Hysteria 2011

     This film takes place in London during the Victorian era.  Dr. Mortimer Granville is just starting out and he is struggling to find his niche.  He has worked at several hospitals but he is appalled by their lack of knowledge about germs.  He believes the hospitals are out to kill their patients by not changing dressings properly and using disinfectant.  After his last dismissal, he gets a lot more doors slammed in his face.  Finally, he is hired by a doctor investigating treatment for women with the diagnosis of hysteria.

     I’m not sure this would really be called a comedy?  The ideas of the doctors are funny only because of what they don’t know.  It is very different and the treatments are funny but there is a lot of seriousness too.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

100 min, Comedy directed by Tanya Wexler with Maggie Gylienhaal, Hugh Dancy, Johnathan Pryce, Felicity Jones, Rupert Everett, Ashley Jensen, Sheridan Smith.

Note:  Blockbuster 3*, imdb 6.7, 57% critic 56% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.

Ulee's Gold 1997

     Ulee is a beekeeper living in Florida and trying to raise his two granddaughters.  His son, Jimmy, is in prison for bank robbery and his daughter-in-law, Helen, ran away from the responsibility of the girls.  Ulee’s is a Vietnam veteran who hasn’t gotten over the death of his wife several years ago.  Jimmy tells Ulee that Helen is with the same pair of drug dealers that were involved with him in the robbery.  Ulee doesn’t want to but he brings Helen back to his home to get her off drugs.  Everything starts to go bad when the dealers want money for Helen.

     I wanted to see this film because I see Ulee used a lot as a crossword puzzle clue.  How many names are there with these letters?  Ulee is not very warm but loyal, responsible and just too nice!  The drug dealers needed a lot more tough love than he gave them!!  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

113 min, Drama directed by Victor Nunez with Peter Fonda, Patricia Richardson, Jessica Biel, Tom Wood, J. Kenneth Campbell, Christine Dunford, Steven Flynn.

Note:  Blockbuster 3 ½*, imdb 7.0 out of 10, 94% critic 69% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.

Trouble with the Curve 2012

 

     Age is starting to get the better of Gus Lobel even though he’s in total denial of every aspect.  His vision is going and he’s supposed to see a specialist but he doesn’t.  He is a baseball scout and he must go out on the circuit to see the latest and best.  He works for the Atlanta Braves and management is starting to think about his retirement since his contract is up in three months.  When he wants to pass on the latest and hottest batting phenomenon, they are really thinking about putting Gus on the permanent bench.

     I wonder if Clint Eastwood is even acting when he plays the cantankerous, cross, uncivil, rude, in denial curmudgeon role?  The entire time, you are hoping you will NEVER become like this person!!  Amy Adams does a good job playing his daughter trying to help him when he doesn’t want any help.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

110 min, Drama directed by Robert Lorenz with Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams, Justin Timberlake, John Goodman, Robert Patrick, Matthew Lillard.

Note:  Blockbuster 2 ½*, imdb 6.7 out of 10, 51% critic 66% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.

Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry 2011

      Ai Weiwei is an outspoken Chinese artist and political activist.  He criticized the Chinese government over the deaths of 5000 students during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.  He was taken into custody by the government and he received a severe blow to his head.  He also defied the censorship laws by helping to organize and inform Chinese citizens.  This movie was filmed from 2008 to 2010.

     I see the other review numbers for this film are good but there is one word that can describe this effort, boring!  Almost like a sleeping pill but not quite enough to get you really snoring.  Every detail of his life is shown but no questions about the inspiration or the why or how of his art are asked?  For example, he has a large installation of chairs fashioned together as one of his art pieces.  Why did he choose this type of chair, what does this mean to him, what was his inspiration, what does he want viewers to take away from this project?  2* (I didn’t like this movie)

91 min, Doc directed by Alison Klayman with Danging Chen, Ying Gao, Changwei Gu, Tehching Hsieh, Huang Hung, Yamping Liu, Evan Osnos.

Note:  Blockbuster 4*, imdb 7.3 out of 10, 96% critic 90% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.

Sparkle 2012

     Sparkle, Sister and Delores are from an affluent Detroit area.  Their mother is very strict, she wanted to become a singer but saw the hard side of this life.  Sparkle writes songs and she wants to sing but she’s shy.  Sister can be the one in front with Sparkle and Delores as the backup.  Their mother has tried all their lives to keep them out of the music business.

    I wish the screenplay was better, it seems like all of this has already been done before.  It is nice to see Whitney Houston, she had so much talent but was sidetracked along the way of her career.  What a voice!!  3* (This movie is OK)

116 min, Drama directed by Salim Akil with Jordin Sparks, Carmen Ejogo, Whitney Houston, Derek Luke, Mike Epps, Tika Sumpter, Omari Hardwick.

Note:  Blockbuster 3*, imdb 4.8 out of 10, 58% critic 71% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.

Arbitrage 2012

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      Robert Miller is trying to sell his company and he’s under a lot of pressure.  He wants this deal done and he wants it done now.  His daughter is part of this family business and his son also has a small role.  Robert is not what he seems to be, he appears to be a professional businessman, wonderful husband and father.  Evidence begins coming out about fraudulent practices which raise questions about his business ethics.  His girlfriend is applying a lot of pressure regarding their relationship.

     This movie has problems, it tries to have constant suspense and tension but there is just too much going on all the time.  The subplots threaten to overshadow the major plots.  The talents of Gere, Sarandon, Marling are wasted and cannot save this.  The wardrobe for Sarandon must have been located at the bottom of a barrel somewhere and it doesn’t do her any favors.  2* (I didn’t like this movie)

107 min, Drama directed by Nicholas Jerecki with Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Brit Marling, Tim Roth, Laetitia Casta, Nate Parker, Stuary Margolin.

Note:  Blockbuster 3 ½*, imdb 6.7, 84% critic 58% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.

Ted 2012

    John is eight-years-old and he doesn’t have any friends.  He receives a large teddy bear for Christmas and he makes a wish that the bear would love him forever.  Surprisingly, Ted can talk in the morning!  In the beginning, Ted had a career appearing on talk shows and other programs.  Now it’s twenty-seven years later, John has Lori, his girlfriend of four years but Ted lives with them.  John works a dead end job and Lori would like to him to separate himself more from Ted.  She feels his type of job and lack of initiative are due to the influence of Ted.

     Ted is not a good bear; he’s a very bad bear!  He swears, smokes from a bong, entertains prostitutes, throws wild parties and gets John into trouble all the time.  The rating says it all, adult humor, sexual situations, profanity, drug content.  I watched the theatrical version because I didn’t think I had the nerve for the unrated version?  3* (This movie is OK)

106 min, Comedy directed by Seth MacFarlane (also voices Ted) with Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Joel McHale, Giovanni Ribisi, Patrick Warburton.

Note:  Blockbuster 3 ½*, imdb 7.3 out of 10, 69% critic 80% audience on Rotten Tomatoes.