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by Bonnie Steiger
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Please
read my reviews at Examiner.com.
The Iron Lady |
Gulliver's Travels Also, peruse
all my earlier movie reviews in the Archives |
The Iron Lady Click for my full review of 'The Iro Lady' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers as they are published. |
 Meryl Street gives unforgiving leer to Anthony Head. |
As for the creation of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (1979 - 1990) for the screen, Meryl Streep has surpassed her well-earned reputation for being one of the best actors of all time. She is so submersed in the stuffy, conservative politician, her own features are all but lost. Yes, advances in make-up technology help the still-beautiful Streep to convince the audience she is a dottering octogenarian at one stage of the film and a stern, middle-aged British political leader at another. But more than looking like the character, Streep seems to have channeled Thatcher. Look at that face in the accompanying photo. There is no Streep aquiline nose, larger and more curved than Thatcher's. The voice has no familiar intonations of Streep. All of the actress is supplanted by the character. It's spooky. So, just watching the actress perform is mesmerizing. Unfortunately... (Continued...) |
We Bought a Zoo Click for my full review of 'We Bought a Zoo' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers as they are published. |
We seem to be having a rash of widower movies lately (Descendants (2011), Grace is Gone (2007) ignored by award shows, but as moving and worthy, if not more so, than Descendants) TV's The Mentalist and Castle). This widower, Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon) finds it difficult to move forward with his life after the death of his perfect wife. Buying a house and zoo on a large plot of idyllic countryside seems to be an inspiring place for him and his two children to get a start fresh. The pressure is if the Mee family doesn't buy this ramshackled, destitute enterprise, all the animals 'will be gone,' meaning killed. Though based on a true story, we all must suspend our disbelief in this regard since we all know when a zoo closes, the animals are relocated to other zoos. Also, we never really get a complete tour of the grounds and inhabitants, but throughout the film, we see soulful close ups of an endless array of creatures, more than even on-board Noah's Ark, certainly more than could be maintained by a small staff in a home-run zoo (Mee's actual zoo holds 200). No matter. The important thing is that being in the presence of animals is healing and joyous. Helping them to have perfect homes, though not actually the wild, is spiritually enriching. And, damned, they're all so cute! (Continued...) |  Johansson and Damon survey his domain. |
Sherlock Holmes: Click for my full review of 'Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers as they are published. |
 Downey, Rapace and Law in the shadows on the trail of the evil Moriarty. |
Possibly even a titch better than the first Ritchie 'Sherlock Holmes,' this next installment of the historic Holmes capers seems more confident, and though more fast-paced, action packed, and violent, also more easy to follow. With his keen mind and a minimum of Victorian age gadgets, Holmes rivals James Bond in all but sexual activities. The fisticuff scenes (as Holmes might describe them) are shot in Ritchie-style speed and slow-motion so all the details of the violent encounters can be studied at freeze and viscerally felt at high speed. The frenetic editing, which usually masks fight scenes in lesser movies, only exposes the fighters in all the more detail here. The glorious landscapes of England, France, Germany and Switzerland rival those of any Bond film. Holmes' flashes of clue finding and problem solving are as exciting as any gun battle in Bond's adventures. And the turn-of-the-century warfare technology in Holmes' arsenal get the juices flowing even more than Bond's cold, futuristic, abstract weaponry. The stakes are as high in both -- Bond usually saves the planet from destruction, but Holmes attempts to stave off the end of Western Civilization, which is just about the same thing. (Continued ...) |
A Dangerous Method Click for my full review of 'A Dangerous Method' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers as they are published. |
A stellar cast, a director with decades of daring and successful films to his credit, a writer lauded for his previous distinguished works, and the fascinating subject matter of the clashing ideologies within the budding science of psychology between Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen) and his apprentice-turned-traitor, Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender). Yet, I am disappointed. There are two major points of contention between them: (1) the ethics of taking advantage of a patient's transference -- patient Sabina Spielrein's (Keira Knightly) love and desire for her therapist, Jung, and his participation in a sexual relationship with her, to Freud's chagrin; and (2) Freud's desire to strictly maintain psychology as a science and, therefore, avoid any connection with the paranormal in any of its guises. Jung firmly believed in these connections, later being remembered for his theories of the 'collective unconscious, appearing archetype, including mythology, symbols and patterns that appear in dreams,' all still unsubstantiated. Discussions on those topics seemed coherent and understandable, but the men would also indulge in rapid fire discussions about minutia of the sexual drive which seemed to be thrown into the mix to confound. (Continued...) |
 Jung (Fassbender) and Freud (Mortensen) interpret psychology |
The Artist Click for my full review of 'The Artist' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Dugardin and Bejo amid fans. |
Black and white silent films may just make a comeback based on the reaction the public has been having to 'The Artist.' As a tribute to the age of silent films, till their demise in 1927 with 'The Jazz Singer' (1927), the plot, characters, and design of the film must be formulaic -- reflecting the films of their day. Still, it is imaginative, engaging and totally entertaining. We have the silent film star, George Valentin (Jean Dugardin), most recognizable in America for his James Bond take off in the 'OSS 117' films (2007, 2009), a compilation of heroes of that era, most strikingly Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. We have his dog (mostly played by Uggie who is now campaigning for a best non-human Academy Award® nomination [he's got my vote]) who epitomizes man's best friend, most obviously Asta in 'The Thin Man' series (1934 - obviously not a silent film franchise). We have the starlit, Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo) who is first star struck, then deeply in love, then the very guardian angel to our fading star, Valentin, as he find the transition to soundies impossible and Miller rises to fame. (Continued...) |
My Week with Marilyn Click for my full review of 'My Week with Marilyn' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
The story, based on Colin Clark's memories of being 3rd assistant director on the film, 'The Prince and the Showgirl,' shot in 1956, shows his view of the off-camera Marilyn Monroe. She found him the perfect go-between: to relay to her the scoop on the set, most importantly how the cast and crew actually felt about her, and to be her support when she couldn't trust her own 'people' to have her best interests at heart. Meanwhile, Director/Producer/Star Laurence Olivier (Branagh) encouraged Clark, actually no more than a gopher on his first job, to do whatever she requested as long as she got her the set. What a dream come true for this impressionable, star struck young man. Still, he must walk the thin line between dual loyalties - production company and difficult star. He is far beyond his depths dealing with this worldly yet painfully innocent neurotic while hopelessly falling in love with her. He must maintain her confidences while keeping secret his intimacy with the most desired woman in the world. (Continued...) |  Michelle Williams getting into the skin of Marilyn Monroe. |
Tower Heist Click for this review of 'Tower Heist' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Stiller, Broderick, Pena, Affleck and Murphy casing the Tower. |
'Tower Heist' is a fun, convoluted, energetic heist movie with the added feel-goodliness of revenge on an obvious Bernie Madoff character, Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda). Ben Stiller (Josh Kovacs), the brains behind the heist, is out to recoup the investments Shaw stole in his Ponzi scheme from all of the employees at the Tower were Kovacs is the building manager and Shaw lives in the luxurious penthouse apartment. Kovacs recruits a couple of employees from the Tower (Casey Affleck and Gabourey Sidibe), one evicted former tenant (Matthew Broderick) and a Brooklyn neighbor who already has a long rap sheet for theft (Eddie Murphy). There are the requisite thrills, dizzying heights, and last minute scheme changes. Almost thoroughly satisfying. If only it were the retelling of an actual theft of Madoff's still-hidden fortune. Where is he hiding it? How much has been confiscated and returned to victims in auction profits? This would be a great addition to the growing ranks of films in the Occupy Hollywood genre. And by the way, how can Madoff's wife and son profit from his crimes with the publication of their 'tell all' book? What have they been living off since his incarceration? Somebody write this quick. This could be another theft comedy -- this time with the Ponzi perpetrator's family still profiting from the felony. |
In Time Click for my full review of 'In Time' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
More important than if this film is a new and exciting science fiction thriller is that it further establishes the new genre -- Occupy Hollywood. It's not just a Robin Hood tale of a poor boy deciding to buck the system, become a thief of the rich and give to the poor; it's about turning over the system of 1% literally killing as many of the 99% it needs to to live on the top of the heap forever. There isn't even a thin veil covering the subtext of revolutionary change required of the protagonists. For possibly the first time in cinematic history, Hollywood has seen it coming instead of catching up with social change years after the fact. The inter-racial kiss, Vietnam War, hippies, Iraq war, you name it, all were depicted in film as historic summaries of what had already happened. Writing, producing and releasing films takes at least a couple of years. But now, while today's news covers riots in the streets in front of city halls across the country, films depicting these events are showing siultaneously. 'Finally, Hollywood's on top of the issues! (Continued...) |  |Timberlake and Seyfried running out of time. |
Oranges and Sunshine Click for my full review of 'Oranges and Sunshine' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Emily Watson as Margaret Humphreys" doing the job alone. |
'Oranges...' exposes the outrageous practice of the English government forcefully deporting British children who were entrusted to the social system off to Australia as indentured slaves. This practice started in the 1880's and culminated in the 1960's, with the largest numbers of children between the ages of 5 and 13 being shipped in the 1940's through 1960's. What! They didn't have enough convicts to populate their colony? They had to resort to children? I just don't get the point of Australia even wanting slaves so weak due to their age and size. At age 15, they're liberated -- uneducated, inexperienced in anything but the horrors of sexual and physical abuse, often malnutrition and overall neglect -- mostly at the hands of clerics, of course. I don't get why either government would punish innocent children with this holocaust-like scenario, except the British did get rid of a population of potential foster children, a drain on the economy. These kids were not even offered for adoption in Australia. (Continued...) |
Margin Call Click for my full review of 'Margin Call' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
It's not about ruining people's lives; convincing innocent customers of this one brokerage house to buy worthless securities that will leave them destitute. It's not about intentionally developing these scams to rob people who have dealt with this firm and trusted them with their money. It's not about the evil and greed of the people who control stock market. It's about a miscalculation, a formula developed to put together bundles of securities that was inaccurate, and as a result, the brokerage company is about to go under -- unless it unloads the securities on its customers. The cold, calculated decision to do this, taken by the CEO (Jeremy Irons), seems short sighted in the extreme since once the financial world catches on to what the company has done, in just a matter of hours, its good named would be ruined, no one would ever trust or invest through it again, most of the brokers would be fired and probably face criminal charges. Most importantly, it would set off a firestorm that would rock the whole financial world. (Continued...) |
 Badgley, Quinto & Bettany on the roof and looking down. |
The Skin I Live In Click for my full review of 'The Skin I Live In' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Bandares and Anaya assessing surgery. |
This is certainly a new and inventive bent on the Frankenstein tale. Here, Dr. Robert Ledgard (Antonio Banderas), plastic surgeon and research scientist, beconmes obsessed with restoring his severely burnt wife through new and illegal medical procedures. His wife dies anyway, though not due to his unorthodox practices, and he is convinced to give up human genetic experimentation at a senior doctor's bidding. Still, when his daughter is assaulted, he decides to take up the knife as retribution this time, starting a long, complicated and obsessive course of treatment on her assailant. The outcome of his established and experimental surgeries hold some surprising results, even to him. (Continued...) |
Happy, Happy Click for my full review of 'Happy, Happy' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
Neither like 'Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice' (1969) in it's sophisticated, humorous view of extra-marital relations nor Bergman's 'Scenes From A Marriage,' in its depiction of a marriage in crisis, this Norwegian conjugal study is floating on a bed of pristine show somewhere between the two. Eirik and Elisabeth have just moved into what seems like the remote woods to spend some quality time together and with their adopted Ethiopian son, Noa. There seems to be nothing but endless wintry countryside around them, except for a house within a rock's throw inhabited by Kaja, her husband, Sigve, and their son. Theodor. Elisabeth and Eirik are cultured city mice, and Kaja and Sigve are simple country mice. Over dinner, for instance, Kaja asks where Elisabeth bought her lovely black dress. Elisabeth says Paris. Kaja responds with, 'How ironic. I always wanted to go to Paris.' To their credit, Elizabeth and Eirik only give each other a glance of disappointment rather than a superior, insulting chuckle. They're all nice enough people, only with different cultural backgrounds. Kaja with her obsessive optimism; Sigve adhering to a back woodsman, masculine persona; Elisabeth, sophisticated, educated, attorney wife on the emotional mend; and Eirik, the sensitive, compassionate good guy. (Continued...) |  Dinner for four, then games. |
Toast Click for my full review of 'Toast' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Helena Bonham Carter and Freddie Highmore contemplate dish |
What Billy Elliot (2000) is to dancing, Toast is to cooking -- obviously both were written by the same writer. A young boy, Nigel, from the Midlands of England is literally hungry -- his mother only boiling cans of processed food, and when even that burns, resorting to toast. Yes, delicious with its crispy outside and surprising soft with salty, buttery goodness inside. He's also figuratively hungry for food -- what does cheese taste like, or a real baked birthday cake or minced pie? I can relate. My mom was one grade above his, serving a slab of fried meat and canned vegetables every night. At least she wasn't afraid of bakery goods and I developed a resistance to sugar poisoning very young. Nigel tried to introduce little enhancements to his mom's kitchen, like a can of marinara sauce with boiled spaghetti, but that flopped with both his parents, as well. His life seemed doomed to a loving mother who nonetheless stifled his culinary aspirations and a stern father who just stifled him. (Continued...) |
The Ides of March Click for my full review of 'Ides of March' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
Governor Mike Morris (George Clooney) is my dream presidential candidate with a platform to die for: no internal combustion cars within 10 years, full education grants for those who enlist for two years of service (military, environmental or other), women's right to choose, marriage for all who want it, true separation of church and state (we seem to have forgotten the U.S. is not a Christian state religion country), fairly taxing of the rich, helping citizens who need help (as first envisioned by the founding fathers). And he's cute. This is the candidate who embodies all the ideals for which Stephen Myers (Ryan Gosling) devoted his life to politics. As Morris' campaign second-in-command, Myers feels he can really make a difference in the lives of all Americans. So, why would he even take a meeting with opposition candidate campaign manager Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti)? This is where the plot falters. And since the fallout from this meeting, he no longer cares whom he works for as long as it's a winner, negating a lifetime's career of ethics and sense of purpose. This seems more like a cheap plot device and not a sequence of probable events for this character. (Continued...) |  Gosling / Clooney - one cause, one objective? |
