nomination for this movie coincided with sister Vanessa's similar nomination for Morgan 1966.  Such a coincidence had occurred only once before when sisters Joan Fontaine and Olivia de Havilland respectively vied for the Best Actress Oscar for Suspicion 1941 and Hold Back the Dawn 1941.  Fontaine was the only winner of the four actresses in this particular instance.  
 

Armored 2009

     War veteran Ty Hackett is hired to work as security guard by Eagle Shield Security where his old friend Mike Cochroone works.  Ty is having financial difficulties after the death of his father and he is raising his brother Jimmy alone.  He teams up with Mike's brother-in-law, Baines and their coworkers Quinn, Palmer and Dobbs.  One night Mike invites Ty to join in the robbery of two armored trucks transporting forty-two million dollars.  The reluctant Ty accepts after Mike promises that  no one would get hurt in the heist.  

     This movie is actually a B-grade movie but it has all the basic needs of an average thriller.  There is the predictable setup and it relies on the bare essentials.  The movie goes everywhere it’s expected to with twists and turns in ways you see coming and it resolves its conflict tied with a big red bow!!  It still manages some genuinely gripping moments largely because the characters are very well developed.  Despite having a spot in the sphere of standard heist-gone-wrong movie, it’s entertaining because of the familiar faces of the cast and the direction from Nimród Antal.  He is also the director of the movie Vacancy 2007.  3* (This movie is OK)   

88 min, Action directed by Nimrod Antal and written by James V. Simpson with Matt Dillon, Jean Reno, Laurence Fishburne, Amaury Nolascdo, Fred Ward, Milo Ventimiglia, Skeet Ulrich, Columbus Short, Andre Jamal Kinney, Andrew Fiscella, Nick Jameson, Glenn Taranto, Lorna Raver, Garry Guerrier, Robert Harvey.

Note:  Imdb 5.7* out of 10* with 29,803 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes, 40% with 555 critic reviews 31* with 100,000+ audience scores, Deep Focus 2 1/2* out of 4* Brian Eggert,

Special Note:  This film was accidentally released by Sony on the PlayStation Network without a fee while it was still playing in theaters?  Although the mistake was quickly spotted and the film pulled from PlayStation, it was downloaded thousands of times.  Ty Hackett acted by Columbus Short refers to Duncan Ashcroft acted by Fred Ward as “top.”  This is a term often used by the United States Army to describe First Sergeants due to their high rank.  There was initially a subplot/ backstory for Matt Dillon’s character with his wife dying and this was his reason for needing more money.  This plot was ultimately dropped to create a leaner running time.  There is only one woman who has a speaking role in this movie.  The child protection agent is played by Lorna Raver.  Her role is shorter than 4 minutes.  Elizabeth Rivera also has a non-speaking role.

Mistakes:  In the beginning of the movie, after they pick up the money from the bank you see the traffic light is red to the right side of the screen?  They continue to drive through the streets without stopping?  When Hackett enters the dressing room on the morning of the heist Baines' locker is closed and then open and then closed again.  When Mike confronts Officer Eckehart acted by Milo Ventimigila, Mike's uniform shirt is not tucked in on the right side in one shot, it is fully tucked in during another shot and then slightly not tucked in on the left side in another shot? 

A Touch of Class 1973

     American Steve Blackburn is in the insurance business for his occupation.  He is married with two children.  Vickie Allessio is a self described design "stealer" for a knockoff fashion house as her occupation.  She is a recent divorcée with two children.  Steve and Vickie are running into each other more and more in their day to day lives?  They both live in London before even knowing who the other person is and this suits them both fine!!  When they do finally officially meet, Steve is up front that he wants to have an affair with Vickie?  Steve has had affairs in the past whenever his wife Gloria, who is from old money, isn't around.  This is currently the case because she is in the States visiting her parents.  Vickie is up front that she is amenable to a no-strings affair with him under specific circumstances.  Her requirements are that it be at least a classy short term affair.  This means no cheap motels and preferably a weekend away somewhere warm.   Since he is able to arrange a business trip to Málaga Spain for a week, Steve convinces Vickie to change their agreed weekend to a week and off they go!!  

     A Touch Of Class was a groundbreaking film, not because it was a particularly wonderful film because it wasn't or that it was shot in London or that Glenda Jackson played the chick.  It was because it was probably the first time Hollywood noticeably departed from its tradition of casting Cary Grant and Rock Hudson and similar men as big box-office comedic romantic leads.  A Touch Of Class has been synonymous with George Segal since its release in 1973.  Every day that George Segal went to work at Wyndham's Theatre just off Leicester Square, he was forced to go past a house front billboard with huge capitals stating that A TOUCH OF CLASS has come to the cast of Art.  This might be somewhat off-putting for his fellow artists but they didn't know that it's not entirely enviable to have been a very famous Hollywood movie star!!  3 1/2* (I liked this movie)

106 min, comedy directed and written by Melvin Frank, also written by Jack Rose with George Segal, Glenda Jackson, Paul Sorvino, K Callan, Cec Linder, Michael Elwyn, Mary Barclay, Nadim Sawalha, Ian Thompson, Eve Karpf, David de Keyser, Gaye Brown, Carl Oatley, Rebecca De Los Reyes, Felipe Solano.

Note:  Imdb 6.5* out of 10* with 2812 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 83% with 12 critic reviews, 65% with 1000+ audience scores, Amazon 4.5* out of 5* with 308 reviews, Letterboxd 3* out of 5*, Roger Ebert 3*.

Special Note:  Glenda Jackson's Oscar win for this movie was so shocking to viewers of the ceremony that a recount was considered for the votes?  The Oscar had been rumored to be going to Marsha Mason for Cinderella Liberty or Ellen Burstyn for The Exorcist since they were the front runners.  The black-and-white film on TV that Glenda Jackson and George Segal were weeping to was Brief Encounter (1945).  In that film the main characters both married but not to each other were also having an affair.

Mistakes:  Early on in the film when Vicki and Steve first share the taxi, it is reflected in the windscreen of the taxi just as it pulls up to drop Vicki off in the rain.  At 1:00:06 a camera shadow is on Vickie as she crosses the room.  At 2:43 where Steve falls isn't where he gets up at 2:48.  At 7:08 when Vickie gets out of the cab the position of the window changes.   
 

It’s Complicated 2009

     When brought together at a family event, two executives find themselves oddly attracted to each other after ten years of being divorced.  Although the couple think that news of their affair will stay in a different state location, it brings itself back to their own city and disrupts their personal lives.  While the couple still maintain other current romances, they cannot help but to continue with their new affair.

     This is a fast paced and smart comedy with a great cast.  It is a mature work and it succeeds where Something’s Gotta Give didn’t.  Nancy Meyers creates three real characters and they have everyday qualities and sympathy.  The divorce was caused because Jake (Baldwin) left Jane (Streep) for a much younger woman!!  Jane has struggled after the divorce to find find happiness as she has aged.  She meets Adam and he is a sensitive architect.  He is designing her new kitchen has had his fair share of divorce stories in his own past.  Jane and Jake attend their son’s college graduation and they find themselves on common ground for a very different change??
     
