I loved The Polar Express. Just saw it this morning, and I thought it was wonderful. It ranks very close to Pirates of the Caribbean for me, in that it was that kind of pure entertainment that makes a trip to the multiplex worthwhile and satisfying. The Polar Express is a different kind of entertainment that Pirates, but films like these are strong reminders of what Hollywood is capable of when all the creativity is generously poured into bringing stories... Read more

A Cinderella Story with Hilary Duff as the over-worked and ill-treated teen, is an updated ‘tween version of the fairy tale, only for those who have strong teeth that won’t melt from the sugar. I just voted at www.imdb.org (I gave it a 2 out of 10) and saw that viewers either loved it or hated it. Roughly 25% have it a 10 (excellent) and 25% gave it a 1 (awful) and all other votes scattered in between. It must have hit... Read more

Hi everyone! At long last I am back from my trip to Rome and my 30 Day Retreat. It was awesome, especially the silence. Silence is a gift. I went to see two new films today, and I will be writing about them, but first let me play “catch up” once again on recent films that I missed (blessedly) in theaters, but caught up with on the long flights to and from Rome. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story was one... Read more

Greetings from Rome! I am in the midst of a 30 day retreat and today is a day of rest so I am pleased to post this information for you:  Here is a link to a new film – and our choir is in it! Also, it’s coming out on DVD, will be on TV and open in theaters in ten cities at the same time…    Read more about it!  NOEL a film by Chazz Palminteri http://www.noelthemovie.com/index.htm A new book... Read more

One last entry before my retreat begins… Paparazzi is the story of a new movie star: Bo Laramie (Cole Hauser). He is new to fame, new to the industry, etc. With his newfound fame, come the paparazzi. The paparazzi plague him and his family, especially four of them who seem to have really evil intent. They follow Bo, his wife and child one night and in a scene that reminds us of what it might of been like for Princess... Read more

Just to let you know that I won’t be posting any entries for new films until November. Right now I am in Rome and will begin the Spiritual Exercises, a 30-day retreat, on September 29th. This is a silent retreat, including electronic silence. For the members of my religious community, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, though we do make a week long spiritual retreat once a year. If you are interested in reading up more on the Spiritual Exercises as... Read more

What a wonderful idea: to bring back the film version of Stephen King’s The Shawshank Redemption on its 10th anniversary. The loyalty between friends is a the most esteemed value for young adults today – ask any college student, soldier or gang member. Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) and “Red” Redding (Morgan Freeman) develop a friendship based on integrity, respect and interior feeedom within the confines of a maximum security prison in the 1940’s. Andy is wrongly accused and Red is doing... Read more

-spoiler alert- I was looking forward to Wimbleton as a light romantic comedy. Instead I feel like I got a film without a second act. The very watchable Paul Bettany (A Beautiful Mind; A Knight’s Tale) plays Peter, a pro tennis player who is ranked 119 in the world. Kirsten Dunst plays Lizzie Bradbury, an American pro tennis player. Both are in London to compete at Wimbleton. This is to be Peter’s last competition; he is considering a job as... Read more

-spoiler alert- Suspect Zero stars Aaron Eckhart as Thomas Mackelway, a disgraced FBI agent who is moved to an obscure field office in New Mexico and assigned to find a serial killer. Thomas is seeking redemption from his failures, and so is the suspect. Both seek the serial killer and they end up chasing each other. The always excellent Ben Kingsley plays a former FBI agent,  Benjamin O’Ryan, who is actually some kind of phantom because he is supposed to be dead, or non-existent. He,... Read more

Vanity Fair is based on the 1847 novel by British author William Makepeace Thackeray. It tells the story of young Becky Sharp, a poor orphan who goes from the charity of a boarding school into life as a governeness and professional social climber. This film is a rich, colorful historical drama that will remind some audiences of  Merchant Ivory books-into-film. Vanity Fair is a commentary on the social issues of the era when status was the key to an economically... Read more