Dirty Girl Click for my full review of 'Dirty Girl' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Jeremy Dozier and Juno Temple singing for joy! |
Family, family, family. Family: a dad short -- Danielle, the joyous school whore and proud of it, dreams of finding out who who father is. When her mom plans to marry a Mormon with 2 kids (a groping son and daughter who looks forward to sleeping in Danielle's room), she desperately needs to find her dad and enlarge her options. Family: a violent, intolerant dad. Clark is an overweight loser who hides deep inside his hoody hoping his classmates will overlook him. His deepest secret is that he's gay, a fact his father keeps trying to beat out of him, while mom passively winces. Family: school assignment-- Danielle and Clark are assigned as parents to a 5 lb. package of flour, their baby, to protect and write about in a log. (Continued...) |
Take Shelter Click for my full review of 'Take Shelter' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
If 'Take Shelter' were just about a man having visions of an upcoming apocalyptical storm, it would make for a fun supernatural thriller, of course, depending upon the artistry of the special effects. But this man, Curtis (Michael Shannon) , has to wonder if he is actually seeing the future or if his mother's schizophrenia is kicking in on his psyche -- as if either eventuality weren't frightening enough. He takes both possibilities seriously, visiting a doctor, talking with his mother (Kathy Baker) to get more information on her disorder and going to a therapist. And to have all his bases covered, he tries to prepare for the visions in his nightmares as if they were real: kenneling his dog who attacked him in a dream, avoiding dangerous people, building an enlarged and safer storm shelter. (Continued...) |
 Michael Shannon sheltering Tova Stewart |
Mill Valley Film Festival's 34 year, from October 6 - 16 The Mill Valley Film Festival offers a high-profile, prestigious, noncompetitive environment that is perfect for celebrating the best of independent and world cinema. Considered by many to be a launching pad for the Oscar® campaign, this year’s film festival promises to be no exception. Opening and Closing night features major independent releases and galas to follow: Live Performances : Children's FilmFest: a superb selection of children’s international features and shorts, along with kids’ workshops and a costume parade that will be led by a jazz band. A series of panel discussions, New Movie Labs, with industry professionals. Tribute: to Glenn Close's stellar career. Enjoy an onstage interview and a review of clips from her films. Then continued to a memorable reception with regional Italian cuisine, house-made pastas, wood-fired pizzas and mesquite-grilled meats at Piatti Ristorante & Bar. And a huge list of guests will be attending. Films I have seen thus far: Another Happy Day Day of the Flowers Eliminate Charlie Cookson Girlfriend Hello! How Are You? Lotus Eaters The Planets Small, Beautiful Moving Parts Summerland |
What's Your Number? Click for my full review of 'What's Your Number?' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Chris Evans and Anna Faris keeping count. |
Ally Darling (Anna Faris) read an article in a woman's magazine saying that women who have had 20 or more lovers are simply never going to get married, ever! So Ally, already at number 19, swears she will only have sex with the man she is going to marry. Barring that, she can look up the first 19 and see if she can marry any of them. What?! This is so wrong on so many levels I must speak out to make women aware that the insidious power of Hollywood filmmaking, like women's magazines, can cause terrible repercussions: believing it's true and feeling guilt because they've gone over that number or keeping themselves pristine at a low number so they can be worthy of marrying. Twenty! How dare female novelist Karyn Bosnak and screenwriters Gabrielle Allen and Jennifer Crittenden stifle women's sexuality, put a limit on sexual experience and encourage desperation to marry! Are they under 20 and married? Twenty, indeed. That's just warming up. Movies have taken it upon itself since the silents to keep women in check, extolling virtue and punishing trespasses. Bad girls got raped and murdered, good girls got married. Even 'Thelma and Louise' paid the ultimate price for taking a vacation without their husbands' permission. (Continued...) |
The Mill & the Cross Click for my review of 'The Mill and the Cross' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
Pieter Bruegel painted 'The Way to Calvary' in 1564. Through the magic and mastery of technology and a kindred artist's eye in director Lech Majewski, the development and structure of the original painting is recreated. Bruegel gives explanation for the construction of the painting while he and other characters inhabit the landscape that becomes the finished work of art. Each frame is a masterly piece of art in itself. Though location is Flanders and not Jerusalem, and though the crucifiers are Spanish militia instead of Roman soldiers, the intrusion of powerful and unsympathetic religion upon an otherwise idyllic culture is brutally evident. Besides the death of a peasant, we watch the minutia of life within this landscape, feeling as though we were really a part of it, a member of the community. We become familiar with their labors, their play, their music, their grief. In sum, the audience is transported into this simple community. To balance the simplicity of these rural folk, Rutger Hauer and Michael York discuss more philosophical and artistic issues while watching life pass below their ethereal crag. The physical beauty of this film is alone inspiring and should not be missed. |  Breugel (Hauer) conjuring his next work of art. |
My Afternoons with Margueritte Click for my full review of 'My Afternoons with Margueritte' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Depardier and Casadesus adventure in literature. |
Germain (Gérard Depardieu) has stumbled upon a lovely little old lady in the park, Margueritte (Gisèle Casadesus), who may just be a second chance at the redemption of a terrible childhood, originally ruined by his poor excuse of a mother (Anne Le Guernec). As shown in a number of flashbacks of Germain's childhood, we see how poor parenting and nightmarish school experiences left the child bereft of confidence, inspiration or even hope. As Germaine reflects, 'Even if I went around the world, the distance between my mother and me is in our heads' -- A profound remark from someone considered oafish and illiterate. His exposure to a compassionate, genteel lady influences the middle aged Germain in many unexpected and fascinating ways. (Continued...) |
3 (Dvei ) Click for my review of '3' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
I first saw '3' at San Francisco International Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Festival last June. Any film director Tom Tykwer of 'Run, Lola, Run' fame makes, I want to see. His fast-paced (in this film often overlapping) dialogue and off beat perspective always keeps an audience on its toes . '3' follows its trio of protagonists in their chosen fields of stem cell research and art, as well as their interests in modern dance, philosophy and politics. Tykwer must be a Renaissance man to be so comfortable dealing with all these areas, in depth and detail, though with brevity, as are these characters. Hanna, a TV host adept in many intellectual realms, has been living with Simon, an unfulfilled commercial artist, for years. She meets a man at a lecture she finds undeniably attractive and has an affair with him. Simon, confronting a cancer scare, also meets a man at the swimming pool where he regularly works out, and falls under the sway of this intriguing stranger, forcing Simon to reasses his gender identity. How does this loving couple, who decides to marry, deal with their infidelities and growing feelings for their other lover? Since the name of the film is '3,' you figure out the rest. This is a supremely intellectual (as well as intelligent) film and challenges one to keep up. On the other hand, if you can't, then just enjoy the social difficulties these characters deal with in new and entertaining ways. No dozing here. |  A refreshing infuser for a stagnant marriage. |
Connected: An Autoblogograpy About Love, Death and Technology Click for my full review of 'Connected...' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Progress? |
I first saw 'Connected...' at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival last July. One of the first theories discussed in this film is that with the invention of writing, men became dominant over women; writing changed the course of civilization. Writing is a left brain activity and men are more left brain oriented than women. Right brain activity, which is more prominent in women, generally, concerns imagery. It is only appropriate that this film, directed and co-written by a woman, Tiffany Shlain, would be rampant with images, visuals demonstrating almost every word of dialogue. And the scientific explanations are narrated by a man, Peter Coyote. It is a colorful, fast-paced, philosophical treatise on where humans came from and where they're going -- especially in terms of being connected with each other. (Continued...) |
Mary Lou Click for my review of 'Mary Lou' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
I first saw 'Mary Lou' last July at the 31st San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. As a child, Meir Levi had a very close relationship with his mother. They cooked, house-cleaned, danced and sang together -- perhaps not typical boys' activities, but Meir is not a typical boy. They were each other's closest friends. Then she calmly, though sadly, walked out during his birthday party, having the presence of mind to lock the door behind her so she couldn't be followed. (Doors are different in Israel; one can be locked in.) In any case, well into adulthood, Meir still longs to find his mother. His search takes him to Tel Aviv where he is introduced to the world of transvestite entertainment, and he fits right in. He takes the stage name, Mary Lou, from his initials and because it was the name of his and his mother's favorite song. Meir still has to figure out his place in life, even though he's got a place to live and work, friends and even a creative outlet. During Meir's search for self and mother, we get to enjoy as many musical numbers as in any episode of 'Glee' or 'High School Musical,' all set to the music of Israeli 70's pop star Svika Pick. The music and choreography may not be up to American television standards, the club stage is certainly smaller, and most of the singing is lip synched from the original hits. But it's an entertaining romp, nonetheless, in a city not previously exposing it's tranny community. This was a 4 episode series on Israeli television. If the first three episodes move a bit slowly and seem redundant, the fourth pays off for the audience's patience with great pacing, increased action and gratifying resolutions to the many of Meir's problems, as well as those of his family and friends. |  Ido Rosenberg as Mary Lou preparing for a performance. |
Detective Dee and the Mystery of Phantom Flame (Di Renjie) Click for my full review of 'Detective Dee ... ' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Dee following a clue. |
Perhaps you are burnt out on karate movies. Fear not. Detective Dee only toys with some great moments in karate fighting when necessary for the plot. Yes, plot!. The mystery of why the soon-to-be-corronated Empress of China's closest officials burst into flames takes a full 122 minutes to unravel. And each minute is packed with breathtaking special effect, gorgeous vistas, clues, red herrings, strange and wondrous characters -- all in support of solving the mystery. The film seemed more to me like 'The Name of the Rose' in tone, though it is most often compared to Sherlock Holmes' cases and techniques for solving them. (Continued...) |
Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness Click for my review of 'Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. Click for my full review of 'Shalom Aleichem' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
After its successful premiere at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival in July, and then the run at the Opera Plaza Cinema last August, Sholem Aleichem has returned by populat demand to the Balboa Theater in the Richmond District of San Francisco It's easy to think of storyteller Sholem Aleichem as a mythic figure. When I studied Spanish in Junior High School, I thought of Anonymo as a fable writer imparting wisdom from under an olive tree, much as I imagined Aesop did in Greece millennium earlier. Obviously, I was a neophyte Spanish student or I would have known Anonymo means anonymous and the stories had no accredited writer at all. This documentary gives a face, a character, a history to the great Yiddish writer, most famous for creating Tevya of 'Fiddler on the Roof.' Tevya was only one of a plethora of characters developed in countless stories Aleichem penned. Importantly, Aleichem brought Yiddish to the written medium for the first time, raising the language to the station it had deserved for centuries -- the language of Jews throughout a vast stretch of Europe -- the vernacular spoken by millions, not the revered, respected language of Hebrew which was reserved for temple, study and ceremony. Since his controversial step of publishing in Yiddish, thousands of books have followed. Hopefully, the language will always have readers and speakers to enjoy its richness and cultural history. There is so much more to this man than one famous play; he depicted a time in history for the Jews of Eastern Europe with wit, charm, and compassion. Put a face and context to this truly unique and prolific writer, publisher and proponent of a language and culture. |
 The face to the creator of 'Fiddler on the Roof'" and so much more. |
The Hedgehog Click for my full review of 'The Hedgehog' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
Renée, the concierge of an upper class apartment building in Paris, also referred to as the janitor, chooses to hide her true self behind the façade of the stereotypical concierge: gruff, stupid, solitary, but always polite. Paloma, an 11 year old tenant of the building, has decided to commit suicide on her 12th birthday because she believes destiny has committed her to a life like that of a goldfish in a bowl. The two form an unlikely friendship. Renée's prickly exterior, like that of a hedgehog, starts to soften and Paloma finds a place to hide from her bourgeois family. Also in the mix is new tenant, Mr. Ozu, a wealthy Japanese retired businessman who sees through Renée's act of uneducated and uninteresting cleaning lady. This film is based on the 2007 best selling book, 'The Elegance of the Hedgehog.' As with all adaptations from book to film, much must be edited out due to time constraints and what 'film people' (or in this case, director Mona Achache) believe will be of interest to film viewers. Vital information was deleted from the film which could have added depth and understanding to Renée's life choices and behavior. (Continued...) |
 Balasko and Le Guillermic find common ground. |
Griff, the Invisible Click for my review of 'Griff the Invisible ' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Ryan Kwanten as Griff, the lonely superhero |
By day, Griff is a customs liaison officer in an office where he is bullied and laughed at by his co-workers. By night, he's a superhero fighting crime and keeping the city safe. Actually, Griff (Ryan Kwanten) is a meek, painfully shy, young man who has been fantasizing about being a superhero for a long time. His brother, Tim (Patrick Bramall), feeling very much his brother's keeper, tries to reign in Griff's fantasy life and keep him anchored in reality, dull as it might be. But a young woman who Tim imagined was interested in him, Melody (Maeve Dermody), is much more attracted to Griff and his rich, imaginative life. She, herself, has been working at melting through doors, which should not be impossible considerihng the space within and between atoms. Griff and Melody really are made for each other; but are they good for each other? Melody helps and inspires Griff to resist normalcy and bring his superhero life to new technical and dramatic heights. Do we applaud his commitment to his aberrant mental condition or rail against it? The cuteness of the characters and their budding romance belie the deeper problem of loosing an already tenuous hold on reality to sink into unfathomable psychosis. At least they won't be alone; they'll have each other. But I get ahead of the story -- we see only the trials and obstacles to true love and these two heros' struggle to either live in the real world or be together in a more fulfilling one. |
Gun Hill Road Click for my review of 'Gun Hill Road' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