     This mature romantic comedy is age-appropriate for older teens and up.  Although adults are most likely to appreciate it.  The sexuality isn't graphic, the movie's main themes concern is infidelity, sex for the over-50 set and dealing with adult children.  None of this is meant for younger kids.  There's some swearing and a good bit of social drinking.  The main characters have their first adulterous night together after getting completely sloshed from alcohol.  There are a couple of humorous scenes in which a marijuana joint is shared by three adult characters.  Teens could get the message that being intoxicated lowers inhibitions which is true.  Since no negative consequences are shown, parents should talk to their kids about possible consequences.  As in every other Nancy Meyers movie, everyone lives a completely pampered and wealthy lifestyle?  This time they are living in Santa Barbara.  We should all be so lucky!!
    
120 min, Comedy directed and written by Nancy Meyers with Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin, John Krasinski, Lake Bell, Mary Kay Place, Rita Wilson, Alexandra Wentworth, Hunter Parrish, Zoe Kazan, Caitlin FitzGerald, Emjay Anthony, Nora Dun, Bruce Altman, Robert Curtis Brown.

Note:  Imdb 6.5* out of 10* with 86,807 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 58% with 183 critic reviews 60% with 100,000+ audience scores, Roger Ebert 2 1/2*, The Guardian 3* out of 5* Peter Baldwin, Common Sense Media Sandie Angulo Chen, 3* out of 5* age 16+, Amazon 4.8* out of 5* with 6697 reviews.  

Special Note:  Meryl Streep asked her alma mater, Vassar College, if they could film the college graduation scenes on their campus.  They refused even though Streep serves on their Board of Trustees and two of her children have attended this college?  In the scene where Jane answers a phone call from her daughter Lauren, she is clearly surprised by Jake who kisses her causing her to say "You're still on the phone" instead of "You're still on the plane."  This was a genuine reaction from Meryl Streep who did not expect Alec Baldwin to kiss her.  Nancy Meyers had asked Alec to kiss Meryl since it would be something Jake would do.  Fortunately, Streep kept the scene going and incorporated her mistake so this scene could be kept in the movie.

Mistakes:  When Jane and Adam are looking over the plans together at her house, Adam asks "Have you lived here long?" but his mouth isn't moving.  When Jane and Adam put the croissants in the oven, the pastries are much too close together.  Croissants expand to over double their size as they cook and they would have stuck together?  As a baker, Jane would know this?  In the scene where Adam is trying on clothes, he tries on a sweater that he refers to as gray.  It is clearly a brown color?  

Tenure 2008

     At a Pennsylvania college, Charlie Thurber is a good teacher but he has not authored any publications.  His tenure review is in three months and he's trying to get an article in print.  Out of the blue, the dean announces that a new assistant professor will join them and she is a scholarly young woman from Yale.  Now Charlie faces competition!!  His best friend Jay is an anthropologist looking for Sasquatch.  Jay urges Charlie to declare war on the new colleague.  Charlie gives in despite his better judgment and he goes along with the new plan.  Meanwhile, Charlie’s father hates the local assisted living facility where he is living?  Charlie tries to connect with a woman he sees on television and one of his students makes a pass.  Is tenure in the works for Charlie?

     Despite his outstanding intellect, associate professor Charlie Thurber is a chronic underachiever and has never previously received university tenure.  Aided by his nutty best friend, Charlie launches a final effort to make the grade at Gray College.  Unfortunately, a beautiful new female teacher with an ascending star threatens to eclipse him and shake up Charlie’s plans.  2 1/2* (This movie is so-so)

89 min, Comedy directed and written by Mike Million with Luke Wilson, Gretchen Mol, David Koechner, Sasha Alexander, Bob Gunton, Rosemarie DeWitt, Michael Cudlitz, William Bogert, Andrew Daly, Ellen Tobie, Zach Selwyn, Hilary Pingle, Nathan Pham, Van Hughes, Lily Holeman.

Note:  Imdb 6.1* out of 10* with 2542 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 33% with 500+ audience scores, Amazon 3.9* out of 5* with 55 ratings, Letterboxd 2.7* out of 5*.

Special Note:  Luke Wilson and David Koechner appeared in the film Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004).  Luke Wilson and Gretchen Mol appeared in 3:10 to Yuma (2007).  When Charlie plays the word "chug" during the game of Scrabble, you can see that one of the words spelled on the board is "yeti".
 

Cold Souls 2009

     This film is about Civilization and its discontents.  Paul is an actor preparing for a role as "Uncle Vanya" on Broadway and it is mired in ennui.  His agent tells him about an office where he can put his soul in storage.  He does this and then he discovers that being soulless helps neither his acting or his marriage.  He returns to the office and rents the soul of a Russian poet for two weeks.  His acting improves but his wife finds him different and he sees bits of the borrowed soul's life.  Now he's plummeted into a deep sorrow.  He wants his own soul back but there are complications?  It is in St. Petersburg.  With the help of Nina, a Russian who transports souls to the U.S., he determines to get it back.  Who is he and who has he become is the real problem and question?

     Actor Paul Giamatti is suffering greatly as he rehearses for a Chekhov play.  He can't separate himself from the unhappy character he's playing.  When he reads a magazine article about the innovative process of safe "soul removal and storage" he's intrigued.  Friendly Dr. Flintstein and his beaming assistant facilitate the transplant with ease.  Paul is initially elated and relieved.  It isn't long before he realizes that both his acting and his marriage to Claire are less than stellar without an intact soul.  Unfortunately, his soul is no longer in Flintstein's vault.  It has actually been stolen by a Russian black marketeer.  Soon a hapless Russian "soul mule" becomes Paul's ally in the quest for his soul's return?

     Although this indie comedy (?) about the soul transplant business is imaginative, it probably won't have much appeal for kids or young teens.  It's grown-up material and the humor comes from looking at our culture's incessant soul-searching and self-involvement to a new level of absurdity.  Expect some mostly mild swearing and smoking.  There are also two scenes with brief female nudity with models in a drawing class and a poster designed to elicit a humorous response.  3* (This movie is OK)


101 min, Comedy directed and written by Sophie Barthes with Paul Giamatti, Armand Schultz, Michael Tucker, Dina Korzun, Ted Koch, Oksana Lada, Natalia Zvereva Larisa Bell, Anna Dyukova, Charles Techman, Lauren Ambrose, David Strathairn, Laura Heisler, Birenin Bryant, Charlotte Mickie,

Note:  Imdb 6.4* out of 10* with 9,566 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes75% with 126 critic reviews 54% with 25,000+ audience scores, Roger Ebert 3*, The Guardian 2* out of 5* Peter Bradshaw, Common Sense Media Renee Schonfeld 3* out of 5*,   age 15+, 2* positive messages, drinking, drugs & smoking, 3* role models, sex, language, Metacritic 69 out of 100 with 28 critic reviews 5.8 out of 10 with 32 user scores.

Special Note:  This film was inspired by a dream Sophie Barthes had and in it Woody Allen discovers that his soul looks just like a chickpea.  Barthes wrote the first draft with Allen in mind for the lead role.  It is also inspired by Carl Gustav Jung’s "Modern Man in Search of a Soul".  The opening quote says: "The soul has its principal seat in the small gland located in the middle of the brain.”  This is from Rene Descartes, The Passions of the Soul,1649.  
 

