Main Street 2010

     A small town in North Carolina has fallen on hard times, they are striving to get back on their feet but it doesn't seem to be working.  Georgiana owns a tobacco warehouse and she rents it as a cash deal for 6 months.  She really needs the money to pay her bills and she's not interested in what they do there as long as there is no smoking in or around the building.  She calls on her niece Willa to help her when she finds two strange men sitting outside the warehouse smoking.  Gus Leroy is in the representative for the company renting the warehouse and he is a very smooth talker.

     I'm not sure of the purpose of this move, it has a high powered cast, not much of a plot and a very controversial theme that I don't want to spoil by revealing. Everyone is very southern, they would rather do the wrong thing than hurt anyone's feelings and Colin Firth with a southern accent?  3* (This movie is OK)

94 min, Drama directed by John W. Doyle with Ellen Burstyn, Colin Firth, Patricia Clarkson, Orlando Bloom, Amer Tamblyn, Andrew McCarthy, Tom Wopat.

Note:  Blockbuster 2 1/2*, imdb 4.7 out of 10, 13% critic 8% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.

Wallander: The African 2006

     A man is found dead in a train car in a railway yard, it appears to be a suicide but the coroner determines it's murder.  A man confesses to the murder but Wallander doesn't believe him, he knows some of the details but he doesn't seem to be the killer.  An investigator is sent from CID to supervise the investigation, the team doesn't have a clue as to why?  Another man goes missing, are the two cases related, they both were from Libera?  A lot of questions but not many answers, is the CID man deleting and covering up some of the evidence?

     This is good, it's a little more difficult to watch with the subtitles but worth it. There are also obvious cultural differences between Sweden and the US.  4* (I really liked this movie)

90 min directed by Stephan Apelgren with Krister Henriksson, Fredrik Gunnarsson, Mats Bergman, Stina Ekblad, Marianne Morck, Douglas Johansson, Lena Endre, Ola Rapace, Sverrir Gudnason, Nina Zanjani, Goran Aronsson.

Note:  Not listed on Blockbuster, imdb 7.1 out of 10, no critic review 63% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.

A Joyful Noise 2012

     G.G. Sparrow and Vi Rose Hill are having a tiff over Vi's appointment as the choir director.  G.G. was second in command for many years to her husband Bernard, he was the choir director before he passed away.  G.G. naturally assumed that she would be named to succeed him.  Their choir has been in the National Joyful Noise Competition many times but they have never won.  Could this year be different?

     This is enjoyable, Latifah and Parton are good together, especially when they are fighting.  A lot of good singing.  3 1/2* (I liked this movie)

118 min, Comedy directed by Todd Graff with Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton, Keke Palmer, Jeremy Jordan, DexterDarden, Courtney B. Vance, Jesse L. Martin, Kirk Franklin, Angela Grovey, Andy Karl, Dequina Moore.

Note:  Blockbuster 2 1/2*, imdb 4.8 out of 10, 33% critic 71% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.

A Bird of the Air 2011

     Based on the 1993 New York Times Book of the Year, Lyman's job is spending nights helping people on the highway with engine trouble, other vehicle problems and accidents.  He hasn't had time to develop any people relationships but he attends a lot of college classes.  A parrot swoops into his home and starts talking.  Lyman wants to reunite the bird with the rightful owner and he meets a librarian interested in helping him.

     I enjoyed this, the bird is really special, Lyman and the librarian make a cute couple too.  It's interesting seeing the difficulty of Lyman's job, the different people who owned the bird and how long he has lived.  I particularly liked this film since I previously owned a bird similar to this one for several years.  Plenty of amusing antics!!  3 1/2* (I liked this movie)

98 min, Drama directed by Margaret Whitton with Rachel Nichols, Jackson Hurst, Anjanette Comer, Buck Henry. Linda Emond, Kevin Skousen, Bernardo Saracino, Carmela Rappazo, Kalulani Lee, Rocco Sisto.

Note:  Blockbuster 3*, imdb 5.9 out of 10, 30% critic 73% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.

Prime Suspect: Season 1 1993

     Jane Tennison is a London police detective.  She is trying to track down a serial killer who is murdering women.  She is also doing battle with her male colleagues for her fair share of respect and responsibility on the force.  The force is still reeling form the death of a long time male detective and they are not keen on a woman taking his place.  Withholding evidence and information, passive agressive with the boss to make themselves look good and Jane look bad.

     This is very good, Jane has her hands full with the uncooperative men and a suspect just as uncooperative.  It's going to take everything she has physically and mentally to rally the force and gather the clues.  4* (I really liked this movie)

208 min, Crime directed by Christopher Menaul with Helen Mirren, Tom Bell, John Benfield, John Bowe, Zoe Wanamaker, Bryan Pringle, Ralph Fiennes.

Note:  Blockbuster 4*, imdb 8.5 out of 10, not listed on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Harimaya Bridge 2009

     Daniel and his son Mickey were not getting along, Mickey decided to get as far away from his father and San Francisco as he could.  He went to Japan and became a teacher, he also continued to paint and taught painting as well.  There is a tragic accident and Mickey is killed, Daniel travels to Kochi Prefecture, Japan.  He wants to bring back Mickey's art, it is all that he has left of his son.  Daniel is very surprised to learn that Mickey was married to a Japanese woman and he didn't say anything about this important detail.

     This is interesting and enjoyable, the cultures of Americans and the Japanese are very different.  Daniel's father didn't return from WWII and that doesn't help relationships when he goes to a cemetery for Japanese war casualties.  He is really like a bull in a very big china shop!!  Kuroshio is part of Kochi Prefecture and it was along this coast where the recent tsunami hit.  3 1/2* (I liked this movie)

120 min, Drama directed by Aaron Woolfolk with Benet Guillory, Saki Takaoka, Misa Shimizu, Danny Glover, Victor Grant, Sakura Thomas, Misono, Hajime Yamazaki, Miho Shiraishi, Honoka.

Note:  Blockbuster 3*, imdb 5.7 out of 10, no critic 85% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.

Carnage 2011

     Adaptation of Yasmina Reza's play about four NY parents who meet to talk about the scuffle their boys got into at a local park.  Zachary hit Ethan and two of his teeth were damaged.  The parents believe they can come to an agreeable solution during the meeting.  At first they are all getting along but things begin to deteriorate quickly.  

     I thought as I started watching that it would be just arguing, then more arguing and getting worse as it went along.  I had hope that it would get better but that does not happen.  High powered director and cast but they could also just be kids yelling and fighting in the park, 80 minutes seems like an eternity..  2* (I didn't like this movie)

80 min, Drama directed by Roman Polanski with Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, John C. Reilly, Elvis Polanski, Eliot Berger, Joseph Rezwin, Nathan Rippy, Tanya Lopert, Julie Adams.

Note:  Blockbuster 3 1/2*, imdb 7.3 out of 10, 72% critic 68% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.