I first saw 'Gun Hill Road' at the San Francisco International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Film Festival last June. Esai Morales plays, Enrique, a Latino convict who is paroled and goes home to the barrio to find his son has grown into his daughter. The similar topic of homosexuality in an Hispanic family and a father's inability to deal with it was broached by Benjamin Bratt in the San Francisco based film, ‘La Mission’ last year. Both men struggle with the cultural stigma attached to homosexuality, both feel the loss of their only son. Enrique's struggle is increased due to his own experiences while in prison. Enrique's inner conflict takes a violent turn as he struggles with his own demons. At the same time, his son, Michael (Harmony Santana), is coming to terms with his own sexual identity and how he fits in with the rest of the world around him. Not to be left unscathed by being a single mother while her husband is in prison, lonliness and need for companionship, Mom (Judy Reyes) deals with problems of her own. A powerful drama whose lessons need repeating till cultural stigmas as well as the more general social barriers are conquered. |
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Salvation Boulevard Click for my full review of 'Salvation Boulevard' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
'Salvation Boulevard' should be a lot of fun for agnostics and atheists, and over the heads of the Christian Right. Isn't that always the case with religious comedies? It would seem 'religious comedies' ' humor is always at the expense of Christianity, not in support of it. And movies with Jesus himself in them in unorthodox positions earn right wing, organized religions' protests. But those criticizing organized religion, such as this film, go under the radar. Here, the Evangelical Church of the Third Millennium is headed by Pastor Dan Day (Pierce Brosnan) who shepherds a blissful community. This group of true believers includes Carl (Greg Kinnear), once an equally blissful Dead Head, his wife Gwen (Jennifer Connolly), one of the most zealous in the flock, and her daughter (Isabelle Fuhrman), whose eyes give away her doubt. (Continued...) |
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Rise of the Planet of the Apes Click for my full review of 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
The Academy of Arts and Sciences and all the societies and organizations that give out awards are going to have to initiate a new category: best performance by a non-real character, be it animatronics, character generated, monkey-suited and make up, or any other method. Caesar, the lead chimpanzee and breakout |
star ofthe film gives a performance equal to the very best in award winners. I can't remember a more emotional, subtle, powerful performance, and without the use of language. Caesar absolutely and completely carries the film. How the special effects brought him and his other non-human primates to life I cannot guess, nor even want to know. What contribution Andy Serkis made to the silent performance is also a mystery. My disbelief was not only suspended, but flew out the theater door, very early on in the film -- when we are first introduced to the laboratory chimps being experimented on by James Franco in his research for a cure for Alzheimer's disease in a San Francisco Bay Area laboratory. But when Caesar, offspring of one of the unfortunate experimental subjects, takes over the storyline, we are mesmerized by his performance. Oh, yes, this is a prequel to the original 'Planet of the Apes' (1961), and makes pretty good sense out of how the apes rose to dominance on earth and humans devolved to little more than wild beasts. In the same manner that the asteroid hitting earth 65 million years ago dethroned dinosaurs from their pre-eminent position and allowed mammals to evolve unhampered, something equally drastic would have had to happened in present day earth to upset homosapians' position. Through man's own hubris and sloppiness, life on earth is changed forever. Even Charleton Heston couldn't upset that new order. (Continued...) |
Sarah's Key Click for my full review of 'Sarah's Key' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
'Sarah's Key' was first seen in San Francisco at the 31st San Francisco Jewish Film Festival earlier this month. There are 8 million stories about the Holocaust, with only a small fraction having been depicted in film. As 'Sarah's Key' demonstrates, each story is not about just one person, but a large network of people, a circle of friends and relatives, as well as people who never met or even knew about the particular victim, and whose lives are influenced for generations to come. The ripple effect caused by anti-semitism and genocide has not yet settled. For instance, Sarah (Melusine Mayance) was among the 13,000 Jews rounded up by French police, not German soldiers (a fact that should not be forgotten) in 1942, and corralled in the Velodrome d'Hiver, a sports arena, for several days without food, water, or sanitation facilities. They were then moved to the Dancy internment camp, from which Sarah escaped, then onward to Auschwitz for eventual extermination. Six decades later an American journalist, Julia (Kristen Scott Thomas), with her architect husband, is preparing to move into the apartment his father and grandparents lived in. Julia follows lead after lead for a story she is writing about the 60th anniversary of the Roundup, and eventually finds out the whole story of the apartment's previous tenants and how it came into her husband's family's possession. (Continued...) |  Kristin Scott Thomas searching among the dead. |
The Change-Up Click for my full review of 'The Change-Up' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 An act of Goddess causes Reynolds and Bateman to switch. |
Yes, we've seen lots of body swap films before: between mother and daughter, father and son, adult man and is boyhood self, even Buffy the Vampire Slayer switched bodies with her enemy on one TV episode. So, how to make it fresh, how to add something new? Make it raunchy! Mitch (Reynolds) and Dave (Bateman) have been friends since elementary school, and though they have maintained their friendship, their lives have taken very different paths. Mitch hardly works at all, lives in a bachelor studio, disappoints his father (Alan Arkin), and enjoys lots of sex and drugs. To some, this life might seem ideal. Whereas, Dave is about to be made partner in a prestigious law firm, he has a beautiful wife and three great children all of whom he dearly loves and lives with in an expansive home. He has everything he always wanted and worked for. But one drunken evening when they both urinate into a fountain overseen by a nameless stone goddess and they happen to say in unison 'I wish I had your life,' they cause a short-lived blackout, lightening strikes, and they switch bodies (or souls, depending on how you look at it. (Continued..) |
The Guard Click for my full review of 'The Guard' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
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Irish police Sergeant Gerry Gleason (Brendan Gleason), whose job it is to protect the people of a small, provincial village, is a complex man. He takes pride in his uniform and dresses carefully and impeccably; yet, he also dresses hookers in that same police uniform (in their size and provocatively skimpy) for his amusement. He callously watches a car crash and casually examines the bodies of two young men, even emptying their wallets; on the other hand, he sympathetically advises a victim of abuse. He is not above taking a bribe, but will put his life on the line fighting crooks, even the same ones who paid him off. He calls himself the last of the independents; others call him unconventional. When all is said and done, he is still a mystery, admirable and untrustworthy. I'm not sure I like him, but i do want to understand his motivations. (Continued...) |
Cowboys and Aliens Click for my full review of 'Cowboys and Aliens' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
The western desert in 'Cowboys and Aliens' is more beautiful than ever before, outshining even the cinematography of the master of American desert westerns, John Ford. That may be the best thing going for this film. The ever sullen, brooding, pensive Daniel Craig, out of James Bond's tuxedo (though still in the same character), and in a skin tight plaid shirt with necessarily rolled-up sleeves, and even tighter vest is yet more eye candy. This time, the man without a name doesn't even know what it is, as he is suffering from amnesia. Harrison Ford also holds his own as the powerful town boss who at first wants to kill our hero, but needs must ride along side him to rid the world, or at least New Mexico, of aliens. And why not? If aliens taught the Egyptians and Mayans how to build pyramids, indeed, if they cross-pollinated with nascent humans, why not continue their visitations during all historical periods anywhere on earth? Why show up only thousands of years later at Roswell? How about Renaissance aliens or Ming Dynasty aliens? Aliens at the Crusades, fighting with or against the Nazis, high among hippies during the summer of love? Somebody, stop me! (Continued...) |  Ford and Craig standing tall. |
A Little Help Click for this review with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Three generations at a funeral. |
I first saw 'A Little Help' at the San Francisco Independent Film Festival last February. Poor Laura. This suburban Long Island housewife and mother feels she's loosing her husband. As it turns out, she does lose him, but not to his secretary with whom he's having an affair, to arrhythmia. Now she has to deal with widowhood. Her chunky son is telling a whopper of a lie to make his dad seem a hero. Her mother offers no solace or compassion, but continues to order her around and pressure her as if she were still a teenager. Her sister admits she always hated her for being the pretty one. Her brother-in-law reveals an old secret first explored in 'Like Water for Chocolate' (1992). Her lawyer insists she sue because she is now penniless. But nobody is giving her the least bit of actual help or support. Laura is not used to making decisions and is doing the best she can, especially with all the obstructions put in her way by the very people who should be on her side. As the film's press materials state: 'This compelling dark comedy is achingly sad, warmly touching and surprisingly funny.' And on this rare occasion, I completely agree. |
The Tree Click for my full review of 'The Tree' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
What a magnificent tree! It's worth building a movie around, though originally a novel. How could there not be a spirit within it's massive, convoluted limbs and roots clawing upwards from the hard packed earth? Jaded soul that I am, I wondered how much was prop and how much a natural poinciana tree. I tried not to let this thought distract me from the story. Peter O'Neill (Aden Young) died suddenly at the base of this very tree, and it only seems natural that his spirit be absorbed therein, where he can watch over his loving family, where he can converse with them and from which he can sometimes take action to keep them on path. Peter leaves behind a wife, Dawn (Charlotte Galesburg) and four children who, each in his/her own way, grieve his passing and continues life without him as best they can. Daughter Simone climbs to the higher branches during the day to speak with her dad. Wife Dawn nestles among the exposed roots at night to rest peacefully with him. Over time and through many small and large ordeals, the family learns to adjust. (Continued...) |
 The star of the film. |
The Names of Love Click for this review with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
This film was first shown in San Francisco during the 31st San Francisco International Jewish Film Festival last month. His name is Arthur Martin, the most common name in France. Her name is |
Baya Benmahmoud, and she's the only person in France with that name. His mother is a Holocaust survivor, the daughter of immigrant Greekews who were deported to Auschwitz and killed. His father was in the French army fighting to quell the Algerian revolt for independence. Her father is an Algerian immigrant, many of whose family were killed during the Algerian War. Her mother is still a hippie and political activist who loved her father for his immigrant innocence, Both Arthur and Baya consider themselves half breeds who practice neither Judaism nor Islam. They are quirky extremists on opposite ends of the pole of propriety. Such serious subjects, yet so much authentic humor in this love story. Neither can deny the mutual attraction even in the face of her whorish political practices or his respect for taboos and letting sleeping family dogs lie. Much is revealed in this love story about self-identity, stereotypes, prejudice, painful family histories and how to live with them. Albert and Baya represent the generation the world has been waiting for -- a true blending of races, religions and national background -- a recipe to end of war. This was one of my favorites in the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival this year. |
Tabloid Click for my full review of 'Tabloid' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
Back in the 1978, Joyce McKinney, former beauty queen, was arrested and put on trial for the kidnapping and rape of Kirk Anderson. I already have my doubts about her sanity since this guy is fat, ugly and infused with the teachings of Mormon which states one will burn in hell for having sex before marriage. She admits to having a varied and full sex life before meeting him, so finding out an answer to this first quandary might have been interesting. Before this 'crime,' she says they were engaged and then he simply vanished. She hired a private investigator who tracked him on a Mormon mission in London. She went there, by private charter with a close friend and a hired body guard, to get him away from the brain washing clutches of his brethren and into a romantic setting to consummate their love. As to the charges of kidnap and rape, she says he simply walked into her waiting car, and as for rape, she laughing states, 'you can't put a marshmallow into a parking meter.' (Continued...) |  Joyce McKinney tempting the Mormon. |
Terri Click for my full review of 'Terri' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Jacob Wysocki and Olivia Crocicchia discuss life. |
I am infuriated by school bullies. I'm infuriated by the rigid social structure in schools that surpass any but the caste system in India. I'm infuriated by childhood obesity. I'm infuriated by adults who shirk their parental responsibilities and just leave. I'm infuriated by what seems to be the escalating occurrence of Alzheimer's disease in a younger and younger senior population still without a cure and with fewer and fewer social services available to accommodate their dire situations. I'm infuriated by the corresponding burden on children who must relinquish their youth to become their caregivers caregivers. Terri, though, seems to stoically, patiently, even compassionately takes on these problems. When you think he, or anyone in his situation, would simply shut down, he surprises you with his ability to endure all these hardships and even rise to the challenges and respond with composure and sometimes solutions to his problems and those of the people near him. (Continued...) |
San Francisco Jewish Film Festival - July 21 - 31 Jewish culture and life is a rich swath of material from which many, many talented minds have spun stories reflecting the diversity and depth of experience unique to its people. The first (started in 1980) and still the largest of its kind (with some 30,000 attendees), the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival continues to search the world (this year 16 countries) for the best stories told on film (38 features, 19 shorts), presenting them as a starting point for discovery and discussion and celebration that highlight 5771 years of culture. This film festival is not for Jews only. Films from around the world are showcased, with documentaries, narratives, love stories, comedies, family dramas, and all the human interest stories all people can relate to and enjoy. Don't miss the Parties Films I have seen: Mabul - opening night Yoni is studying a section of the Torah to recite during his bar mitzvah. It's about Noah and the flood (Mabul in Hebrew), and it symbolizes the overwhelming situation which threatens to drown Yoni and his whole family. But it can also cleanse the earth, so they may start anew. Yoav Rotman gives a riveting performance as the serious man-child with the weight of the world on his shoulders. The rest of the family as well as supporting characters all paint a realistic portrait of life in a small coastal town where everybody knows everything about everybody else and compassion is in very short supply. This story is not endemic to Israel, but a reflection of universal problems we all face, foremost being parents and children not communicating honestly and openly with each other. Bobby Fischer Against The World Connected: An Autoblogograpy About Love, Death and Technology Eichmann's End: Love, Betrayal, Death An Encounter with Simone Weil Five Weddings and a Felony In Another Lifetime In Heaven Underground: The Weissmansee Jewish Cemetery Incessant Visions: Letters from an Architect Joanna Life is Too Long Mary Lou The Matchmaker The Names of Love Next Year in Bombay Otto Frank: Father of Anne Polish Bar Sarah's Key Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness |
Vincent Wants to Sea Click for my full review of 'Vincent Wants to Sea ' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