Before & After 1996

      This movie is based on a book written by Rosellen Brown.  When teenage son Jacob is being accused of murdering his girlfriend, the well-respected and close-knit Ryan family is in turmoil.  Jacob runs away and father Ben destroys possible evidence.  The village community turns hostile and mother Carolyn is forced to temporarily close her doctor's practice.  Jacob is arrested and soon finds himself and his family entangled in a web of truth, trust and lies all on his way to court.

     The acting in this film is good with the exception of the young actor who plays Jacob because he is too wooden.  The film also packs a lot of intrigue.  It weaves in a lot of family dynamics and conflict that makes it a gripping drama.  But, the lawyer and police are stereotypes.  They are awful and one-dimensional.  The people in the town were also one-dimensional.  With the exception of one clerk at a hardware store, everyone turns against the family based on allegations of wrongdoing?  3* (This movie is OK)

108 min, Crime directed by Barbet Schroeder and written by Rosellen Brown and Ted Tally with Meryl Streep, Liam Neeson, Edward Furlong, Julia Weldon, Alfred molina, Daniel von Bargen, John Heard, Ann Magnuson, Alison Folland, Kaiulani Lee, Larry Pine, Ellen Lancaster, Wesley Addy, Oliver Graney, Bernadette Quigley.  

Note:  Imdb 6.1* out of 10* with 8232 reviews, Roger Ebert 2*, Letterboxd 2.8* out of 5*, Rotten Tomatoes 32% with 19 critic reviews 35% with 5,000+ audience scores, Amazon 4.2* out of 5* with 960 reviews.

Special Note:  There is a scene where Meryl Streep enters the court room to appear in front of the grand jury.  In the front row (in the middle of the frame) sits a young Paul Giamatti as an extra.  His head is turned around to have a look at her.  The Ryans were originally going to be a wealthy Jewish-American family.  The hatred toward them after their son may have committed a murder was going to be related to Anti-Semitism.  The studio decided they didn't want to deal with those issues.  They also didn't think that it made sense to have Liam Neeson playing a Jewish character.  Instead the family was made into a generic group of Caucasians.  

Mistakes:  After Jake and his girlfriend pull over, their car gets stuck in the snow.  They are unable to drive away but it is unexplained how Jake is able to drive out of the rut alone after his girlfriend's fall?  If the two could not do the job while working together how could Jake do it alone?  During the initial lawyer conference the sandwich, the napkin, and the sandwich wrapper in front of the lawyer change relative position?  The wrapper changes shape several times without the lawyer touching it and you can’t hear the sound of the wrapper being moved/reshaped.  When Ben and Jacob pull to the side of the road and get out of the car to talk, the right blinker is on. When they get back in, the blinker is off.  

Smooth Talk 1986

      This film is based on a novel by Joyce Carol Oates titled Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been.  Free-spirited fifteen-year-old Connie Wyatt may be too young to drive?  But, she's already driving the boys crazy.  Now she is anxious to escape the boredom of family farm life.  Her suspicious mother wants to keep her safely at home.  But Connie would rather while away the languid summer days hanging out with her friends and flirting with boys at the local burger stand.  She flirts with a handsome and mysterious stranger named Arnold Friend.  She finds herself in dangerous waters and she must prepare herself for some frightening and traumatic consequences.  

     Although filmed in Northern California the look of this movie was also meant to be infused with East Coast imagery.  It is based on Director Joyce Chopra and writer Tom Cole’s home of Kent Connecticut.  Additional inspiration came from photographer Joel Meyerowitz's book "Cape Light" (1979).  This book is a collection of images from Cape Cod Massachusetts.  A scene in the movie where Connie hides from Friend in her home's hallway was specifically modeled after one of Meyerowitz's photos.  3 1/2* (I liked this movie)

92 min, Drama directed by Joyce Chopra and written by Joyce Carol Oates and Tom Cole with Treat Williams, Laura Dern, Mary Kay Place, Margaret Welsh, Sara Inglis, Levon Helm, Elizabeth Berridge, Geoff Hoyle, William Ragsdale, David Berridge, Cab Covay, Michael French, Joy Carlin, Mark McKay, Carl Mueller.

Note:  Imdb 6.8* out of 10* with 1852 reviews, Roger Ebert 3 1/2*, Rotten Tomatoes 90% with 20 critic reviews 42% with 1000+ audience scores, Slant Magazine 3 1/2* out of 4* Jake Cole, thefilmfile.com 4*, Dustin Putman, Amazon 4.4* out of 5* with 77 reviews, Metacritic 74 out of 100 with 13 critic reviews.

Special Note:  This novel is often hailed as a literary masterpiece  because of the many motifs and insightful views on modern culture.  This movie was also based on Director Joyce Chopra’s previous documentary 1975.  The documentary follows the everyday lives of three girls for about six months.  Several moments were replicated to establish Connie's character as a typical teenage girl during the first half of the movie.  Director Joyce Chopra knew Laura Dern was right for the role of Connie when she heard "Is That the Way You Look?" from James Taylor playing on Dern's answering machine!!  Ironically and unknown to Dern, Taylor was the movie's music director.  She had suggested using that song in particular as one of the soundtrack's featured songs.

The Greatest Man in the World 1980

     This version of James Thurber's tale tells the story of a young amateur pilot who beats Charles Lindbergh's feat of nonstop flying around the world.  He has his own unique ways of conserving fuel and energy.  Fortified with only a gallon of gin and a salami, Jack Smurch bests even Lindberg.

     During the four days he's airborne, this unknown kid becomes a world hero.  But on the ground a young reporter anxious to tell the world about their new idol learns that Smurch is bad news!!  He is an arrogant, illiterate lout with a police record.  Smurch's only interests are “parties, broads and dough.”  But the reporter is silenced and Smurch is locked up until the press and politicians can make him into their kind of American hero at any cost!!  This in old-fashioned spoof originally broadcast on PBS as part of a series showcasing great American short stories.  It gives us the opportunity to appreciate the work of two somewhat forgotten figures.  James Thurber the wry humorist presents us with Jack Smurch, the Anti-Lindbergh.  Brad Davis, one of the great and explosive young actors of the 1970’s brings Smurch to life.  Thurber and Davis both left this world too soon!!  Watch and remember or watch and forget!!  3* (This movie is OK)    

     You couldn't go wrong making a film that's true to a James Thurber story, could you?  Well, no, but that doesn't mean the movie will be particularly interesting or entertaining?  Once getting over the initial laugh about a world class aviator who sounds and acts like a redneck, where do you go from there?  One major surprise toward the end but it's neither funny nor flattering to the establishment that runs things?  A junior college Freshman class D+ movie at best.  Poor acting and Henry Fonda is NOT in it.  Not one laugh.  No real plot.  Totally pointless story line.  No emotional response of any kind but disappointment!!  Please do yourself a favor and watch anything else!!


