Movie #525* ........................."Maybe Baby"

*miscounted earlier in the blog --- two extra movies

Movie #525 "Maybe Baby" is a ho hum movie. I really, really like the idea ---Hugh Laurie and Natasha Richardson are a bit bland and the first time the film comes alive, to me, is when the director of the t.v. show shows up --- way too far into the film. I found this bland and boring ---- with a good idea behind it. Don't bother!



You rated this movie: 2
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Maybe Baby
(2000) R
Sam Bell (Hugh Laurie) and his wife, Lucy (Joely Richardson), are the perfect couple, complete with perfect careers and perfect lives. But one thing is missing: The Bells want a baby -- and they can't seem to conceive one despite their best efforts. Doctors advise in-vitro; a friend advises creativity; and the couple soon finds their love put to the toughest of tests. Emma Thompson and Rowan Atkinson make cameo appearances.
Genre:Comedies, Romantic Movies, Romantic Comedies, British Movies
This movie is:Quirky, Romantic
Availability: Streaming and DVD

Movie #522 ........................."Kung Fu Panda"

Movie #522 "Kung Fu Panda" --- disclaimer: I only could get through 1/2 of this ----- dvd was damaged ---- but also, I disliked this movie a lot! None of the characters were interesting to me ---- physical humor in animation isn't that funny -- it's a noisy film full of lot of fights ---- slow beginning, and most jokes were so slow, audience (at least this one) could say the punchline before it was said. Wouldn't bother with this one.




rated it 2 out of 5 stars
Kung Fu Panda
(2008) PG
When the Valley of Peace is threatened, lazy Po the panda discovers his destiny as the "chosen one" and trains to become a kung fu hero, but transforming the unsleek slacker into a brave warrior won't be easy. It's up to Master Shifu and the Furious Five -- Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey -- to give it a try in this Oscar nominee for Best Animated Feature. Celebrity voices include Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie and Jackie Chan.
Genre: Children & Family Movies, Movies for ages 5 to 7, Movies for ages 8 to 10, Movies for ages 11 to 12, Family Features, Family Adventures, Family Feature Animation, Family Comedies
This movie is: Goofy

Movie #521 ........................."The Ides of March"

Movie #521 "The Ides of March" was a disappointing film to me. I am a HUGE Ryan Gosling fan, and this was one of the worst of his films that I can recall. Why? I couldn't put my finger on just one thing ---- the film has so much going for it --- the actors are all terrific, the film has some good visuals, but the pacing is slow, and bland. Then some turn happens (out of the blue, I felt) and then the pace picks up for a while, but I was left with so many questions, mostly about the characters. Why did they do this? Why did they do that? If this guy is supposed to be so good, he never really shows it..........And it isn't just Gosling's character --- I thought Clooney's character needed more fleshing out, as well. But the biggest problem I have with the film? You don't like anybody --- there isn't anyone to root for. And I know critics (and they really like the film, so I'm in a minority here) say that is the point --- that's the way politics is nowadays............but you are supposed to see a disintegration of a moralist, I think, in the film, and the problem is that you didn't see him doing good things ---- the guy is way up at a young age in the ranks, but we wonder how did he get there? He really doesn't show the charm or smarts that got him anywhere. Lots of holes in the plotline for me, so I don't really recommend it. I'd rather see "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" --- got more out of that one! And if you want a film that's not corny and idealistic, then rent the Candidate or Bob Roberts. Both tell us how bad politics can be (which is the premise for this particular film!) and you don't leave the theatre so downtrodden as with this one ----




I would rate it 3.8 out of 5 stars
The Ides of March
(2011) R
Dirty tricks stand to soil an ambitious young press spokesman's idealism in a cutthroat presidential campaign where "victory" is relative. The film is inspired by the real-life experiences of an aide who worked on Howard Dean's failed 2004 run.
Genre: Dramas, Political Dramas
This movie is: Cerebral, Dark

Movie #520 ......................."We Need to Talk About Kevin"

Movie #520 "We Need to Talk about Kevin" is not a movie for everybody --- Dave didn't like it --- thought it was too raw in some scenes. I thought it was so well acted, and so prettily filmed that you can't dismiss it because of the rawness of the plot. It is told in flashback and you, the audience, are constantly trying to put the pieces together on what the tragedy is that has caused the mother to change so drastically in this town. The blame is put on the title, mostly, but the film just tragically unfolds from one moment of exquisite filming (mostly done with blood red paint) after another. Very disturbing film, but I thought it was handled well.