Vincent's mother has recently died and he wants to spread her ashes into the sea off Italy. There are a few hurdles he has to overcome to accomplish this: leave the institution in Germany his father has put him in to deal with his Tourette's Syndrome, acquire transportation and a driver (his ticks make driving dangerous), find the appropriate piece of coast for the disposal of the ashes, while all the time avoiding his pursing father and therapist. Of course, accomplishing each of these tasks just creates more problems. Vincent escapes with Marie who suffers from Anorexia Nervosa, and Alexander, reluctantly, who is an Obsessive Compulsive. Not to make light of each of their problems, their having to deal with each other in the cramped quarters of a car is cause for humor, as well as empathy. What they hardly notice as they head due south are the gorgeous Italian Alps. If the breathtaking surroundings don't make them feel better, it does the audience. (Continued...) |  Fitz, Herfurth and Allmayer in the Alps. |
Monte Carlo Click for my full review of 'Monte Carlo' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Meester, Gomez and Cassidy descending a staircase. |
So very 'Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants' (2005) meets 'The Prince and the Pauper' (so many versions to choose from, including the book). It's a very pretty film, shot in Paris and Monte Carlo, about three girls, the perfect and adorable Grace (Selena Gomez), the slut with a steady beau (Katie Cassidy, daughter of 70's pop star David Cassidy), and the uptight step sister who can't move on since her mother's death (LeightonMeester). They go on a long dreamt of trip to Paris. When Grace is mistaken for pompous heiress Cordelia Winthrop Scott, she fills in for the heiress at a Monte Carlo bash and charity auction, all expenses paid, while said heiress disappears to Majorca. (Continued...) |
Mr. Nice Click for my full review of 'Mr. Nice' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
I'm sure there's more than one drug dealer worth biopic-ing. It's an exciting life, fraught with danger in exotic locales and filled with mysterious men with foreign accents and bikuini-clad women who don't talk much at all. In 'Mr. Nice,' we follow the rise, fall and comeback of Howard Marks (Rhys Ifans), the man who raised the drug dealing bar in England and the U.S., an enterprising, likable guy who couldn't resist the high and the easy money. His first joint was smoked in his freshman year at Cambridge and all dreams of success in the straight world dissolved into smoke -- literally. Thanks to his quick mind, good nature, courage and plain old luck, Marks became very successful. Eventually, though, all his near escapes finally caught up with him. I couldn't help but hotice that George Jung's career, as depicted by Johnny Depp in the biopic 'Blow' (2001), is the historic and dramatic superior film with too many similarities not to be held up to comparison. The relative intensity of the cocaine high compared to a hashish high is a simple demonstrtaion of 'Blow' to 'Mr. Nice.' (Continued...) |  Rhys Ifans as Howard Marks happily exhaling. |
Mr. Popper's Penguins Click for my full review of ''Mr. Popper's Penguins' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
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Again, Jim Carrey plays a father who has lost sight of the important things in life, confusing them for career success. And again, he will be taught life lessons, if not the hard way, the hysterical way -- by living with penguins. Same old story, perhaps, but a wonderful adventure in the wintry splendor of New York. Once the penguins (an unexpected and unwanted legacy from his deceased father who spent too much time away from home adventuring while Carrey's character, the titular Mr. Popper, was growing up) take up residence in his apartment, it takes little to transform it into a glacial environment since it's already sparse, white, and has access to the frigid air and unlimited fresh snow through the many glass doors to the penthouse terrace. It's easy to see where the Penguins' influence is going, but it's pleasant to watch, and especially to have Angela Landsbury, as the owner of the historic Tavern on the Green restaurant, prodding Popper in the right direction. But credit to his transformation must be given to the six Penguins -- the sweet, mischievous, irresistible creatures. (Continued...) |
Trollhunter Click for my full review of 'Trollhunter' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
It's Blair Troll Project plus. This mockumentary, which staunchly avers it is a documentary, follows three students. Be they of the filmmaking or cryptozoology departments, one can't say, but they're on the trail of the Trollhunter, a surly, quiet, powerful man who stalks the various species of trolls. Once the students expose his true profession, he's ready to reveal all -- to hell with the secrecy. It's a stinking, low paying, thankless job anyway. And away we go. We track the several species of troll ever northward from fjord to frozen landscape in Norway. In the process, we learn all scientific facets of the trolls' lives: habits, personalities, possible illnesses, and how they've remained undetected. The filmmaker's adherence to documentary style often intentionally causes laughs -- perhaps the audience's nervous and excitable way of pulling back from being swept up in this dangerous adventure. (Continued...) |  Ah, the majestic northern tundra toll in situ. |
The Trip Click for my full review of 'The Trip' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Coogan and Brydon enjoying another meal... |
Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon play themselves in this road picture around Northern England. Coogan has been hired by The Observer magazine to write about the food and sites of interest in the area. His girlfriend is 'taking a break,' and he called several other friends to accompany him, but only Brydon agrees to go -- most expenses paid. The food, though with little experimentation into the realms of vegetables, grains, legumes and fruits, look as artistically crafted as anything in a Parisian 5 star restaurant. The countryside, replete with lakes, babbling brooks, green hills, woods and wide open sky, far exceed my expectations of what I thought was an industrialized area. The sites -- cottages, homes, inns, etc., once visited by the various bards of British literature and poetry, were quaint and lovely. But the company was a nightmare. (Continued...) |
Bride Flight Click for my full review of 'Bride Flight' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
In 1953, many Dutch citizens immigrated to New Zealand to start a new life. World War II and recent devastating floods had taken away everything from many, including family, property and hope. New Zealand offered a fresh start in a not-so-alien culture. Seems all the Dutch were already proficient in the English language and the climate and terrain were rather similar to Europe's. At the same time, commercial airlines initiated the 'Last Great Air Race,' to establish the fastest time from London the Christchurch. KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines) filled its passenger list with immigrating brides whose fiancees had already establishes home and job in their new country, besides other immigrees. On board this historic flight, three women and a man, Ada, Esther, Marjorie and Frank, met and formed friendships that would last the rest of their lives. The unexpected and surprisihg twists and turns of their lives and relationships are fascinating and emotionally charged. (Continued...) |
 The brides are ready to embark on this historic flight. |
Beginners Click for my full review of 'Beginners' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Christopher Plummer and Ewan McGregot bonding |
Our parents are a product of their times, and we are a product of our parents. In 1955, Hal (Christopher Plummer) married Georgia even though he was gay. He was not about to deal with being openly homosexual. Anyway, his psychiatrist told him it was a psychological problem. Georgia (Mary Page Keller) was told as a child in the 1930's that Jewish girls weren't pretty, at least not in an American way. Their son, Oliver (Ewan McGretor), only one-quarter Jewish and, therefore, not as emotional as his mother, but much more emotional than his Christian father, doesn't believe he'll ever have a lasting relationship. After living with his parents, he doesn't want to repeat their mistakes, and, well, maybe he's just not capable. (Continued...) |
Dumbstruck Click for my full review of 'Dumbstruck' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
'Dumbstruck' delves into the world of ventriloquism I t is populated with a varied group of log huggers who run the gamut of age, lifestyles, social standing and success in their chosen field. The things they all have in common is the hard work ethic, commitment to their craft and mutual compassion and support. Their annual convention is more like a family reunion sans any competitive edge or outright envy. 'We all talk to ourselves and play with dolls.' 'Dumbstruck' is required viewing for anyone considering a career in ventriloquism. It's also a fascinating inside look at the comics who let their wooden alter egos get credit for the best jokes. I like these people. They all had to buck their families who unanimously frowned upon their choices -- even success won't change their opinion. (Continued...) |  The subjects of the film with their friends. |
Empire
of Silver Click here for all my reviews on Examiner.com. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 The heavy burden of wealth. |
I first saw 'Empire of Silver' at the 53rd San Francisco International Film Festival in 2010. We've all seen the wide screen battles between warring Chinese armies played out amid the endless vista of China. We've seen the inside workings of noble houses -- the wives, children, concubines and politics of the many dynasties that flourished in the past. We were brought up on 'The Good Earth' (1937), and learned of the great disparity between classes and the suffering of the vast majority of this country. What we haven't seen before is the guild of bankers of China and their part in its rich cultural and economic history. Though taking place only 100 years ago, the guild was enshrouded in Medieval-like secrecy and followed many self imposed rules of deportment and business ethics so sorely lacking in today's world of banking and business in general. We discover the Wall Street of China at that time, shown through a family dynasty with almost as much money and power as the Emperor himself. Sexual and hierarchical intrigue within the family makes the antics of 'Dallas' and 'Dynasty' pale in comparison. |
Yves St. Laurant: L'Amour Fou Click here for all my reviews, with trailers, on Examiner.com. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
I first saw Yves St. Laurant L'Amour Fou at the San Francisco International Film Festival last April. It's a biographical documentary of Yves St. Laurant. But as much about his career (taking over the House of Dior at the age of 21), his inner life (being described as having been born in a state of severe depression), his many jet setter friends, and his relationship (over 50 years with business and life partner Pierre Bergé), it is about his possessions. Bergé takes us to his and St. Laurant's homes in Paris, Marrakech and Normandie. We linger in his rooms filled with treasures in paintings, sculptures, statuettes,. furniture and countless priceless nic nacks. St. Laurant died in 2008, and in February 2009, Bergé decided to auction off their lifetime collection of beauty in which they surrounded themselves. We sweep by too quickly past what seems like thousands object d'arts, including the very dresses which afforded St. Laurant and Bergé their ability to collect. Bergé is a poetic stoic who simply and quietly talks about their lifetime of love, devotion, pain and joy. It is not our place to look behind his eyes and assess the loss far beyond the $370 million euros the Christies auction fetched. |  St. Laurant and Berge long ago. |
The First Grader Click for my full review of 'The First Grader ' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Kimani (Oliver Litodo) with his classmates. |
As Kimani N'gan'ga Maruge (Oliver Litondo) says in 'The First Grader,' a man who cannot read is no better than a goat. So, in this true story, as soon as Kenya offers free education to the children of the country, Kimani stands outside the remote one-room schoolhouse gate and waits to be allowed in. Kimani is 84 years old and seems to be literally on his last leg. Still, he is a stubborn man who has made up his mind -- education is so close he can hear it emanating from the nearby classroom, and he wants in. The school is already overcrowded and it's only for children who are considered the future of Kenya. But Kimani insists he must learn how to read. He has a letter he must read for himself. The sympathetic school teacher, Jane (Naomi Harris) allows him to sit among the children and learn. Trouble ensues and things even get violent, but Kimani holds fast. (Continued...) |
Bridesmaids Click for my full review of 'Bridesmaids' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
Being the Maid of Honor is very stressful, more stressful than being a Matron of Honor, whereas being a Best Man is no stress at all except for writing a speech for the reception. On the day your best friend gets married, you can't help but measure your life against hers, against the life you intended for yourself and against just about anyone else's. And you know everyone else is judging you as well. In American films, at least, women who aren't married on their friend's wedding day are, at best, frowned upon, at worst, pitied. Self-pity,anger, paranoia and desperation are de rigueur. Seems Hollywood films are slower than evolution, much less social change, when it comes to women's issues. But at least'Bridesmaids' puts an hysterical spin on this (hopefully) outdated issue -- still no such thing as a confident, unmarried woman. (Continued..... ) |
 The Bridesmaids (Kristin Wiig in the ever worn micro skirt). |
The Double Hour Click for my full review of 'The Double Hour' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Guido (Timi) and Sonia (Rappoport) having fun... |
'The Double Hour' opens in the midst of a speed dating joust -- in Turin Italy, of all places. Now we know speed dating is an international phenomenon. And we know this is going to be a depressing movie. Sonia (Ksenya Rappoport) admirably controls herself while going through encounter after encounter of jerk after jerk. Thankfully, they're brief especially since we've all seen speed dating loser scenes in many films already. Guido finally sits at Sonia's table and says nothing, and therefore, doesn't put his foot in his mouth. It's a relief for her as well as the audience. Turns out Guido is this particular speed dating group's best customer, having made a habit of attending since his widowhood. He seems to be as grateful as Sonia to have met someone he can at least bare long enough to take home, have sex with, then promptly eject from his home in a fit of anguish, perhaps guilt, certainly a potpourri of emotions. (Continued...) |
Nostalgia for Light Click here for all my reviews on Examiner.com. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
I first saw 'Nostalgia for Light' at the San Francisco International Film Festival last April. Not so much a documentary about advances in telescopic technology -- the mammoth telescopes in Chile's Atacama desert -- but a metaphor for understanding history -- the light and energy reaching these telescopes emanated millions of years ago. There is no present, only history. The same factors that make this high elevation, dry, clear area perfect for studying the history of the heavens is also perfect for studying humans' past. Archeology, geology and astronomy have the study of the past in common. Thousand year old pictographs by shepherds still litter the landscape. The history of imprisonment and torture are also etched into this same desert by the Pinochet regime's concentration camp which was originally miners' camps. Thousands of bodies were left in this mummifying environment to be found decades later. |  Modern day pyramids in the Chilean desert. |
There Be Dragons Click for my full review of 'There Be Dragons' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
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Robert Torres (Dougray Scott), a journalist who has been tasked with writing the biography of sainted priest, Josemaria Escriva (Charlie Cox), goes back to his estranged father, Manolo Torres (Wes Bentley), to discuss Escriva's life. Escriva and the elder Torres were childhood friends, separated by Manolo's wealthy father when Escriva's father became bankrupt (believing poverty was contagious, at least symbolically) . The rift between the two became even deeper when, during the Spanish Civil War, they choose opposite sides: Escriva for religious and political freedom, elected government, democracy; Manolo for the side he believed would win (and unfortunately did), the fascists. Strangely, Francisco Franco's name was never mentioned in this historic war epic/biopic, a startling omission since Franco instigated the war and ruled Spain with an iron hand from the beginning of the war, 1936, till his death in 1975. (Continued...) |
Meek's Cutoff Click for my full review of 'Meek's Cutoff' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
Meek is a guide for a small wagon train of three wagons composed of three couples each and one child on the Oregon Trail in 1845. Meek has gotten them lost, though he won't admit it. They're in very dry territory and they're running out of water and food. The men discuss what to do next, relegating Meek to a non-decision-making position and only listening to his recommendations before their decisions are made, usually passing on his more experienced, but no long trustworthy experience. There really isn't much to do but continue walking and walking and walking and walking beside their wagons to conserve their animals' strength. (Continued...) |  Shirley Henderson, Zoe Kazan, Michelle Williams watching the menfold make decisions... then they walk. |