51 min Comedy directed by Ralph Rosenblum and written by James Thurber and Jeff Wanshel with Brad Davis, Reed Birney, John McMartin, Henry Fonda, Howard Da Silva, Russell Horton, Carol Kane, Melinda Rosenthal, William Prince, Sudie Bond.

Note:  Imdb 6.4* out of 10* with 38 reviews, Amazon 3* out of 5* with 6 reviews, fandor.com 3.6* out of 5*, hoopladigital.com 2 1.2* out of 5* with 2 reviews.
 

The Young Victoria 2009

      Dominated by her possessive mother and her bullying consort Conroy since childhood, teen-aged Victoria refuses to allow them the power of acting as her regent in the last days of her uncle William IV's rule.  Her German cousin Albert is encouraged to court her for solely political motives.  Following her accession to the throne at age eighteen, she finds he is falling for her and she is dismayed at her reliance on trusty Prime Minister Melbourne.  Victoria is impressed by Albert's philanthropy which is like to her own desire to help her subjects.  Her loyalty to Melbourne, perceived as a self-seeker, almost causes a constitutional crisis.  It is Albert who helps restore her self-confidence.  She proposes and they marry.  Albert is proving himself to be not only a devoted spouse but he is prepared to take an assassin's bullet for her!!  He is also involved in much-needed reform and finally he is endorsed by an admiring Melbourne.

     This period biopic about England's beloved Queen Victoria isn’t just the story of a legendary monarch.  It's also a love story about the loving, committed relationship between Victoria and her husband.  But despite this and the movie's tame PG rating, kids and tweens probably won't be drawn in by the characters' political achievements, particularly in the movie's first half?  Families who watch won't find very much content to object to.  There is one scene that involves shooting, as well as some flirting and kissing but no nudity or strong language.  3* (This movie is OK)

105 min, Biography directed byJean-Marc Vallee and written by Julian Fellowes with Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bethany, Miranda Richardson, Jim Broadbent, Thomas Kretschmannm, Mark Strong, Jesper Christensen, Harriet Walter, Jeanette Hain, Julian Glover, Michael Maloney, Michael Huisman.

Note:  Imdb 7.3* with 18,194 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 76% with 156 reviews, Metacritic 64 out of 100 with 29 critic reviews, The Guardian 2* out of 5* Peter Bradshaw. Common Sense Media S. Jhoanna Robledo, 3* out of 5*, age 12+, 1* sex, drinking, drugs & smoking, language, violence, 3* positive role models,  

Special Note:  The dress Victoria wears for her first meeting with her council is a copy of the actual dress Queen Victoria wore on this occasion.  It survived and as of 26 March 2012 it is on display at Kensington Palace as part of the new Victoria Revealed exhibition.  It is on public display in the Red Saloon, the actual room of her first Privy Council.  It has since faded to brown as the black dye at the time was not stable.  The very tall green bed cost £25,000 to build.  The Duke and Duchess of Rutland, owners of Belvoir Castle, purchased the bed after filming.  Just before the credits roll, the following text appears: "Victoria remains the longest reigning British Sovereign.  To date:  Queen Victoria was the longest reigning British sovereign as well as the longest reigning female sovereign until 2015.  Queen Elizabeth II now claims both titles.  Emily Blunt’s costumes were insured for £10,000 each.   

Mistakes:  Throughout the film, Lord Melbourne is pronounced 'Mel-burn' like the Australian city.  The title of Viscount Melbourne is derived from Melbourne Hall in Derbyshire and pronounced 'Mel-born'.  The other way did not come to be spoken until much later.  When Albert is given a portrait of Victoria for the first time, she is depicted in a white dress with a tiara set vertically in her hair bun.  By convention, unmarried women royals do not wear tiaras until they are betrothed and more usually married.  This specific portrait was done in 1842, two years after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were married.  Also, Albert designed the tiara she wears in her hair especially for Victoria. 

Additional Note:  Julian Fellowes is also the creator and writer of Downton Abbey, Grosford Park and The English Game.
 

Falling in Love 1984

      During shopping for Christmas, Frank and Molly run into each other.  This fleeting short moment will start to change their lives!!  They recognize each other months later riding on the train going home.  They have a good time together.  Both are married and Frank has two small children.  As they meet more and more often, their friendship is becoming the most precious thing in their lives!!

     There is a genuine chemistry between De Niro and Streep on the screen plus undeniable charisma.  And that is all there is in this movie??  There is not one memorable line of dialogue, not one inventive situation.  It wants to be a 1940’s romance and it makes that very clear in the beginning.  The first encounter between the characters is a meet cute scene?  They bump into each other at a bookstore, drop their packages and bump heads as they bend over to pick them up.  That is exactly how the meet cute works in this movie?  This film could have been a LOT better than meet cute!!  3* (This movie is OK)

106 min, Drama directed by Ulu Grosbard and written by Michael Cristofer with Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep, Harvey Keitel, Jane Kaczmarek, George Martin, David Clennon, Dianne Wiest, Victor Argo, Wiley Earl, Jesse Bradford, Chevi Colton, Richard Giza, Frances Conroy, James Ryan, Sonny Abagnale.

Note:  Imdb 6.5* out of 10* with 12,855 reviews, Metacritc 55 out of 100 with 12 critic reviews, Rotten tomatoes 58% with 12 critic reviews 63% with 5,000+ audience scores, Roger Ebert 2*.

Special Note:  The place where Frank Raftis and Molly Gilmore met was the commuter train line route between Manhattan, New York City and Westchester County, New York.  On about the time that the movie was released, Robert De Niro said about the teaming with Meryl Streep:  "I was always thinking of something I could do with Meryl, a play, a film, anything?  We had a reading and began to see possibilities in it."  Meryl Streep added “We both wanted something real, something awkward and crumpled."
 

Mistakes:  When trying on clothes prior to meeting Frank in NYC, Molly takes off the striped dress and tosses it in the pile on the bed.  In the next shot the dress is visible on her arm as she continues to look through clothes hanging in the closet.  When Frank is talking to Victor at a construction site, the camera crew is reflected twice in succession in plates of glass that they pass.  During several exterior Metro North run-by's, the film sequences are shown inverted.  Trains coming towards the camera should run on the viewers left (as trains and cars both drive on the right in the US) and the motorman's front window should be on the viewers left, as seen in the sequences shot in Grand Central Terminal. 

Rope 1948

     This movie is adapted from a play written by Patrick Hamilton in 1929.  Brandon and Philip are two young men who share a New York City apartment.  They consider themselves intellectually superior to their friend David Kentley.  As a consequence of their feelings they decide to murder him??  Their only reason is to satisfy a sadistic urge and stoke their intellectual vanity.  Together they strangle David with a rope and place the body in an old chest.  They proceed to hold a small party.  The guests include David's father, his fiancée Janet and their old school teacher Rupert.  It was from Rupert that they they mistakenly took their ideas??  As Brandon becomes increasingly more daring, Rupert begins to suspect something is going on??