Average rating: 3.77
I gave it 4 out of 5 stars
We Need to Talk About Kevin
(2011) NR
The strained relationship between a mother and her teenage son turns tragic when the boy engineers a massacre at his high school, and the mother is forced to ask how much blame she deserves for the heartbreaking event.
Genre: Dramas, British Movies
Availability: DVD availability date unknown

Movie #519 ........................."My Best Enemy"

Movie #519 "My Best Enemy" was a wonderful heist film with lots of surprises and curves it threw at you along the way. And what makes it different, is that it's a WW2/Hitler persecuting Jews .......comedy! I know, it sounds strange, and that's why we went to see it at the film festival and boy are we glad. We all (with another couple) gave it 5 stars out of 5. Very funny, well acted, pulled you in kind of movie. Here's the plot: Victor Kauffman, the son of a wealthy Jewish gallery owner, and Rudi are lifelong friends. When Rudi returns to Vienna from Germany as an S. S. officer in the third reich, the Kaufmanns don't just have their own safety to worry about. A rare, long lost Michelangelo drawing the family has secretly held for centuries has become the most desired objec tof Adolf Hitler, and a comedy of errors ensues as the two old friends find themselves trying to outwit the other in a race to track down the work of art.

It was really a lot of fun, and it should be distributed, and I hope it does. If you get a chance to see it, I think most people would enjoy it. A German Sting film!

Movie #518 ..........................."Women & Children"

Movie #518 "Women & Children" we saw at the Chicago film festival. It was billed as a Woody Allenesque comedy, which it wasn't at all. It was one of those slice of life movies that doesn't appear to have a plot, but by the end, the main character and the audience knows a little bit more about life. In this situation , the main guy is a bit of a loser........he has been living with a woman who tells him in the opening she is pregnant --- he reveals to her he has a child already, who is 16 years old, and whom he hasn' t seen very much in those years mostly because his friends and family (including his folks) think he is in Spain --- he hasn't gotten around to telling them that he moved back to England. Anyway, on a pilgrimage to see his son, he learns a lot about himself and we leave him at the end in a little better place. I would give it 4 stars out of 5 because the film really drew me in --- I enjoyed it and believed all the turns along the way. Very good characters, so if you see it advertised at a theatre near you, I would recommend it. A daffy title to the movie, though. We weren't quite show why it was titled this.

Movie #517 ........................."I Love You, I Love You Not"

Movie #517 "I Love You, I Love You Not" --- well, it had all the ingredients for a movie I should love: it's about the holocaust, it stars Jude Law and Clare Danes and the wonderful Jeanne Moreau, it deals with rites of passage and teenagers, and it's based on a play by a famous playwright, female, no less. And it was good, but that's all --- just good. I expected it to have more depth, more to it. When it finally came to an end, I almost missed the significance, because it didn't appear to be going anywhere ---- it could be me and I was a bit tired, and the film was very talky (being based on a play), but I just expected a bit more. Boy oh boy, though, Clare Danes never ceases to amaze me. Very impressive. And the scenes with her grandma are nice, but the film overall felt very staged...........too big for the film. I couldn't my finger on it, but it just never had an ease about it, and I'm not sure why, because scenes with grandma and granddaughter should have some ease occasionally, and the direction in the film didn't show that. So this is a marginal recommendation. I expected it to have more depth. As it was, just so so.





I rated this 3 stars out of 5
I Love You, I Love You Not
(1996) PG-13
Based on the acclaimed play by Wendy Kesselman, this film tells the story of Daisy (Claire Danes), a shy teenager who conceals her Judaism from her classmates at a Manhattan private school. Daisy's closest friend is her grandmother, Nana (Jeanne Moreau). A Holocaust survivor, Nana tells Daisy of her youth spent in a concentration camp just as Daisy is experiencing anti-Semitism at her school. Only Nana can help Daisy through this difficult time.
Genre: Children & Family Movies, Dramas, Teen Movies, Teen Dramas, Teen Romance
This movie is: Emotional

Movie #516 ........................."Jane Eyre"

Movie #516 "Jane Eyre" lacks the intensity and passion that occurred on every single page of the novel. I love this novel --- always have, since I read it sophomore year in high school. I had heard this was a good rendition and that Mia could be the best on film playing this part ---- well, I don't know about the latter opinion because I haven't seen all of them (and can't remember any of them really, so I put a few in my already crowded queue), but it is just a bland rendition of it. Yes, the places look good, the photography is beautiful, almost stunning in places, and Judy Dench makes a great Mrs. Fairfax, but that's about it. These characters, who were written in such a layered, complex way, are way too watered down here by inadequate direction and somewhat weak script. Rochester isn't up to the part, either. Says all the lines the same in a pattern, and that just gets boring. I wouldn't recommend this one. But stay tuned because I plan to see other, I hope, better renditions of this amazing novel.






3 out of 5 stars
Jane Eyre
(2011) PG-13
Driven from her post at Thornfield House by her love for her brooding employer and his secret past, young governess Jane Eyre reflects on her youth and the events that led her to the misty moors in this artful adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's novel.
Genre: Dramas, Romantic Movies, Period Pieces, Romantic Dramas, British Movies, Dramas based on classic literature
This movie is: Emotional, Romantic
Availability: DVD and Blu-ray

Movie # 515 ........................."50/50"

Movie #515 "50/50" is a somewhat comical, oftentimes sweet, but very definitely quirky, look at a 27 year old diagnosed with spinal cancer. The trailer suggests this is a laugh riot, but it really isn't. There's humor based on a lot of blue things said from best pal Seth Rogen to the patient; there's uncomfortable humor between patient and therapist. There's still more uncomfortable, but terribly universal humor when the patient has to deal with his "smothering" mother (Angelica Huston). And there's that quirky humor in ironic situations that result due to the cancer. But really, this is a very serious problem handled with a lot of realism and truth. I think it's an important movie to see because we need to talk more about the subject and know more about how to be a good friend to the many people who are diagnosed. Yes, it is an uncomfortable situation that we all want to go away, but we need to give support, and the right kind of support --- say and do the right things to help to make a very bad situation better. So see this movie, but know it isn't as funny as the trailer suggests it is.