Cave of Forgotten Dreams Click for my full review of 'Cave of Forgotten Dreams' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
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Queen to Play Click for my full review of 'Queen to Play' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
French hotel chambermaid Helene (Sandrine Bonnaire), is cleaning a room and notices the couple staying in the room playing chess on the terrace. Helene is spellbound by the interplay of the young, beautiful couple, the elegance in which the chess pieces are moved around the board, the woman's smile, the breeze messing her hair, the controlled frustration of her chess partner. Whatever it is that piques Helene's interest, and she can never say what it actually was, she is smitten by the game. As a result, Helene, middle-aged mother of a teen (Alice Pol), who is ashamed of her working class parents, and wife of a Ange (Francis Renaud), hard working husband who has lost the spark of intimacy, her life is forever changed. (Continued...) |  Kevin Kline and Sandrine Bonnaire keep their relationship above board. |
The Robber (Der Räuber) Click for my full review of 'The Robber' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Johann Kastengerger (Andrea Lust) driving for a bit. |
Johann Kastenberger (Andreas Lust), real life bank robber, would have been considered just another thief but for his second interest -- marathon running. He was still an interesting conundrum as a bank robber, though, in that he never spent any of his ill gained cash. He couldn't put it in a bank, not even a Swiss one, for fear of detection. He couldn't get it out of the country. He didn't seem to want to buy anything anyway. So, it just stayed in a bag under his bed -- not really the best plan for hiding money. We never really find out why he had this compulsion to rob banks, and in the process steal getaway cars. He just did it, and it didn't even seem to make him happy. There was nothing about Johann that expressed happiness, not even his relationship with his girlfriend, Erika (Franzeska Weisz). But what made him a biopic worthy character was his other compulsion -- to run. He was a champion marathon runner who while even in prison, maintained his training regime running circles in the yard and using his own treadmill in his tiny prison cell. When asked by a prison official how his life would change when he got out, he said, 'I won't have to run in circles anymore.' (Continued...) |
The Greatest Movie Ever Sold Click for my full review of 'The Greatest Movie Ever Sold ' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
Documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock wanted to broach the topic of product placements in movies. You know how much fun it is to spot a prominant Coca Cola billboard in the background of a movie? How about that Mustang the hero drives? Or watch the business executive take an Alka Seltzer for his upset stomach. Yes, there's more placement than we even notice, hitting us subliminally as well right in our faces from the moment the theatre goes dark. Spurlock had the brilliant idea of not only researching product placement, but getting this documentary funded by sponsors whose products would be prominantly placed throughout. Well, especially blaringly placed. The whole process is far more complex than one might think. It's not just a matter of contacting a car company and proposing the car be seen in a film for a price. There are specialists in many different fields related to branding, advertising and product placement, and leaders in these different sub-fields offer their expertise on the subject as well as those on the opposing side of the advertising fence. (Continued...) |
 Spurlock giving his all for his film. |
San Francisco International Film Festival - April 21 - May 22 For more information about film descriptions, schedule, special events, celebrity guests, venues, tickets.Films I've seen (and continue to check back and I add more reviews): Beginners -- Opening Night Asleep in the Sun Black Bread
Blessed Event A Cat in Paris
Cave of Forgotten Dreams The Dish & the Spoon End of Animals
Hahaha I'm Glad My Mother Is Alive Letters from the Big Man
The Mill and the Cross
Nostalgia for Light The Selling The Sleeping Beauty The Trip Troll Hunter Yves St. Laurant: L'Amour Fou |
Henry's Crime Click for my full review of 'Henry's Crime ' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Farmiga, Reeves and Caan plotting. |
Here's a novel idea: have Keanu Reeves play a man who has a great natural talent in acting. What were they thinking? Now that his boyish good looks and physique are behind him, is there still an audience who forgives him his thespian shortcomings? Add to that, for a bank heist film, the necessary convoluted and exacting plot not only isn't there, but in its simplicity is obviously doomed to failure. We forensics and police investigatory techniques savvy viewers, release little moans of disappointment throughout the course of this crime. Henry (Reeves) has spent the last few years in prison for a crime he didn't commit because he wouldn't rat on his friends who actually did attempt the bank heist. He figures out during his sentence that he should commit the crime since he already did the time -- not for the money, but for the sense of completion. (Contunued...) |
Your Highness Click for my full review of 'Your Highness' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
Bawdy, foul mouthed and tremendous fun, this fairy tale is definitely not for children. Yes, the king has two sons: one a hero, the other a jealous, lazy, cowardly loser. The good son has already killed the evil cyclops and rescued the damsel he is about to marry, but an evil wizard recaptures her. The quest is on, but the king orders his lout of a son to go with the noble son on his quest to re-save the damsel. Nice basic structure on which to hang the tale. But there are constant sexual references, endless cursing, naked women and men, sexual situations. And it's all absolutely necessary to the plot which raises the standard fantasy to a new level of raucous hysteria. Even the sailors in the audience will say, 'Did he really say that?' 'Did that actually happen?' 'Did I just see what I saw when they undressed that funny looking man?' 'Is that really hanging around the Prince's neck?' |  Natalie Portman, Danny McBride and James Franco questing for the life of them. |
In A Better World (Hæven) Click for my full review of 'In a Better World' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Elias (Markus Rygaard) and Christian (William Johnk Nielsen) survey the situation. |
Anton (Mikael Persbrandt) is a doctor who works in an African refugee camp, where he encounters heartwrenching senseless violence. He commutes to Denmark on a regular basis to be with his family -- a wife (Trine Dyrholm) who is contemplating divorce and his two sons. The contrast between the two cultures is extreme: a harsh desert inhabited by homeless tribes people seeking medical treatment, the necessities of life, and protection from marauders who mercilessly slaughter innocent people for the fun of it; compared to verdant, moist Denmark. There, his heart is breaking because his wife is not able to forgive him his transgression. It seems his only other problem is his older son, Elias, who is trying to deal with a school bully. Otherwise, Anton can relax by the lake at his country home, enjoy spending time with his sons and generally regroup for his next intense stay in Africa. Yet, we learn these two cultures have the same undercurrents motivating their citizens. There is unprovoked evil around us all; there is the deep-seated need for retribution; there is always and everywhere these darker examples of the human condition. And Anton desperately desires to rise above these baser human instincts. (Continued...) |
Poetry Click for my full review of 'Poetry' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
This is a story about a 66 year old woman, a rarity in cinema and almost always a foreign film, in this instance, Korean. Mija is poised, elegant, quiet, even serene. She hints her life was full of many varied experiences she need not repeat. She goes about her present daily life -- taking care of her slug of a grandson, housecleaning and tending to a man disabled by a stroke -- with a conscious appreciation and awareness of her surroundings. It is no surprise that she decides to enroll in a cultural center poetry class. She would like to put into words her appreciation for the beauty around her.
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 Jeong-hie Yun as Mija contemplating more than nature, |
| Hop Director: Tim Hill Writer: Cinco Paul, Ken Daurio, Brian Lynch Cast: James Marsden, Russell Brand, Hank Azaria, Gary Cole, Elizabeth Perkins, Hugh Laurie, David Hasselhoff Time: Rating: PG Opening April 1 at the Metreon, AMC Van Ness 14, Presidio AMC Loes Metreon, AMC Van Ness 14, Presidio Theatres in San Francisco. Click for my full review of 'Hop' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
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'Hop' is a film that children will surely enjoy. The candy factory is more cheerful and in some aspects even more spectacular than Willy Wonka's, which was ominous. The Easter Bunny (Hugh Laurie) is a kindly gentleman rabbit who is eager to pass on his duties to his son (no child abuse in this candy factory), E B (Russell Brand). But there's a problem in this holiday workshop -- E B would rather be a rock drummer than the bringer of joy in the form of sweets to children 'round much of the world. This film is even more bereft of an religious connotation to the Easter holiday than Santa Clause movies are to the original meaning of Christmas -- something to do with the life and death of Jesus. No matter. Here, we're going back to the original pagan pleasure principle of fertility and partying -- eggs and sweets. Seems E B has a better understanding of the holiday than his father. He leaves the underground sweets factory in Easter Island and goes to Hollywood to gratify is desires -- rock 'n roll. (Continued...) |
Rubber Click for my full review of 'Rubber' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
Early on in 'Rubber,' the Sheriff offers a lengthy monologue directly to the camera about how so many movies include issues that just have no reason to them. 'Why was ET brown?' 'Why did the two leads in 'Love Story' love each other?' 'Why did some stranger shoot Kennedy in 'JFK'?' Okay, the Sheriff's logic is faulty in the third instance, but his point is that the audience should not expect any reason for what is to follow -- being a tire lying in a heap of garbage in the desert waking up and starting to roll. Add to this unreasonable situation a group of about dozen people standing a safe distance away from the exploring tire watching him with binoculars like a modern day Greek chorus. There is also no reason for this or, actually, for the tire's actions that follow or the fate of the observers -- who in many respects seem to be waiting for Godot. (Continued...) |
 Robert the Tire on that long, lonely road. |
Queen of the Sun: Click for my full review of 'Queen of the Sun' with trailer and slide show on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
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We've all heard about the mysterious disappearance of honey bees throughout the world in news reports and specials on the subject. Yes, mysterious because there seems to be no reason for it. Is it alien abduction or have the bees abandoned the earth much as the dolphins did in Douglas Adams' 'Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy," predicting the end of the planet? It all seems so romantic and foreboding. What will the world do without cross-pollination? The bees' flower dance is responsible for 40% of the food we eat. What will we do without honey -- the most healthful of all sweeteners? Multi-award-winning Taggert Siegel, director of 'The Real Dirt on Farmer John' (2005), takes on what seems to be a daunting task of finding out what has actually happened to the bees. As it turns out, many people, experts in their various scientific and agricultural fields, are willing to tell him exactly the causes of their disappearance. (Continued...) |
Winter in Wartime Click for my full review of 'Winter in Wartime' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
There are still stories to be told about World War II that are unique and powerful, that reflect the human condition through an individual's experiences and actions. In 'Winter in Wartime,' we hone in on one 13 year old boy living in occupied Holland. It is the last winter of World War II, and clandestine radio reports are predicting an end to the war soon. At first, Michiel is making the best of the Nazi presence in his town. He and his friend still have the freedom to ride their bikes through the countryside and even mischievously explore a downed fighter plane. Not totally oblivious to the political situation, he resents that his father, the mayor of the town, who seems to cooperate and even outwardly enjoy the company of the Nazis. Michiel becomes entangled in a dangerous situation in trying to help the British pilot of that very downed plane. Once the decision is made to help, the boy quickly become a man. He must decide who to trust, what to do, and how to accept the sacrifices he must make, as well as the losses he much accept. (Continued...) |
 Michiel (Martijn Lakemeier) learns the brutality of the Nazis the hard way. |
Paul Click for my full review of 'Paul' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Wiig, Paul, Frost and Pegg watching the landing... |
There is so much right about this film. Simon Pegg / Nick Frost films are almost always bright, fast paced, hysterically funny and have a lot of social subtext that enriches the whole experience. Just look at 'Shaun of the Dead' (2004) (masterful revitalization of the zombie genre) and 'Hot Fuzz' (2007) (send up of buddy cop movies). 'Paul' is a very sweet film depicting the friendship of two English, not so young, nerds. They fulfill their dream of going to San Diego for Comicon, surrounded by sci fi fans and meeting their favorite sci fi author. They have even rented an RV with the plan of visiting famous 'alien' locations like Area 51. They are blissfully happy and in the process of actualizing all the goals. Meeting an real alien who is escaping from Area 51 after 60 years of hospitality (or was in captivity?) throws the men in surprising directors. One would rather continue going to historic alien sites than veer from the original plan. The other more fully appreciates the significance of the situation and commits himself to doing anything, anything to help this little green. huge eyed, smart-ass alien to go home. |
The Lincoln Lawyer Click for my full review of 'The Lincoln Lawyer '' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
Mick Haller (Matthew McConaughey) seems like a very good lawyer: he knows the law, he knows how to work the system, and he stays pretty much within legal bounds to get his clients acquitted, often knowing or believing they are guilty. Naturally, prosecutors hate and disdain him, as, it seems, all prosecutors do in all courtroom themed films. They conveniently forget that without defense lawyers there would be no justice system which they hold so dear. I'm really tired of this constantly used confrontational tool in legal films. Even Mick's ex-wife, Maggie (Marisa Tomei) probably divorced him because of his defense skills, her being a prosecutor, though in all other respects they seem to get along very, very nicely. (Continued...) |  McConaughy and Phillippe watch justice meted out. |
The Adjustment Bureau Click for my full review of 'The Adjustment Bureau'' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Matt Damon and Emily Blunt fleeing their destiny |
There has always been a conflict between beliefs in free will and God's plan or fate. Finally, we can now put this debate to rest. People have a little wiggle room regarding choice, but not the big or life determining things. David Norris (Matt Damon) not only believes in free will (as all politicians must or what's the point?), he fights the forces that control his own fate so he can be with the woman he loves. These guys in silly hats (favored by Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra in the 1960's), members of the Adjustment Bureau, infiltrate people's lives whenever they veer from their predestined path according to notebooks that track lives much like Harry Potter's map that tracks people's movements in Hogwarts. The Adjustment Team members have supernatural powers (being agents of He who remains unnamed), but it seems love is even more powerful. David finds out about the Bureau, his destiny and that of the woman he loves, Elise (Emily Blunt), and bucks the system big time (it's assumed this fast rising politician is a Democrat) to write his own fate and be with his beloved. (Continued...) |
When We Leave Click for my full review of 'When We Leave'' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