     Sir Alfred Hitchcock made a very different Rupert Cadell for this movie.  In the play, Rupert is 29 years old and he had an affair with one of his students.  Rupert is the teacher Wyndham Brandon and Charles Granillo in the play.  In the movie, Rupert was the previous teacher of Brandon Shaw, Philip Morgan, Kenneth Lawrence and David Kentley.  In the movie, Rupert looks like he is at least in his mid-forties, he is currently a publisher and he has a romantic relationship with Mrs. Wilson.  He has plans of marrying her in the future.  In the play, there is no Mrs. Wilson.  Instead of Mrs. Wilson, there is a 35-year-old French servant named Mr. Sabot.  3* (This movie is OK)

80 min, Crime directed by Alfred Hitchcock and written by Hume Cronyn, Arthur Laurents, Ben Hecht with Dick Hogan, John Dall, Farley Granger, Edith Evanson, Douglas Dick, Joan Chandler, Cedric Hardwicke, Constance Collier, James Stewart.  

Note:  Imdb 8* out of 10* with 130,697 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 94% with 49 critic reviews 90% audience score with 25,000+ audience scores, Metacritic 73 out of 100 with 10 critic reviews, 8.5 out of 10 with 40 user scores, Roger Ebert 2*, Amazon 4.6* out of 5* with 1607 reviews, Letterboxd 4* out of 5* with 645 fans.

Special Note:  There was an actual case like this known as the infamous Loeb-Leopold case of 1924!!  Since the filming times were so long, everyone on the set tried their best to avoid any mistakes.  At one point in the movie, the camera dolly ran over and broke a cameraman's foot but to keep filming he was gagged and dragged off.  Another time, a woman put her glass down but she misses the table.  A stagehand had to rush up and catch it before the glass hit the ground.  Both scenes are used in the final cut.  This is Sir Alfred Hitchcock’s first color movie.

Mistakes:  Philip's piano playing does not match the music playing.  When Phillip and Brandon put David in the chest, the rope is clearly around David's neck and completely inside the box.  But in a few minutes, Phillip finds the rope hanging very far and outside the box?  Philip cuts his hand on glass but moments later there’s no blood or wound visible?  During the party, the chest that houses David is tall enough to serve food from.  However, by the end as Rupert crosses to the chair next to it, the chest is only as tall as Rupert's knees.
 

The Blind Side 2009

      This film is based on the true story of Leigh Anne Tuohy and Sean Tuohy.  They take in a homeless teenage African-American, Michael Oher.  Michael has no idea who his father is and his mother is a drug addict.  Michael has had little formal education and he has very few skills to help him learn.  Leigh Anne soon takes charge as this is her nature.  She is going to ensure that this young man has every opportunity to succeed.  When he expresses an interest in football, she goes all out to help him.  She finds a coach and gives  him a few ideas on how best to use Michael's skills.  They not only provide him with a loving home but they hire a tutor to help him improve his grades.  He would like to qualify for an NCAA Division I athletic scholarship.  As a result of their efforts and Michael’s work, he was the first-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in the 2009 NFL draft.  

     The Blind Side is a formulaic but uplifting family sports drama based on the true story of football player Michael Oher.  It centers on messages about inclusion, the benefits of hard work and the importance of family.  It sometimes feels as if it glosses over many of the challenges that Oher and Leigh Anne Tuohy must have faced.  It alludes to the prejudice that exists in certain situations.  Aside from a scene or two, it skirts the main topic instead of truly tackling it?  Some scenes depict characters who are blatantly racist.  Oher's life story is very encouraging.  While language and sexual content are quite mild, you can expect a couple of brief violent scenes, references to drug use and social drinking.  4* (I really liked this movie)

129 min, Biography directed and written by John Lee Hancock and based on a book by Michael Lewis with Quinton Aaron, Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Jae Head, Lily Collins, Ray McKinnon, Kim Dickens, Adriane Lenox, Kathy Bates, Catherine Dyer, Andy Stahl, Tom Nowicki, Libby Whittemore, Brian Hollan, Melody Weintraub.

Note:  Imdb 7.6* out of 10* with 195,161 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 66% with 206 critic reviews 85% with 250,000+ audience scores, Metacritic 53 out of 100 with 29 critic reviews, 7.4 out of 10 with 385 user scores, Common Sense Media S. Jhoanna Robledo, 3* out of 5*, age 12+, 2* role models, violence, sex, language, consumerism drinking, drugs & smoking, 3* positive messages, Amazon 4.9* to of 5* with 15,046 reviews.

Special Note:  Collins Tuohy, an A student, rearranged her schedules and dropped out of several advanced placement classes in order to share more classes with Michael and to help him graduate.  When Quinton Aaron auditioned for this film, he was working as a security guard between acting gigs.  After his audition, he left a card with his contact information.  He offered to work as a security guard on the set in case he wasn't selected to play Michael Oher.  Julia Roberts was offered the role of Leigh Anne Tuohy before Sandra Bullock.  Sandra turned down this role three times before changing her mind.  During the first couple of weeks of shooting, Bullock thought her acting was so bad she considered dropping out.  John Lee Hancock had worked so hard on the project and she didn't want to ruin it.  She didn't quit and won the Best Leading Actress Oscar for her performance.  She also took a pay cut to make the film and agreed to a percentage of the film's profits, which turned out to be considerable.

Mistakes:  When coach Phil Fulmer finishes making his presentation to S. J. and Michael, he stands up and says C.J, instead of S.J.  After they make the U-turn to pick up Michael, Sean asks, "Where to?" Leigh Anne points straight-ahead and says, "home".  Home would have been behind them and they would have needed to make another U-turn.  On the History test paper, the question, "Where did the Battle of Waterloo take place?" has been answered (d) Germany and this has been marked.  This is incorrect and the correct answer should have been (c) South of Brussels in Belgium.

Inglorious Basterds 2009

     The setting of this film is in German-occupied France.  It was inspired by the 1970’s B-movie Quel Maledetto Treno Blindato (The Damned Armoured Train).  A young Jewish refugee, Shosanna Dreyfus witnesses the slaughter of her family by Colonel Hans Landa.  Narrowly escaping with her life, she plots her revenge several years later.  When German war hero Fredrick Zoller takes a rapid interest in Shosanna, he arranges an illustrious movie premiere at the theater she now runs.  With the promise of every major Nazi officer in attendance, the event catches the attention of the “Basterds”.  This is a group of Jewish-American guerrilla soldiers led by the ruthless Lt. Aldo Raine.  As the relentless executioners advance, the conspiring young girl's plans are set in motion.  Their paths will cross for a fateful evening that will shake the very annals of history.

     There are fantasies in very bad taste about Nazi Germany and its greatness?  There are scenes that seem to be about a bunch of nothing?  Why is the head of the Basterds not jewish but a good old boy from Tennessee?  There is boringness and then there it is nothing else but boring?  The violence isn’t shocking but it is just out there and not tasteful?  It is entertaining but it’s not really about war?  If that is so, what is it about?  Is it about exaggeration?  You will need to set aside expectations and just go along for the ride!!  Like all of director Quentin Tarantino’s work, this film is thought provoking, it's also brutally violent, bloody and full of harsh language.  Expect cringe inducing beatings, shootings and more.  There is a non-stop barrage of language, constant smoking and plenty of drinking.  The film also takes lots of liberties with history and it is very chatty.  This means that teens who watch might alternate between being bored to death and very shocked by the scenes of the gory parts.  3* (This movie is OK)
 
153 min directed and written by Quentin Tarantino with Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Eli Roth, Melanie Laurent, Christopher Waltz, Michael Fassbender, Daniel Bruhl, Til Schweiger, Gedeon Burkhard, Jacky Ido, B.J. Novak, Omar Doom, August Diehl.

