Paycheck surprised me. It is a good watch. It's not tedious like Memento but more popular. It is classy sci-fi, testosterone thriller, blow 'em up, but asks questions about knowing the future, in particular Michael Jenning's (Ben Afleck) past, present and future, the role of technology, and greed. It does go where other sci-fi films have gone before, but it is entertaining. One problem is that there is much gun-shooting and killing and hardly any blood, so young viewers will need to be reminded … [Read more...]

I was prepared not to like Cold Mountain because I did not care for the book. It didn't engage me.However, the film far exceeded my expectations. It's got a haunting beauty, graphic battle scenes (not unlike other Civil War films we have seen), humor, great kindness and courage with much human weakness - and no cliche's. Food and "meal" is a stong motif, among many others, as well as faith and religion, without being obvious. There is so much to say. Rene Zellweger is amazing and provides … [Read more...]

The Calendar Girls is based on the true story of a group of middle-aged ladies in Yorkshire, UK who create a nude calendar (not "naked") to raise money for the leukemia ward and waiting room of the local hospital. The struggle with the difference between art and non-art (pornography); they struggle with celebrity. They struggle with their personal relationships - all with a sense of droll humor and a sense of loss and empathy for those who lose loved ones through leukemia. What impressed me is … [Read more...]

If you saw the original, this version of Cheaper by the Dozen may not ring your chimes too much. It has some funny parts and it tries very hard. The eventual clash between the parents doesn't seem authentic because it doesn't take the time to develop the "family character" enough for us to care - or there are just too many to keep track of. Ashton Kutcher is very funny and his character works well as the true narcissist of the bunch. Steve Martin as a football coach? The time line of the … [Read more...]

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, is a lovely story about a motherless young white girl, Lily, in South Carolina in the 1960's. She thinks she is responsible for her mother's death, her father is emotionally blank, mean and makes her kneel on dry grits for punishment. She finds a picture of the Black Madonna on a label that belonged to her mother. When she runs away because she has helped a black woman, Rosaleen, break out of jail, they end up mid-state, near Columbia. And by … [Read more...]

Have you ever seen a good movie made from a really poor script and conventional plot? Honey-from-the block is not a well-written movie, but I enjoyed every minute of it. (Think thoughts of Jennifer Lopez' story growing up in the Bronx - even to the choice of Castle Hill Avenue for a dance studio ... which is not even close to Hunt's Point or the South Bronx!)It's Save the Last Dance, and a little Dirty Dancing rolled into one. Great moves by Jessica Alba and the kids she teaches … [Read more...]

Writer-Director Nancy Meyers has made a fun and very funny movie about the Ashton - Demi celebrity syndrome and its reverse in Something's Gotta Give. There is a complexity of relationships (but nothing as poorly executed as Love Actually) to be explored and sometimes it's laugh out loud. Yes, there are implied affairs and some skin (mostly Jack Nicholson's unimpressive rear) but remember: the play's the thing. Diane Keaton is Erica, a divorced writer of successful Broadway plays … [Read more...]

This latest from Tim Burton is warm, off-beat and appealing. It's themes are very Christian as are the images. Big Fish - remember the one that got away? A young man, Will, (Billy Crudup) goes home because his father (Albert Finney) is dying. They have not spoken for three years. The father is a very social person and has always related to people through fantastic stories. Will scorns his father and regrets every believing him.The strongest feature of this film is its heart, the … [Read more...]

The Last Samurai is a fine film and arguably Tom Cruise's best acting so far. It takes place in 1876 when three US soliders go to Japan to turn the Japanese army "western." And in some ways, this is like a Kurosawa film turned into a western and then woven together. It's about culture clash, culture colonization through trade and economics. The most appealing thing about it is the integrity of the friendship between Cruise and the main Samurai warrior. Is this an allegory for today? Oh yes. It … [Read more...]

The Missing is a somber work by director Ron Howard - a western with ideas. Excellent work by Cate Blanchette and the girl who plays her youngest daughter, Dot. Tommy Lee is good, but how Howard got such performances from these two ladies is a wonder. There is always something missing in this film, from the old woman's teeth at the beginning, to the older daughter who is kidnapped, to the father who deserted Maggie (Blanchette) and returns for his own sake as well as a kind of redemption. Takes … [Read more...]