Umay feels she must take her son and leave the brutal and unloving home of her husband and his family in Istanbul, and go back to Germany where her Turkish family lives. Unfortunately, even though her family loves her, they have not given up their traditional Muslim culture, nor can they withstand the pressures of the transplanted Turkish community in which they thrive. She left her husband and took his child. And in the Muslim culture, this brings shame to the family. Umay tries desperately to maintain her independence even though she is being pressured to return to her husband. She must separate herself from her family if she is to keep her child from being taken by her husband. She has to be able to sever all ties with her family to be able to live an independent life with her son. Being brought up in a traditional Muslim family makes this a very painful and possibly dangerous endeavor. (Continued...) |  Sibel Kekille as Umay - brave and troubled. |
Of Gods and Men Click for my full review of 'Of Gods and Men' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 A democratic decision is reached about possible martyrdom. |
This is the true story of eight monks living near the small village of Tibhirine, Algeria, serving God and the local Muslim population in the 1990's. We get to watch them in their daily chores of tending to the health needs of the people in their clinic, plowing and sowing the fields, watering their garden, canning honey for sale in the marketplace, praying and regularly singing hymns in praise of God. Seems 7 out of 8 of them have beautiful, rich, melodic voices. The eighth, the asthmatic doctor/monk does not appear in the chapel with the rest of them during their regular intervals of musical praise to the Lord. They quietly accept their commitment to service and modest living. (Continued...) |
Nora's Will Click for my full review of 'Nora's Will' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
Nora (Silvia Mariscal) has attempted suicide a dozen times before unsuccessfully, but this time she's going to do it right. Not only will she die, but she has planned out the next five days following her death. Passover, the holiday celebrating the exodus of Jews from slavery to the Promised Land, is about to start. Nora has invited family and friends to attend the Seder in her huge, elegant apartment. Food is semi-prepared in the fridge, with detailed notes to her maid/cook/friend, Fabiana (Angelina Pelaez), for final touches. Frozen meat has been delivered to her ex-husband, Jose (Fernando Lujan) who lives across the street. Even the coffee maker has been set by timer to make coffee at a time appropriate for the discovery of her body. We learn this is not consideration for others or an arranged farewell celebration, but manipulation of those who love her for her own agenda. (Continued...) |  Fernando Luijan checking the fridge for the Seder repast. |
Even The Rain Click for my full review of 'Even the Rain' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
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In 'Even the Rain,' a Spanish film production company shoots a movie about Christopher Columbus establishing Spanish rule in the Caribbean shortly after his discovery of the New World. The company decides to shoot in Cochabamaba, Bolivia, rather than the Caribbean, a continent away, because they can exploit the indigenous people as extras and laborers for $2 a day, a real production cost savings. Soon the parallels in exploitation between the present day Spanish filmmakers and the 16th Century Conquistadors become evident, even to the director Sebastian (Gael Garcia Bernal) and producer Costa (Luis Tosar) of the movie, and they become more and more uncomfortable in their own skins. (Continued...) |
Kaboom |
Kaboom follows Smith, a college freshman who is not metrosexual, ambisexual or confused. He lusts after men, but has lots of satisfying, if not equally, sex with women. Let's just call him BI, and sexually untroubled. There are lots of nubile nudes, both girls and boys, rolling around together, and for many viewers, that would be enough. (Continued...) Click for this review of 'Kaboom' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Thomas Dekker as the boy in the middle of a supernatural mystery |
Sanctum Click for my full review of 'Sanctum,' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
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It's difficult to understand the passion for spelunking -- strangely, a word never uttered in this film. Monochromatic gray walls in a pitch black, artificially lit environment (if the lights go out you're dead). Huge caverns to cramped wormholes that may dead end (literally). A lifeless underground environment where the discovery of bat guano causes excitement. The only thing going for it is that the explorers may be the first humans to see a particular hole in the ground-- as if anyone without this particular passion cared. Nonetheless, the cinematographer does a great job of keeping the actual cave and cave sets interesting to view. Also, the 3D photography techniques developed for 'Avatar' (2009) add depth and clarity. In 'Sanctum,' an intrepid team of cave explorers investigate one of the deepest and most extensive network of caves in New Guinea to see where the water that flows into the cave leaks out into the nearby ocean. Well, I figure it's going to be some cavular tube that looks like all the other tubes in the vicinity, but a man (and a few women) has got to do what a man has got to do. Continued...) |
Another Year Click for my full review of 'Another Year,' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
Gerri (Ruth Sheen) and Tom (Jim Broadbent) are the nexus of a group of people, all attracted to this older couple because of their calm, compassion and common sense. This is truly a charmed couple. Gerri is a medical counselor who discusses emotional problems with patients. Tom is a soil engineer helping in the construction of underground water conduits which secure safe drinking water and waste disposal for neighborhoods. So, they have both developed careers which help humanity. Their home fringes the countryside and is filled with plants and flowers. They even have a plot in a community garden and regularly work with the earth and eat their own fruits and veggies. Getting the message? These people are grounded! Even their son (Oliver Maltman) is a social worker who falls in love with a nurse. Golly, what a blessed family. (Continued...) |  Gerri (Sheen) and Tom (Broadbent) hosting friends at home. |
| Red Hill (Australia) Playing October 11, 8:15 at the Century Cinema Director/Writer: Patrick Hughes Cast: Ryan Kwanten, Claire van der Boom, Steve Bisley, Tom Lewis, Christopher Davis, Kevin Harrington Time: 95 min. Rated: R Openg December 31 at the Lumiere in San Francisco and Shattuck in Berkeley |
Remember 'High Plains Drifter' (1973) starring Clink Eastwood as yet another nameless stranger seeking revenge against the men who wronged him? Perhaps it's easier to remember Javier Bardem's relentless killing spree while seeking the stolen cash in 'No Country for Old Men' (2007). If you like the avenging wraith leaving a trail of bloody bodies behind him, you might just like 'Red Hill' from Australia. |
We follow a new deputy Shane Cooper (his name an obvious tribute to the Western genre) (Ryan Kwanten) of the small town of Red Hill. It's his first day on the job, having moved out of the city to give his wife (Claire van der Boom) a more peaceful and less stressful environment in which to safely conclude her pregnancy and raise their son. This is not Mayberry and the townspeople and fellow lawmen are far from the friendly, down home, cheerful people Sheriff Cooper might have hoped for. Television reports of a prison break and an escaped murderer, aborigine Jimmy Conway (Tommy Lewis), cause the Sheriff, Old Bill (Steve Bisley) to move into action, putting together a posse and a plan of action for what he knows to be an impending life or death battle. Deputy Cooper has gotten a whole mess more than he bargained for and as this one day continues, he tries to make sense out of the chaos and bloodshed that follows. (To be continued when the film is released...) No big surprises to this Kangaroo Western, no particularly powerful performances, though Ryan Kwanten and Claire van der Boom are likable enough, and Steve Bisley ornery enough. It's interesting to watch the down under approach to the genre in this expansive country with as big a sky as anything Montana or Texas can boast. |
Gulliver's Travels Click here for my full review of 'Gulliver's Travels,' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
This latest version of 'Gulliver's Travels' is a more up-to-date interpretation of the 1726 (amended 1735) novel by Jonathan Swift. Originally a thinly veiled political satire about how the English government was constantly at war with just about any country for the meagerist of reasons as well as commentary on human nature, today's version is a romp for Jack Black with lots of rock and roll. He's doing his Jack Black schtick, as usual. Still basically the same story -- Lemuel Gulliver sails into a maelstrom to arrive at Liliput, the kingdom of very little people. He is captured and tied up by the population who quickly learn to love and depend on him for protection from their mortal enemies, the Blefuscudians. There is also a princess (Emily Blunt) who wants to marry a shy commoner (Jason Segel). I was happily surprised to see the King and Queen of Liliput played respectively by Billy Connolly (for his great Scottish delivery in everything he does) and Catherine Tate (for her worthy contribution to Doctor Who from 2006 to 2010). (Continued...) |  Jack Black as Gulliver subdued by Liliputians. |
Rabbit Hole Click here for my full review of 'Rabbit Hole,' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Kidman and Eckhart as grieving parents commiserate. |
Becca (Nicole Kidman) and Howard (Aaron Eckhart) are going through the worst nightmare any parent can experience: the loss child of their child. Four year old Danny (Phoenix List) ran into the street to catch his dog and was hit by a teen driver. Now, how to deal with the unbearable grief? Seems from this film and others covering the same territory, each person has his or her own way of suffering or coping, and just being in the proximity of a spouse exacerbates the process, causing a rift that challenges the marriage. 'Rabbit Hole,' which explores this issue, is a walk in the park compared to, for instance,'Morning' (2010) starring Jean Tripplehorn and Leland Orser. Their grief is so extreme that both should check into mental hospitals due to total breakdowns and being a threat to themselves. Of course, watching their suffering, he with extreme deprivation and agoraphobia, she desperately trying anything including sex with strangers, is much more interesting to watch than a stay in a hospital and drug therapy. In 'The Greatest' (2009), with Susan Sarandon (queen of all grieving mothers for her performance in 'In the Valley of Elah' 2007) and Pierce Brosnan, their son was an adult and his pregnant girlfriend arrives on their doorstep offering a replacement. Naturally, they have mixed feelings about this development. (Continued...) |
Casino Jack Click here for my full review of 'Casino Jack,' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
Jack Abramoff is complex and not-wholly evil, selfish,greedy though his actions has caused millions of dollars in loss to Indian tribes, corporations, and individuals. He is deeply religious, a committed family man who would never consider cheating on his wife though beautiful women are constantly thrown in his path, he generously gives to charities and builds institutions for good works. Yet, he wields power as a lobbyist on Capitol Hill to gain great wealth at the expense of others. He tempts, bribes and bullies senators and congress people to do as he and his special interest clients desire. Thus, he erodes the very core of democracy and the Constitution. (Continued...) |  Kevin Spacey and Kelly Preson as the Abramoffs |
All Good Things Blue Valentine Click here for my full review of 'All Good Things' and Blue Valentine ,' with trailers on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
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Remember the early word on Sean Penn for films like 'Racing with the Moon' (1984) and 'At Close Range' (1986)? He was considered a consummate, serious and extremely talented young actor. Remember Edward Norton and the buzz he created with 'Primal Fear' (1996) and 'American History X' (1998)? These actors proved that Hollywood could still produce thoughtful, powerful films interpreted by masters of the acting craft. Ryan Gosling is the latest contributor to this tradition. From 'The Notebook' (2004) to 'Half Nelson' (2006) and 'Lars and the Real Girl' (2007), Gosling has already run a very wide gamut of characters, all believable and compelling. This year, even just this month, he has honed in on two very different characters in rather similar situations making both a disturbed murderer and a loving, easy going family man equally believable and even sympathetic characters. In both 'All Good Things' and 'Blue Valentine,' Gosling portrays a man married to a sweet, even adorable, blond. Both men are deeply in love with their wives. Both have large dogs. Both couples have to make a decision about a pregnancy. There is even a nude shower scene at the same point in their relationships -- an attempt to soothe the rough patch between them and rest a moment in each other's arms. Nonetheless, their marriages disintegrating and there is nothing these men can do to stop it. Both deal with the loss of their beloveds. (Continued...) |
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale Click here for my full review of 'Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale ,' with trailer and slide show on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
Much of Finland is above the Arctic Circle and light is in very short supply. So, it's kind of difficult to be cheerful during the Christmas season. 'Rare Exports,' a holiday season film from Northern Finland is a perfect example of the doom and gloom that can arise in an environment bereft of sunlight and warmth. Instead of Santa being the jolly, overweight bearer of gifts and joy for children, he is an otherworldly kidnapper and punisher of children, good or bad. Instead of toy making little elves, his minions are zombie-like, scrawny, old men. Santa is a doom bringer akin to the boogie man. To protect their children, the inhabitants of the reindeer-roaming Korvatunturi mountains long ago captured this evil doer and buried him in a man-made mountain of ice and earth. Today's archeological team searches for, finds and digs him up. What ensues is a battle between reindeer herding men and an ancient evil presence replete with fireworks, explosions, near death helicopter rides in a climactic chase. (Continued...) |
 Better watch out. Better be nice. |
The Legend of Pale Male Click here for my full review of 'The Legend of Pale Male,' with trailer and slide show on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Pale Male in all his glory. |
The Red-tailed hawk had not lived in New York City for a hundred years -- until one suddenly appeared in 1993. Onlookers, stunned and awed by his appearance, named him Pale Male, since, upon researching the red-tailed hawk, he was found to be paler than average. And so a cult to the bird was born. It didn't hurt that he picked the best neighborhood in Manhattan to call home -- Fifth Avenue and 74th Street, which is right across the street from Central Park's boat pond replete with copious benches for comfortable viewing and lots of easy pickings for a predator in the form of pigeons, rats, squirrals. It's like a Hollywood movie star getting an apartment wiith huge picture windows on Sunset Boulevard. From a clique of hawk watchers who regularly met and swaped stories about their latest observations of Pale Male, his reputation grew to that of an international tourist attraction and headline news item in a struggle between nature lovers and priggish co-op owners on the upper east side. (Continued...) |
The Chronicles of Narnia: Click here for my full review of 'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Trader,' with trailer and slide show on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Trader' is truly all about the voyage, not the destination. There is yet another threat to Narnia's peace. Pretty vague what it happens to be, but it's good cause to suck the two youngest Pevensie children back to Narnia to help fight the good fight, collect swords and lay them on some table, teach a spoiled cousin how to be brave and moral, yada yada yada. Whatever. The point is it's a beautiful film to watch, and 3D doesn't hurt. I just loved traveling with them and the crew of the Dawn Trader, including King Caspian, to the different islands with their different terrains and creatures. Be warned that a final monster is pretty horrific and may scare very young children. (Continued...) |  Aslan maintaining order. |
Tiny Furniture Click here for my full review of 'Tiny Furniture' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Lena Dunham - writer, director, star with a lot on her mind. |
Aura (Lena Dunham) has just graduated from a mid-Western college and returns home to her successful photographer mother (Laura Simmons) and antagonistic younger sister (Grace Dumham) in Tribeca, Manhattan, New York. The adjustmant is difficult, but since we, the audience, know nothing about her from before she left for college, we don't really know if it's an actual adjustment problem or if she's always been an insecure whiner. Yes, she has to make decisions now she didn't have to before, like starting a career or even just getting a job, moving into her own apartment with a college friend or staying with her family. But the personality we're presented with is an aimless, unmotivated young woman who yearns to be taken advantage of by men. Was she always that person? (Continued...)