Note:  Imdb 8.3* out of 10* with 1,278,191 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 89% with 332 critic reviews 88% audience scores with 250,000+ reviews, Roger Ebert 3*, The Guardian 1* out of 5* Peter Bradshaw, Common Sense Media James Rocchi, 4* out of 5*, age 18+, 1* consumers, 4* drinking, drugs & smoking, 5* violence, language.

Special Note:  Tarantino was considering abandoning this film while casting searched for someone to play Colonel Hans Landa.  He thought he may have he'd written a role that was unplayable?  After Christoph Waltz auditioned, both Tarantino and producer Lawrence Bender agreed they had found the perfect actor for this role.  This is the only movie Brad Pitt made as a leading actor for The Weinstein Company or its previous iteration Miramax.  He has said it had everything to do with wanting to work with Quentin Tarantino and nothing to do with Harvey Weinstein.  His animosity for Weinstein stems from an incident in the 90’s.  Pitt physically threatened the producer upon learning of Weinstein's unwanted sexual harassment of his then-girlfriend Gwyneth Paltrow!!  This is the first Tarantino film to win an Oscar for acting, Christoph Waltz won for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.  Waltz also won another Oscar for Tarantino’s Danjo Unchained 2012.

Mistakes:  The Gestapo officer in the tavern is shown wearing a M1932 Allgemeine-SS uniform.  This was made famous by the SS in the 1930s.  A Gestapo agent would not have worn one especially in 1944 as its use had been abolished in 1942?  He would have appeared either in civilian attire or in an SS-style gray field uniform similar to Landa’s?  After Sgt. Donowitz ("The Bear Jew") kills the German soldier with a bat, he struts about shouting a "play-by-play" account of his action.  During this, he uses the phrase "Donowitz goes yard!", meaning hitting a home run.  The term "goes yard" was not used for a home run until the 1990’s.  
 

The Boat That Rocked 2009

     Broadcasting live 24/7 from an old tanker anchored in the middle of the North Sea just beyond British jurisdiction, Radio Rock sends out a vibrant and unifying signal to millions across the nation.  The age of listeners ranges from wide-eyed pre-teens secretly tuning in long past their bedtimes to everyday people in need of a musical pick-me-up.  The Radio Rock roster is overseen by the station owner and ship’s Captain Quentin.  Other announcers include a risk-prone American known only as The Count, mystic deejay royalty Gavin, slyly amorous Dave, idiosyncratic New Zealander Angus, the rarely seen Bob, the aptly named Thick Kevin, lovelorn Simon, ladies’ magnet Mark, shy Harold, reporter News John and lesbian ship’s cook Felicity.  One night in 1966, Captain Quentin’s teenaged godson Carl comes aboard.  Carl harbors romantic aspirations that he hopes will be fulfilled during one of the biweekly visits by Radio Rock’s prettiest fans.  He also hopes to learn more about his long-absent father.
 
     This film also has the title Pirate Radio.  It is about rebellion of every type.  It’s ultimately a good-natured film filled with good-hearted characters and it will appeal to mature teens as well as parents who are fond of rock 'n' roll.  The movie's events are seen through the eyes of a teenager who spends a lot of time with several free-spirited 1960’s DJ’s.  He pursues losing his virginity in the process.  It's all due to them urging him to "loosen up" and "have fun”!  This translates to plenty of rude, dangerous and anti-authoritarian behavior, sex and sex talk, drinking and other illicit activities.  Be ready to talk to teens about the real-life consequences of what they're seeing on the screen.  It's important to note that the only real female character in the movie is a lesbian and this is a fact that's repeated again and again, mostly with comedic intent.  3* (This movie is OK)

117 min, Comedy directed and written by Richard Curtis with Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Nick Frost, Michael Hadley, Charlie Rowe, Lucy Fleming, Tom Sturridge, Ian Mercer, Will Adamsdale, Tom Brooke, Rhys Darby, Katherine Parkinson, Chris O-Dowd, Ike Hamilton, Stephen Moore.  

Note:  Imdb 7.4* out of 10* with 107,624 reviewsThe Guardian 2* out of 5* Peter Bradshaw, Roger Ebert 3*, Common Sense Media Jeffrey M. Anderson 3* out of 5*, age 16+, 1* positive messages, role models, violence 3* drinking, drugs & smoking, 4* language, Metacritic 58 out of 100 with 31 critic reviews, 6.5* out of 10* with 98 user scores, Amazon 4.7* out of 5* with 2,119 reviews.

View from the Top 2003

     Donna Jensen was raised on the wrong side of the trailer park in Silver Springs, Nevada.  She always believed she would be able to get out of Silver Springs.  She read a book by Sally Weston's book and Sally the most famous now ex-flight attendant in the world.  Donna believes the path away from Silver Springs is to become a flight attendant.  This is despite never having been on an airplane.  After an initial bumpy start to this career, Donna shows a natural flair for the job.  Her next step is apply to work for world class Royal Airlines.  This is the airline company where Sally Weston mentors flight attendants.  After meeting Donna, Sally believes Donna is destined for flight attendant greatness.  This means that she could be working first class in the New York-Paris flights. Donna believes in herself as a flight attendant but has to overcome some obstacles.  One of these is flight attendant trainer John Witney.  He has some hidden anger issues.  Also, there is her friend Christine Montgomery who also wants to be a great flight attendant.

     I can definitely say that I have never set my goal to be a great flight attendant.  I have not se a goal to be a flight attendant at all!!  In this comedy, Donna Jensen is stuck in a small Nevada town as a commuter airline flight attendant.  She longs for the glamour of New York, London and Paris. Sally Weston takes Donna under her wing and she appears to be on her way to the most treasured routes.  Hard-nosed flight-attendant trainer John Whitney is comical.  Unfortunately for Donna, she is relegated to Royalty’s commuter airline in Cleveland.  She is reunited with old boyfriend Ted. When Donna is finally given another chance at Royalty, she must choose between her career dream and her love.  3* (This movie is OK)

 Note:  Imdb 5.5* out of 10* with 25,639 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 14% with 123 critic reviews 34% with 25,000+ audience scores, Roger Ebert 3*, Common Sense Media Nell Minow 2* out of 5* age 15+, dove.org 3* sex and language, 1* violence, 2* drugs, Metacritic 27 out of 100 with 30 critic reviews, Amazon 4.6* out of 5* with 857 reviews.
 

Special Note:  The segment where the trainee flight attendants at Royalty Airways are undergoing training by John Witney (Mike Myers) included a lesson on how to deal with terrorists.  This scene was cut from the film and was not included on the DVD release as a deleted scene.  In 2019, British actor/writer/director Richard Ayoade found "View from the Top" so appallingly awful in every way that he wrote a book dedicated to the film, "Ayoade on Top."  He stated that he wanted to analyze the film as if it were Citizen Kane of 1941.  In an interview Gwyneth Paltrow  admitted that she thought this was a terrible movie. This interview can be seen as a bonus feature on the DVD release of Thanks for Sharing of 2012.