I rated this 4 out of 5 stars
50/50
(2011) R
An otherwise healthy twentysomething has a comically early midlife crisis when he gets slapped with a cancer diagnosis -- and a 50-50 chance of survival. But what's the meaning of life when you're not sure how long yours will last?
Genre: Comedies, Dramas, Independent Movies, Independent Dramas, Independent Comedies
This movie is: Quirky

Movie #514 ........................"Buried"

Movie #514 "Buried" --- here's a duh comment --- this was very claustrophobic, so I couldn't JUST watch it --- had to be doing something else to distract me from the intensity. I was impressed with some of the shots to break up the constant talking on the phone and the moaning. I would think there are some scenes in here that a film class might be watching in the future because of the challenge of filming this in a coffin --- the whole thing, including the opening shots in the dark (yep, it's a good couple of minutes, enough that you think there's something wrong with the streaming/disc) I can honestly say, I've never seen a movie shot this way, and so that's a plus ---- but the topic has been done better, mostly because it's tough to understand, esp. the terrorist, and that got in the way ---- also, I kept feeling that I wasn't getting enough info, but maybe that was me, not focused as much on the screen , as I should have been, but then again, it was too claustrophobic for me. Oh well, did the best I could, and was just moderately entertained. But I still love Ryan Reynolds, and I'm not surprised that he could do this one!






Rated 3 out of 5 stars
Buried
(2010) R
While on a job in Iraq, civilian contractor Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds) is attacked and kidnapped, then awakens to find himself buried alive in the middle of the desert with nothing but a lighter, a candle, a cell phone and a knife. Does Paul have the instincts he'll need to save himself? Director Rodrigo Cortés crafts a tense psychological thriller with sociopolitical undertones that doubles as an exercise in claustrophobic terror.
Genre: Foreign Movies, Thrillers, Foreign Thrillers, Spanish Movies, Psychological Thrillers
This movie is: Suspenseful

Movie #513 ........................"Dummy"

Movie #513 "Dummy" -- my family recommended this little gem, and I enjoyed it. It's my type of film --- a quirky, well acted romantic comedy. I didn't think I wanted to see a movie about a ventriloquist, esp. after seeing "Magic", but this had a strong theme about working things out through the dummy in a funny fashion. I didn't see the Mel Gibson puppet movie earlier this year, so I still don't know how it was, or how it compares to this, but now I'm anxious to see it. Can't believe it's better than this one because it won't be as quirky............or will it? will have to see, but this one is a funny idea executed well. And Illeana Douglas, his sister, and Vera Farmiga, his girlfriend, are both a stitch! I recommend it; thanks, family!







You rated this movie: 4 out of 5 stars
Dummy
(2003) R
Steven (Adrien Brody), a socially inept oddball who struggles to express himself, learns to communicate with the world through his dummy and the art of ventriloquism in this quirky comedy from writer-director Greg Pritikin. Cast against type, supermodel Milla Jovovich also stars as Steven's gauche best friend, Fangora, an aspiring Yiddish punk-folk singer, while Illeana Douglas, Jessica Walter and Ron Leibman portray Steven's exasperating family.
Genre: Comedies, Independent Movies, Romantic Movies, Romantic Comedies, Independent Comedies, Romantic Independent Movies
This movie is: Quirky, Romantic

Movie #512 ........................."Moneyball"

Movie #512 "Moneyball" is a good, sound autobiographical film that shows the ins and outs of the administrative level in baseball, which we rarely get to see. This is another Aaron Sorkin-scripted film, but not as good as social network or any of his west wing work. It lacks the humor that his scripts usually have ---the well-rounded characters who usually speak his rapid-fire dialogue, and the wittiness of the storyline ---- what's here is good, just not as good as he's done in the past. I don't whole-heartedly agree with the critics on this one --- I don't think it's as good as they are saying , and I don't think Brad Pitt is that good either --- There are problems with his character in that we aren't always sure why he does the things he does (like throw garbage cans in the locker room) --- his facials don't help, and contrary to what critics are saying, this is NOT his best effort, but supporting people do a nice job --- Jonah could do more than look stone-faced. With both leads playing one note, and a lot of baseball stats, the movie could be more intense, in my opinion. and I LOVE baseball!





I rated this 4 out of 5 stars
Moneyball
(2011) PG-13
An all-star cast brings to life the true story of Billy Beane, a former jock turned general manager who uses unconventional methods to bring the best players to the Oakland A's, a major league baseball team struggling against financial hardship.
Genre: Dramas, Sports Dramas
This movie is: Witty