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The King's Speech (Great Britain) Click here for my full review of 'The King's Speech' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
Ever wonder what the King or Queen of England actually does for a living. They don't rule their country anymore. That's done by Parliament. Seems English royalty just make appearances and speeches. If a king can't speak, he can't do his job. Take this already difficult situation and add the approach of World War II and a couple of the best orators who ever lived speechmaking for the opposing side: Adolph Hitler and Benito Mussolini. The King and his country are in big trouble. Leaders must rouse the people into action and support. Without a voice, it's impossible. And this was the situation for King George VI of England (Colin Firth) in the years leading up to the War. It's not like he hadn't tried any number of doctors to help him with his severe stuttering problem, but none had worked -- until his wife, Queen Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter), eventual Queen Mother of future Queen Elizabeth II who still reigns, found Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush) , speech therapist. (Continued...) |  Colin Firth as the newly crowned King George VI apprehensively approaching the microphone. |
Marwencol Click here for my full review of 'Marwencol' with trailer and slide show on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
In April of 2000, Mark Hogancamp was beaten so brutally in the parking lot of a bar he frequents in Kingston, New York, that he lost all motor skills and his memory. In time and with physical therapy, he got the majority of his motor skills back, but had to rebuild his mind, memories, personality and courage. When his Medicare insurance ran out, he developed his own form of therapy; he built Marwencol, a miniature Belgian village filled with GI Joes, Barbies and other small people he detailed with paint, clothes and stories. He also added buildings, vehicles and props to enhance the authenticity of his actuated imaginings. Through one particular doll, he became the hero of this World War II ravaged town; fighting Nazis, falling in love and having various adventures with characters who often represent people he knows in his Kingston neighborhood. Then he photographs tableaus with a camera that doesn't even have a working light meter. (Continued...) |  Mark Hogancamp working on Marwancol |
Ahead of Time Click here for my full review of 'Ahead of Time' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Ruth Gruber -- always in her prime |
It's always wonderful to be reminded or or introduced to extraordinary people. It's rare when they are women, especially coming from a time when getting a college education and attaining status was socially improbable. Let's throw in for obstacle's sake that this particular 98 year old, Brooklyn-born woman who is a successful author, explorer, journalist and humanitarian is a Jew who established herself when antisemitism was rampant in the United States. That is why the biopic 'Ahead of Time' is so aptly named. Ruth Gruber is extraordinary not only for her accomplishments in the face of social, religious, and gender biases, but for her unselfconscious humility in the face of these achievements. It all seems so easy for her. It doesn't hurt be brilliant, hard working, fearless, adventurous, curious and socially aware. Combine these traits and you have someone who not only reports the news, she makes it. (Continued...) |
Love and Other Drugs Click here for my full review of 'Love and Other Drugs' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
The plot line of this film may be fodder for women's channels: passionate relationship between two very beautiful people thwarted by a woman's incurable illness. She wants to be noble by letting him go, but still can't help whining about her dismal fate. He wants to be a good man and stay with the woman he loves, but also wants to escape the fate of tending to an eventually deteriorated body. Very melodramatic, very sexy, very heart wrenching. But due to the superior acting skills of stars Anne Hathaway as disease victim and Jake Gylllenhall as drug salesman and a sensitive yet not over schmaltzy script, there's not so much tear jerking as compassion elicited from the viewer. And then there's the bodies. These two should be bronzed for posterity. At the top of their physical form and with lots of nude scenes to show them off, even your football fan boyfriend will enjoy this film, even if the lessons to be learned in the story escape him. (Continued...) |
 Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal comfortable in their skins. |
White Material Click here for my full review of 'White Material' with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Isabelle Hubert, colonialist, getting the message. |
Maria Vial (Isabelle Hubert) starts her day like any other day. But today is different. Her workers are leaving en masse, declaring it's too dangerous to work there any longer. There's a revolution. The military are fighting the guerillas, among them a band of armed children, and the fight is spreading throughout this unnamed African country. A helicopter flies overhead, its French soldier yelling down to Maria that the French army is leaving; there is no longer any protection for her and other French colonists. She should leave now. Her ex-husband, Andre (Christopher Lambert) is trying to sell the coffee plantation she works and lives on before it is worthless and the revolutionaries take it over. The mayor of the nearby town tells her to leave for her own safety. But Maria knows no other life than that of running her plantation and she adamantly refuses to accept the obvious. Like Isak Dinesen generations before in 'Out of Africa' (1985), she will stay on her little coffee plantation no matter what. This is a study in denial and the fate of all foreign settlers. (Continued...) |
The Next Three Days Click here for my full review of The Next Three Days with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Elizabeth Banks and Russell Crowe on the run. |
Russell Crowe plays John Brennan, a community college literature teacher who has the perfect life: a wonderful relationship with his beautiful wife, Lara (Elizabeth Banks), his young son, Luke (Ty Simpkins), an extended family that shows no signs of dysfunction. He is a truly happy man until his wife is arrested and convicted for a murder she didn't commit. Through a rapid fire series of unintentional and accidentally arranged evidence, she is inextricably tied to the brutal murder of her boss. All hope is lost with no cause for appeal or reprieve. Not only has John and his son lost wife and mother, but she is suicidal. A new man of resolve emerges to deal with this hopeless situation where others might accept their fate and sorrowfully move on. John starts with research on major points of jail busting, interviewing a master prison escape artist, Damon Pennington (Liam Neeson). He learns that he must change who he is to his very core principles, risking everything to attain his wife's freedom. This is the most intriguing aspect of the film -- a mild mannered man's transformation. His plans may be thwarted by the police at any point due to their own expertise, his mistakes and unforseen changes in circumstances. That leads to thrilling, fast paced tension. (Continued...) |
Genius Within:
The Inner Life of Glenn Gould Click here for my full review of Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
This biopic of Glenn Gould, iconic pianist, known not only for his music, but his idiosyncracies, is not only amazing because of the archival footage that so fully documents his life, but is a true pleasure to watch and listen to because his music fills almost every moment of the documentary. '32 Short Films about Glenn Gould' (1993) imaginatively and creatively re-enacts episodes of Gould's life and philosophy through narrative shorts and is well worth watching for all Gould fans and those who would become fans. But "Genius Within...' shows us the actual Glenn Gould, phobias, hypochondria, divo behavior, various psychological warts and all. This film has to be the end-all of documentaries of Glenn Gould. I can't imagine there is more to be uncovered about him. Now I know Glenn Gould -- well perhaps not the 'genius within or the inner life,' but all a film can relate about another human being. I also know his music through recitals from his first appearance in New York in 1955 to his very last recording. (Continued...) |  |
Today's Special Click here for my full review of Today's Special with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Naseeruddin Shah, the omnicient cabbie/chef and Aasif Mandvi |
Indian immigrant movies all seem to have the same elements: 1. A son or daughter who has lost cultural identity; 2. His or her mother's relentless search for a spouse for him/her; 3. Food. 'Today's Special' has a light, warm, and charming masala of all these ingredients. There are no surprises here if you've already seen an expatriate Indian film before. Some are very dramatic, some are farcical. This film is more a light romantic comedic search taken by a young man, Samir (Aasif Mandvi)-- in his career (to take him to the next level from sous chef to imaginative, risk taking master chef); in his family life (from disappointing son to save-the-farm hero); in love (not that there's anything wrong with Indian girls, but ....). (Continued...) |
Four Lions Click here for my full review of Four Lions with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
Al-Qaida meets the Three Stooges plus one. Laughs -- political and slapstick, infantile and dark --are fast, abundant and whistfully wish fulfilling. Wouldn't the world be a better place if terrorists were bafoons, simplistic not-even-near-do-wells who are so stupid they're thrown out of a terrorist training camp and go it alone to make their mark for jihad and go to a heaven full of virgins for them to rape? Four would-be terrorists, Omar (Riz Ahmed), Waj (Kayvan Novak), Barry (a Caucasian malcontent with a huge case of Reichian impotant rage who uses Muslim extremist vengance to ease his neuroses) (Nigel Lindsay), and Faisal (Adeel Akhtar), attempt to fulfill their destiny by killing as many innocent people as possible in the name of Allah. The problem is one is stupidier than the next. For instance, we see them trying to make a terrorist video, but constantly interrupt the recording to criticize the size of the plastic gun being held by the spokesperson. To live a little longer, one decides to attach small bombs to crows rather than himself and train the crows to fly into office windows -- to no avail. This secret cell of four can't keep a secret as to the location of their hideout replete with fixings for bombs, and get lots of visitors looking for a place to chill out. In short, they can barely keep themselves from becoming their own victims. (Continued...) |
 Barry, Omar and Waj fumble in their attempts to bring the world back to the dark ages. |
For Colored Girls Click here for my full review of For Colored Girls with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 All the girls join arms and hands to find strength to carry on. |
Seems like all colored girls' problems are colored men, not social distinctions, not history of slavery and concomitant disadvantages, not prejudice -- or at least any associations between their man problems and social problems are not made distinct on 'For Colored Girls.' Also seems that all their man problems could be solved with a little forethought and self respect. We follow eight black women who live and work in Manhattan -- from a building manager to a fashion magazine executive to her assistant to a nurse to a dancer to a religious fanatic to a social worker to a bartending sex addict. Each in a different way has been negatively effected by black men from boyfriends to acquaintances to fathers and husbands. Besides the overriding message of all back men are trouble, two perhaps more useful messages ring out -- take responsibility for your own problems and get support from your sisters (in the larger sense of sisterhood).(Continued...) |
Monsters Click here for my full review of Monsters with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
With a miniscule budget, I have to accept that everything I saw in Monsters, including aged signage in many places warning of the infected zone, military area, danger, and other weathered markings that added to the veracity of the situation were made in a computer. So were the skeletal remains of buildings, towns, fighter jets, military tanks and even dead monsters and humans. I was agog at how on the one hand, this film was shot much like war documentary, and on the other, it looks like a Hollywood production of a war zone to which a lot had to be added to create the appearance of gorgeous, verdant Central American locations. I was fooled by the authenticity of the look into thinking this was a good movie. It took a second thought, and a third to realize the plot was teetering on insultingly ludicrous absurdity. (Continued...) |
 Whitney Able and Scott McNairy braving the monster infected zone. |
Fair Game Click here for my full review of Fair Game with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
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What an odd couple! Stranger still is that this is a true story. Joe Wilson (Sean Penn), high profile, outspoken, retired Ambassador from the United States to Niger, Africa, married to Valerie Plame (Naomi Watts), a CIA operative who lives the life of an Ambassador's wife, on the one hand, and has a completely hidden identity as an spy, on the other. The strain on their marriage must have been tremendous at the best of times. Joe and Valerie's parents know she is CIA, but she couldn't talk about her missions, her access to certain information, her actual day-to-day life when she isn't housewife and mother of twins. What keeps them together is their love for each other and their mutual sense of patriotism and belief in the tenets of democracy. They both dedicate their lives in their own ways to upholding the Constitution and maintaining the security of the country. All that is about to change with the outing of Valerie Plame in the Washington Post. (Continued...) |
Conviction Click here for my full review of Conviction with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
Betty Ann Waters (Hillary Swank) and her brother Kenny (Sam Rockwell) were very close as children, in large part because their mother had little interest in them and left them to their own devices. As a result, Betty became a very responsible mother and bar manager. Conversely, Kenny was a troublemaker and rabble rouser who collected a colorful rap sheet. Still, they were both each other's best friends. When Kenny is accused and convicted of a murder he claims he did not commit, Betty Ann stops at nothing to get him exonerated. This includes getting her GED, college and law degrees at the cost of her marriage and even the custody of her children so she can fight the legal battle for him. And that was only the beginning of her struggle to gain Kenny's release. When he was convicted, forensics was in its infancy. Seventeen years later, Betty Ann enlists the Innocence Project to re-evaluate the evidence and prove Kenny's innocence. Still, release is not eminent. But she bravely and relentlessly forges on. (Continued...) |
 Hillary Swank and Sam Rockwell fighting the system. |
Leaving Click here for my complete review of Leaving with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a list and links to all my reviews and celebrity interviews. AndSubscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
 Kristen Scott Thomas and Sergi Lopez getting familiar |
British expatriate Suzanne (Kristen Scott Thomas - an expatriate herself), living in France, has been married over 20 years to a man she probably never loved. And that kind of relationship certainly doesn't withstand the test of time. She and her family, including two teenage children (Alexandre Vidal and Daisy Broom), live very comfortably in an art filled, modern house with her husband, the doctor Samuel (Yvan Attal). She might have felt a little restless and decided the antidote to that certain form of ennui would be to go back to work as a physiotherapist. But she needs more than an interesting job to fulfill her. Entre Ivan (Sergi Lopez), a Spanish construction worker building her office in the backyard. Their attraction is undeniable and they both fall deeply, passionately and inextricably in love. (Continued...) |
Nowhere Boy Click here for my complete review of Nowhere Boy with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a list and links to all my reviews and celebrity interviews. And Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
There have been a lot of films made about John Lennon at various stages of his life. IMDb.com counts 42, but I wheedle that number down to 15 where he was a fictional character or a minor visitor to the story. And there are more films on the way. We don't get tired of investigating the lives of extraordinary people, those who have contributed in a meaningful way to our culture and our own personal histories. Because Lennon and McCartney's music so influenced their time, and that of many of us (still alive), our earnest curiosity into the man remains undiminished. On his 70th birthday, we review and enlarge upon his childhood and teen years. We all know that John (Aaron Johnson) was raised by his Aunt Mimi, his mother having abandoned him when he was 5. In 'Nowhere Boy,' we find out more about those years and his relationship with the two most influential women in his life -- till Yoko Ono. Mimi (Kristin Scott Thomas) was the stern, even stoic, conservative who preferred John stay in school and get a reliable job. But she was the one who bought John his first guitar. Julia, his mother (Ann-Marie Duff) was passionate, musical, fun loving and flighty, yet the guilt of having given up her son always darkened her outwardly playful demeanor. Though outwardly these two women are so opposite in character, we see their very complex and deeper emotions. (Continued...) |
 Ann-Marie Duff as John's mother, Julia, and Aaron Johnson as John Lennon in a lighter moment |
| Tamara Drewe Director: Stephen Frears Writer: Moira Buffini from the graphic novel by Posy Simmonds Cast: Gemma Arterton, Roger Allam, Bill Camp, Dominic Cooper, Luke Evans, Tamsin Greig, Jessica Barden, Charlotte Christie Time: 107 min. Opening October 15 Century 9 and Sundance Kabuki |