Mistakes:  Gwyneth Paltrow's character is a Nevada native but at 46:22 she mispronounces the state as "Nev-odd-ah." NO Nevada native would do that.  Donna reads a flight attendant job op brochure whose cover spells "Marriott" Hotel with just one “t."  Donna is walking through an airport terminal and sees two other flight attendants from her airline.  They both salute her using their right hands but she returns their salute using her left hand.  Of course this could be because Donna is pulling her suit case with her right hand leaving her left hand free to salute.

 

I Love You, Beth Cooper 2009

     Denis Cooverman gives the commencement speech at his graduation.  He says things about everyone in the graduating class as well as some other people.  He proclaims his love for Beth Cooper, she is the hottest, most popular girl in school and the head cheerleader.  He did this because his best friend told him to let it all out.  That very night, Beth shows up at his door offering to show him the best night of his life?  Later Beth confronts him and he invites her to his graduation party.  To his surprise she and two of her friends actually do show up!!  But, so do some of the people he offended with his speech!!  They want to tear him apart and one of them is Beth's boyfriend.  Coincidentally, Beth has just dumped him.

     This is a review of the movie shown in theaters and not the unrated version with an alternate ending available on DVD.  This deplorable teen comedy targets teens especially since it stars Heroes cheerleader Hayden Panettiere.  The movie is full of consequence-free underage drinking and teen sex.  Teens drink beer, hard liquor and champagne.  The champagne is supplied by parents and teens drive after drinking.  Characters have a threesome but nothing explicit is shown.  There's a running conversation about one character's sexual orientation.  Teen girls' naked backs are shown during a titillating locker room scene.  Language is notably strong for a PG-13 movie!!  The teen boy main character also gets beaten up a lot and his parents are iffy role models at best.  They provide the alcohol and essentially encourage their son to have sex.

102 min, Comedy directed by Chris Columbus and based on a novel written by Larry Doyle with Hayden Panettiere, Paul Rust, Jack Carpenter, Lauren London, Lauren Storm, Shawn Roberts, Jared Keeso, Brendan Penny, Marie Avgeropoulos, Josh Emerson, Alan Ruck, Cynthia Stevenson, Pat Finn, Andrea Savage, Violet Columbus.

Note:  Imdb 5.3* out of 10* with 33,490 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 13% with 120 critic reviews 32% with 250,000+ audience scores, Common Sense Media Sandie Angulo Chen, 1* out of 5*, age 15+, 2* consumerism, 3* violence and language, 4* sex and drinking, drugs & smoking, Roger Ebert 2*, Metacritic 32 out of 100 with 30 critic reviews 7.8* out of 10* with 123 ratings, Goodreads gives the book 3.29* out of 5* with 7,285 ratings and 1,222 reviews.

Special Note:  In the afterword to the book this film was based on, author Larry Doyle admitted he initially conceived this story as a movie.  When he was unable to generate interest, he published the story as a novel.  It subsequently generated enough popularity to draw interest in adapting it for film and Doyle was invited to write the screenplay.  Chris Columbus, the director asked actress Lauren Storm to gain weight to play Beths cheerleader friend, Treece.  Buffalo Glenn High School and Harpers Community College are named for writer Larry Doyle’s hometown's institutions, Buffalo Grove High School and Harper College.

Mistakes:  When Denis tries to open the beer bottle with his teeth, he spits out a tooth that strikes Beth and bounces back at him.  Beth bends forward to her left and picks it up.  The tooth should have been in front of Denis?  When Greg hugs Denis at Valli's party, the collar on Denis's shirt is popped up when the shot is coming from behind him, then in the next shot it is lying down again.  While the three guys are in their ASU (Army Service Uniforms), they all have the Combat Infantry Badge but no Combat Unit Badge.  Two of the guys are junior enlisted but are wearing NCO stripes on their uniforms.  2 1/2* (This movie is so-so)

The Elephant King 2006

      This film is based on the popular series of children’s books written by Jean de Brunhoff.  It is the story of two brothers who lead totally different lives.  Jake Hunt enjoys life to the fullest in Thailand while his shy brother Oliver deals with his own depressions back home in the USA.  Their dominant mother wants Jake to come back home.  Oliver is sent to Thailand to retrieve his brother.  Once there, Oliver finds himself involved in Jake's bizarre life and he falls in love with a beautiful girl.  Her name is Lek.  But, it is not a coincidence that Lek and Oliver have already met?

     Grossman's interesting narrative follows the relationship of the two brothers as they overcome alienation, begin to understand one another and struggle with conflicted desires.  This film is beautifully shot on location in Thailand and the setting is exotic to the film's main characters and it adds to the themes of self-exploration and alienation.  The acting, scene choices and writing all indicate  Grossman's genuine talent as a Writer/Director.  The strength of this film, Grossman's first feature length narrative, promises great things to come from this fresh and energetic new filmmaker.  The work he does after this film will be interesting to see!!

    This movie is a Canadian-German-French co-production.  Babar King of the Elephants is a terrific introduction to this classic pachyderm from the children's books.  The one cause for concern is a scene early in the film where Babar's mother is shot and killed by a rifle-toting poacher.  After this scene, the story teaches lessons through the examples of the characters on kindness, consideration, respect and apologizing for mistakes.  For parents who grew up with Babar books and kids experiencing Babar for the very first time, this movie is a positive experience to share.

92 min, Drama directed and written by Seth Grossman with Ellen Burstyn, Tate Ellington, Florence Faivre, Jonno Roberts, Josef Sommer, DebraAzar, Natalie Carter, Joef Cummings, Georgia Hatzis, Thanawut Ketsaro, Pawarith Monkolpisit, Michael Pand, Porntip Pananai.

Note:  Imdb 6.3 out of 10 with 487 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 18% with 11 critic reviews 64% with 250+ audience scores, Metacritic 46 out of 100 with 6 critic reviews, Common Sense Media Brian Costello, 4* out of 5* age 5+, 2* educational value, positive messages, violence & scariness, 4* positive role models, Amazon 4.5* out of 5* with 55 ratings.

Special Note:  The Thai title, "Ruedu hang rak" translates as "Season of Love".  Filmed in Chiang Mai Thailand, New York City, New York, Washington Square Park, Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York.

Aliens in the Attic 2009

     Stuart Pearson goes with his family to spend a summer vacation in Creek Landing Michigan.  Also there for vacation are his brother Nathan Pearson, his sons and their mother Rose.  They will be staying in an old lake house they have rented.  When the television has trouble with the image, Stuart's son Tom and the arrogant boyfriend of his sister, Ricky Dillman go to the attic and then to the roof.  There, Tom meets his cousin Jake and they find the antenna dish totally destroyed?  Soon, they discover four alien invaders that are preparing an invasion of the Earth.  They will be using a mind control weapon that only affects adults and they lock the quartet in the attic.  Now, the aliens need to a find a way to force the adults to leave the house.  The mission for the family is to discover the vulnerability of the invaders and to plot a defense plan to save our planet.  

     This alien adventure comedy stars Disney Channel and Nickelodeon veterans like Ashley Tisdale (High School Musical) and Austin Robert Butler (Zoey 101).  Expect tweens and younger elementary schoolers to be interested. There's a heavy dose of physical humor and action, as well as some mild peril, but it's fairly mild compared to other tween-targeted films.  The language includes frequent use of insults like "stupid," "idiot," and "tool," while the consumerism focuses heavily on electronics (Nintendo, Mac, X-box, etc).

Note:  Rotten Tomatoes 33% with 75 critic reviews 43% with 250,000+ audience scores, Imdb .4* out of 10* with 20,826 reviews, Common Sense Media Sandie Angulo Chen 3* out of 5* age 8+, 1* educational value 2* sexy stuff, positive role models language, 3* violence & scariness, 4* consumerism, Metacritic 42 out of 100 with 10 critic reviews 5.6 out of 10 with 54 user scores, The Guardian 2* out of 5* Peter Bradshaw, Amazon 4.6* out of 5* with 1510 reviews.  

Special Note:  The They Came From Upstairs title appeared in some early promotional materials before being changed to Aliens in the Attic (2009).  At 17:10, Sparks is the first alien Tom and Jake encounter while on top of the roof.  “He tells them "Hello, humans, we come from upstairs."  This line was probably intended as a joke with the word "upstairs" mistakenly used to mean "space".  It is also the likely source of the working title "They Came From Upstairs".  The fourth 20th Century Fox's live-action/computer-animated hybrid film after Garfield (2004), Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties (2006) and Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007).

Mistakes:  The Illinois license plate on Ricky's car (at 08:37 to 08:39 with a blue tag in the lower right corner reading 03-10) is out of date. The type of license plate on his car has not been used in Illinois since 2001 but the movie clearly appears to be set in the present.  Hannah's teeth change through out the movie.  Ashley Boettcher was obviously loosing her baby teeth.  The Sheriff is angry that Uncle Nathan has no license plate on the front of his car (at around 1 min) but this is irrelevant because Michigan does not require a front license plate.  Then at 27:53, a blue Michigan plate is shown on the rear of Uncle Nathan's Lincoln Navigator.  

86 min, adventure directed by John Schultz and written by Mark Burton, Adam F. Goldberg with Carter Jenkins, Austin Butler, Ashley Tisdale, Ashley Boetttcher, Henri and Regan Young, Doris Roberts, Robert Hoffman, Kevin Nealon, Gillian Vigman, Andy Ricter, Tim Meadows, Melise, Megan Parker, Doug MacMillan.

Wedding in Galilee 1987

     A Palestinian seeks permission from Israeli to waive curfew to give his son a fine wedding.  The military governor's one condition is that he and his officers also attend.  The groom berates his father for agreeing to these conditions.  Women ritually prepare the bride and men prepare the groom.  Guests begin to gather and the Arab youths are plotting violence.  One female Israeli officer passes out due to the heat and Arab women take her into the cool house.  A thoroughbred horse gets loose and runs to a mined field.  Since the horse is in danger, soldiers and Arabs must cooperate to rescue it.  As darkness falls, tensions between the army and the villagers rise.  The groom's wedding-night anger and impotence threaten family dignity and honor.  Can order remain between the people and the countries?

     This is a diplomatic experience for viewers amid the extreme tensions in the region where it originated.  Several different characters are interesting but the focus is on the whole and it never fully develops or explores any individual character.  The focus is on the group dynamics and it leaves the underlying story lines as a secondary theme.  The point where this film gets difficult to watch is when the night scenes occur.  You are left wondering what is happening because only sounds are heard and not imagery.  There is deep cultural exploration and the subject illuminates historically important content in both Palestinian and Israeli history.  This film is accurate in its historical and regional specific cinematic elements but it can become wearying?  3* (This movie is OK)

100 min, Drama directed and written by Michel Khleifi with Mohamad Ali El Akili, Bushra Karaman, Makram Khoury, Yussuf Abu-Warda, Anna Condo, Nazih Akleh, Sonia Amar, Eyad Anis, Wael Barghouti, Juliano Mer-Khamis, Ian Chem.

Note:  Imdb 6.8* out of 10* with 431 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 82% with 250+ audience scores, Letterboxd 3.6* out of 5*, Amazon 3.1* out of 5* with 19 reviews, eBay 5*.

Serious Moonlight 2009

    Louise wants to find a way to reconnect with her husband Ian.  He is divorcing her after many years of marriage.  When she surprises him at their country home, she is more than slightly dismayed that the roses and romantic set-up are not for her but for his much younger mistress.  Louise takes matters into her own hands!!  She abducts Ian and duct tapes him to the toilet.  He must admit his true feelings and state that he is unable to leave her!!  Things grow exceedingly awry for everybody when a burglar shows up at their house.  Then, everyone must discover and admit to their true feelings. 

     I watched Serious Moonlight mainly because it was written by Adrienne Shelly.  This dark comedy is entertaining but a lot more disturbing than I think it was meant to be.  This is because I found it impossible not to draw some eerie parallels between the story and Shelly's tragic death.  Usually Meg Ryan tends to play simpering and cloying characters?   At the beginning of the film I was optimistic because she seemed to be playing a very different kind of role.  But, just a few minutes into the plot she completely reverted to her standard type of acting.  3* (This movie is OK)

     There is also a book with the same title written by Jean Bennett.  The story in the book is that after an awkward first encounter, Birdie and Daniel are forced to work together in a Seattle hotel.  A famous author leads a mysterious and secluded life while living in the same hotel.  This is a romantic contemporary novel from the author of Alex Approximately.

81 min Comedy directed by Cheryl Hines and written by Adrienne Shelly with Meg Ryan, Timothy Hutton, Kristen Bell, Justin Long, Derek Carter, Bill Parks, Kimberlee Peterson, Nathan Dean, Andy Ostroy.

Note:  Imdb 5.4* out of 10* with 7864 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 22% with 37 critic reviews 25% with 2500+ audience scores, Metacritic 36 out of 100 with 16 critic reviews 5.1 out of 10 with 9 user scores, The Austin Chronicle 2* out of 5*, 2.4* out of 5*, Amazon 4.1* out of 5* with 130 reviews.  

Special Note:  The ending is dedicated to actor and director Adrienne Shelly, the writer of this film.  She was murdered in 2006 when she caught a man that had broken into her office and he was stealing money from her purse.  Meg Ryan and Timothy Hutton co-started together before in the film French Kiss of 1995.  The opening plot is similar, he was leaving her for another woman and she was trying to win him back.  
Mistakes:  When taped to the toilet, Ian says, "I could care less!".  The expression is, "I couldn't care less".  In the scene where Sara arrives and Louise has to tape Ian, the tape almost touches his left side-burn.  When coming back to the house, the tape now is away from his side-burn?  During the bathroom scene, when the mirror is broken the mirror glass shatters all over the floor.  Subsequent scenes show the characters rolling on the floor and apparently unharmed by the multitude of glass shards?  Cue the cleaning woman's entry!!