 Country Lad (Luke Evans) smitten with new-nosed, city-wise Tamara (Gemma Arterton). |
From the Thomas Hardy novel, Far From the Madding Crowd, to a graphic novel by Posy Simmonds, to the screen, 'Tamara Drewe' is a retelling of many classic English pastorals with a modern twist. It's fast paced, funny, witty and charming. The more you're familiar with these kinds of stories and characters, the funnier it is. In this case, a young woman, Tamara Drewe (Gemma Arterton), returns to her childhood country home, a beautiful, successful journalist. The new twist is she's not the typical ugly duckling who naturally matures into a raven beauty. She had surgical help in the form of a rhinoplasty or nose job. We even get to see Tamara with her original noise in a flashback, and the difference in overall appearance due to those additional few ounces is stunning. (Continued...) Click here for my complete review of Tamara Drewe with trailer on Examiner.com. And click here for a list and links to all my reviews and celebrity interviews. AndSubscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and celebrity interviews as they come out. |
33 Mill Valley Film Festival -- my partial selection
Dumas (France)
Eep! (Holland)
Fanny, Annie & Danny
Twigson (Norway)
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| Buried Director, Editor, Co-producer, Music Editor and Producer: Rodrigo Cortes Writer: Chris Sparling Cast: Ryan Reynolds, voices of Robert Paterson, Jose Luis Garcia Perez, Robert Clotworthy, Stephen Tobolowsky, Samantha Mathis, Ivana tMino, Erik Palladino, Anne Lockhart, Michalla Petersen Cinematograper: Eduard Grau Time: 95 min. Rated: R Opens September 24 |
What a disturbing movie! Claustrophobes out there, be warned. The whole film takes place in a buried crate with one man inside, Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds). He's a truck driver, contracted as a civilian to drive supplies in Iraq. Did he think this was an easy way to make big money? His convoy is ambushed. He's knocked out somehow, hard to remember, and he wakes in this crate not much larger than a coffin with only a cell phone, a flask of water, a lighter, and his anxiety pills. and that's where the film begins -- a man waking up in a crate. Wait a second! This guy suffers from anxiety and takes a job in a war zone? We find out all this and more through his desperate phone calls -- . -- to secure ransom money or to get found. (Continued...) Please continue reading this riveting review and watch the insightful interview Bonnie had with Ryan Reynolds at Examiner.com . Click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. And Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and interviews. |
 Bonnie Steiger and Ryan Reynolds - tete a tete |
The Romantics Please continue reading this perceptive review and watch the trailer at Examiner.com . Click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. And Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and interviews. |
 Katie Holmes and Josh Duhamel rekindling or saying farewell? |
Weddings seem from recent films more about the guests, family and friends, then the bride. It is a microcosm of their lives from birth, or in this case college, to the nuptials, causing a fomenting of old loves, frustrations, resent-ments and even hate. Remember 'Rachel Getting Married' (2008) with Anne Hathaway as the sister of the bride, or 'Evening' (2007) with Venessa Redgrave on her deathbed remembering her youthful self (Claire Danes) as bridesmaid for her best friend, to name just two? The Romantics is no exception. Laura (Katie Holmes) is asked by her best friend Lila (Anna Paquin) to be Maid of Honor at her marriage to Tom (Josh Duhamel), Laura's long time love. Laura tries to be mature and brave and civilized about it, but friends keep pouring salt on her wounds with innocent remarks such as 'How are you holding up?' After the wedding rehearsal and dinner, including insulting and revealing toasts, the serious drinking begins.The close knit collection of friends, including Malin Akerman, Jeremy Strong, Adam Brody, Rebecca Lawrence, self named Romantics from their college days, and brother of the bride, Elija Wood, cavort and carouse the night away. It's a wonder no one was taken to the emergency room for alcohol poisoning. Mostly, the bonds of fidelity are tested among them. And deep into the night, Tom tries to explain to Laura why he made his decision. (Continued...) |
Catfish Please continue reading this scintillating review and watch the trailer at Examiner.com . Click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. And Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and interviews. |
You've heard the story dozens of times already, but this time you see the whole evolution of an internet relationship -- fraught with first excitement, then deeper emotions and desire, then shocking revelations. Fortuitously, Nev Schulman, a New York photographer and Facebook pen pal, shares office space with two documentary filmmakers, his brother Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost. All the twists and turns of Nev's internet, phone and face-to-face relationship with the family and their friends he first meets through his Facebook account are recorded. It all starts when Nev receives through snail mail from an 8 year girl in Michigan, Abby, a painting based on one of his published photographs of dancers. He often speaks by email and phone with Abby's mother,Natalie, and eventually Abby's beautiful sister with whom he falls in loves. Over time, we get to watch the progression of Nev's emotions from enchantment with the precocious, talented and charming Abby, to passion for Megan, all bolstered with actual packages from Michigan filled with cards, notes and artwork, including a lovingly depicted portrait of Nev based on his Facebook photo. The outcome of his relationship with the various family members could be predicted, but is still surprising, as are his reactions to their various actions. This is a fascinating cautionary tale of how 21st century, plugged in, laptop and palm device toting people conduct their relationships. (Continued...) |
 Ariel Schulman - shotgun, Henry Joost - rear, Nev Schulman - behind the wheel on the road to the truth. |
Undertow Contracorriente Please continue reading this scintillating review and watch the trailer at Examiner.com. Click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. And Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and interviews. |
 Cardona, Astengo, Mercado -- a man, his wife and his ghost. A little Crowded. |
Now, finally, another coming out film that is powerful, unsentimental and honest in its depictions of social issues, forbidden love, emotional conflicts and morality -- and it's got a ghost! This one, 'Undertow,' is Peruvian, set in a little fishing village about a married fisherman who is in love with an openly gay artist. It's hard enough being gay in the most backward U.S. subculture, but in a microcosm of machismo there are no options, no San Francisco to escape to, no living with neighbors who know you're gay. Miguel (Cristian Mercado) loves his wife (Tatiana Astengo) who is expecting their first son. He loves her physically and emotionally. He loves his life as a fisherman among his friends, relatives and neighbors in this close knit community. And as much as he is in denial, he loves Santiago (Manolo Cardona). Miguel has tried to figure out a way to conduct his clandestine relationship without being exposed. Never be seen together; never discuss Santiago, even in passing; laugh at the homophobic jokes with his friends; travel by boat to a distant beach to meet with Santiago; never let Santiago take photos or paint him. It all seems to be working until one day Santiago goes missing. (Continued...) |
Heartbreaker (L'arnacoeur) Please continue reading this probing review and watch the trailer at Examiner.com. Click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. And Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and interviews. |
Here's a novel idea -- hire a professional con man to break up your daughter, sister, or friend from a man who is just not good enough. This boyfriend could be described as a loser, brute, lout, jerk or even more colorfully. If he isn't making her unhappy now, he certainly will in the future. Honestly, if the Heartbreaker did exist, I'd hire him myself for a certain sister of mine. Alex Lippi (Romain Duris) will show her the error of her ways compassionately and ethically. With his sister (Julie Ferrier) and her husband (Francois Damiens), they form a Mission Impossible team who with exhaustive research, split second timing, disguises and farcical maneuvering, save the targeted woman from a grim fate. Alex is not only charming, he is specifically the dream man each young woman finds ideal. When they no long want their boyfriends, he lets them down easy and encourages them to live their lives to the fullest and not to settle again. All ends happily, except for the jerks these women leave, but who cares? (Continued...) |  Paradis and Duris face off in the game of love. |
The Agony and The Ecstasy Please continue reading this scathing review and watch the trailer at Examiner.com . Click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. And Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and interviews. |
 Talk to the hand and ignore the wig. |
This is an embarrassingly sycophantic tribute to Phil Spector who could not possibly be guilty of the murder charge against him due to his being a genius. Even the title of the film suggests a comparison to Michelangelo whose 1965 biopic is named 'The Agony and the Ecstasy.' Because the music he produced is so divine, director Jayanti, chooses to play it uncut, with video over it of old TV show performances, as well as the 2007 trial against Spector for the murder of Lana Clarkson. I would have preferred to hear more of that fascinating trial, and perhaps a bit more balanced clips of testimony that did have audio. As to the interview portion of the film, in which only Spector speaks, yes, I'm sure there were no holds barred by off-camera interviewer/director Jayanti, but neither were holds offered. Jayanti is more than a fan; he is an obsequious supplicant who only wants to be in the presence of the man who compares himself to DiVinci and Bach. Hey, the wall of sound was nice, I grant, but really, get a grip! Spector even finds his work as a music producer far superior to the original compositions of George Gershwin. (Continued...) |
Bran Nue Dae Please continue reading this insightful review and watch the trailer at Examiner.com . Click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. And Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and interviews. |
Bran Nue Dae is taken from a stage play developed by writer/rock musician Jimmy Chi who himself was raised in the remote Northwest coastal town of Broome, Australia, in the1960's. The musical comedy, which made its debut in 1990, was an instant success because of it's catchy music, political message, touch of bawdiness, and its being a universal coming-of-age story. Young Willie (Rocky Mckenzie in his first acting role), religiously brought up by his single mother (Ningali Lawford-Wolf), is about to leave his idyllic home of Broome, where he would fish, hang out with friends, and dream of being Rosie's (Jessica Mauboy) boyfriend. He is being sent to the mission Catholic school in Perth to eventually become a priest. Though a devout young man, the idea of leaving home and ending all hopes of a happy, uncelibite, life with Rosie are unacceptable. After a run in with Father Benedictus (Geoffrey Rush), he runs away, hoping to get back home. Along the way, he meets up with an old hobo, Uncle Tadpole (Ernie Dingo), who says he will take him back to Broome, his hometown as well. And the road trip begins. (Continued...) |
 Geoffrey Rush in center. The whole gang breaks into song and dance. |
Mademoiselle Chambon Please continue reading this sensitive and astute review and watch the trailer at Examiner.com . Click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. And Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and interviews. |
 Sandrine Kiberlain as Mademoiselle Chambon -- gazing |
Jean (Vincent Lindon) is a construction worker with a beautiful and loving wife (Aure Atika) and a great little boy (Arthur Le Houerou). The family is truly happy, if not exuberant, and Jean has no complaints. Something happens, not so much when he meets his son's teacher, Veronique Chambon (Sandrine Kiberlain), but when she plays the violin for him. Jean becomes transported by the music, and it seems each time he listens to either her playing or recordings of superior musicians playing, he falls deeper and deeper in love with her. She's not beautiful, she's very somber and possibly depressed, but the world of music she intoduces Jean to compensates for her shortcomings in a much more powerful way. By the first kiss they share, Jean is torn, knowing he has a perfect life, if not a spectacular one. Yet the attraction to the world of music Miss Chambon has opened to him and its associated physical love is overwhelming. He becomes agitated, angry, confused, conflicted -- all the symptoms of a man torn by passion over duty and common sense. (Continued...) |
A Woman, A Gun and Please continue reading this unflinching review and watch the trailer at Examiner.com . Click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. And Subscribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and interviews. |
Zhang Yimou, one of the most celebrated directors of the 'Fifth Generation', with credits which include 'The Red Sorghum,' 'House of the Flying Daggers,' and 'Raise the Red Lantern' is an aficionado of Cohen Brothers movies. He specifically loves and wanted to do a remake of 'Blood Simple,' their debut film and impetus for their lasting careers. Big mistake. Don't tamper with perfection. 'A Woman, A Gun and a Noodle Shop' is a pale shadow of the original in terms of plot twists, suspense, and overall mastery of the genre. Though the stories are basically the same -- nasty old man who owns a large establishment finds out his much younger wife is cheating on him with an employee. He bribes a crooked cop to kill them both. Nothing goes as planned -- Zhang's film is so 'Chinese' in flavor (as he intended) that the resemblance to the original wouldn't be noticed but for one small scene. (Continued...) |
 The cockold and the assasin, plotting in the desert. |
Machete Please continue reading this perceptive and witty review and watch the trailer at Examiner.com . Click here for a rundown of all my reviews and celebrity interviews. And Subcsribe so you don't miss any of my future reviews with trailers and interviews. |
 Are those plastic butter knives? |
Robert Rodriguez is mad as hell and he's not going to take it anymore. 'Machete' is obviously a backlash to the Arizona anti-illegal alien laws. Though set in Texas, 'Machete' is a call for all Mexicans, illegals or wannabes, to raise up their hoes, rakes, machetes and AK47s against the jingoistic racists who would close the border, to group their low riding cars into flanks of armed battalions against those who would gun them down as they make their run to a bette4r life, to fight the good fight. And leading them is Danny Trejo playing Machete himself. He's a good man, a bad ass, and stone cold, butt ugly. If you're interested in a bit of plot, Machete was once a Mexican lawman who's wife and daughter were killed by ambitious cartel boss Torrez (Steven Seagal). Machete ends up a few years later an illegal in Texas looking for day labor jobs. Instead, he's contracted to kill Senator McLaughlin (Robert De Niro) who is running for re-election of a platform of 'Stop the vermin; close the borders.' (Continued...) |
Soul
Kitchen I first saw Soul Kitchen at the 53rd San Francisco International Film Festival, but have now moved it out of that batch of reviews, below, to the forefront since it's opening on September 3 at the Embarcadero Cinema in San Francisco. Please view this article with trailer at Examiner.com, and check out my Examiner page for all my reviews, interviews and trailers. Please also consider subscribing so you don't miss any of my perceptive, humorous and slightly off kilter perspectives on film. |
A restaurant, bar, club by definition has to be fun, especially if it’s run by a Greek. Troubles of entrepreneurship, like health codes, back taxes, a temperamental chef, a girlfriend moving to China, an aching back, a no-account brother, and even a man who will stop a nothing to get him to sell the restaurant are all par for the course. This German film made by Turkish/German filmmaker Fatih Akin is a fast paced, tightly scripted, romp through multi-cultural Hamburg which will keep you rooting for the good guy and hoping he’ll open a restaurant called Soul Kitchen in your neighborhood. |  Soul Kitchen's proprietor and deadbeat brother discuss business. |
Cairo
Time I first saw 'Cairo Time' at the 53rd San Francisco International Film Festival, but have now moved it out of that batch of reviews, below, to the forefront since it's opening August 27 at the Landmark Embarcadero Cinema in San Francisco |
 Patricia Clarkson and Alexander Siddiq out in the noonday sun. |
Ever travel alone in a country you’ve never been to before? It’s lonely, you feel reflective and vulnerable, but adventurous at the same time. That is what Juliette (Patricia Clarkson-- Far From Heaven, The Station Agent) is experiencing while alone in Cairo, Egypt. Juliette is a magazine editor, mother of adult children and wife of a UN diplomat. She was supposed to meet her husband in Cairo for a holiday, but he was stuck dealing with a crisis in Gaza. Her husband asks hired former assistant, an Egyptian now living in Cairo (Alexander Saddiq most well known as Dr. Bashir in Star Trek: Deep Space 9), to meet her at the airport, explain the situation and offer her companionship till he arrives. How could she not fall in love: the tall, dark, sophisticated gentleman, the sites and smells of the ancient and bustling city, the desert, the heat, the Nile, the best coffee in the world? Will she succumb to this charming, exotic man? Will they see the Pyramids together? This is a love story not only about two mature, intelligent and self-possessed people, but between Syrian-Canadian writer/director Ruba Nadda, who was entranced by Cairo on her first visit, and the city itself. |
Nanny McPhee Returns Please continue reading this socially relevant review at Examiner.com . Click here for a rundown of all my reviews nand celebrity |
Valerie Plame (Naomi Watts) and husband 
