Movie #669........................."Starbuck"

Movie #669 "Starbuck" is truly a wonderful film --- very funny, poignant message, well filmed and a good story. This was shown opening night of the Milwaukee film festival, and we saw it just by chance, and it probably will be the best one shown, it's that good! It garnered huge applause at the end, and lots of laugh from beginning to end, and not forced humorous situations at all ---- lots of just funny lines! His character grows on you throughout the film, until you are rooting for him to succeed ---- at something! anything! Check this one out if it comes to your theatre, or on netflix in the future. And look for it at the academy awards! Yes, it's that good! I gave it 5 our of 5 stars! Starbuck2011R A fortysomething slacker's life is turned upside down when he learns that his many sperm donations have resulted in more than 500 children -- 100 of whom are now suing to meet their father, who's desperate to keep his identity a secret. Cast:Patrick Huard, Julie LeBreton, Antoine Bertrand, Dominic Philie, Igor Ovadis, Patrick Martin, David Michael, Sarah-Jeanne Labrosse Genre:Foreign

Movie #668........................."The Master"

Movie #668 "The Master" was intriguing from beginning to end, and very well acted. This is the start of Oscar season, and I would think when they search for whom to nominate, they will think of Phoenix and Hoffman, and maybe Amy Adams, who could very well be considered "the real master" of the whole thing. Phoenix walks, stands, talks, even blinks his eyes differently ---- all working at getting this very loser-type guy across. And he succeeds. We want to know more ---- we want to understand him and what makes him tick. So does Philip Seymour Hoffman, who is good at manipulating, getting people to do things for him. He quickly realizes Freddie is a hard case to crack --- he might even be insane, but there's something about Freddie.........a kinship of a kind, perhaps in their anger management frailties, that they bond. Meanwhile, wife Amy is telling her hubby to get rid of him because "it may be too late to save him" --- that is spoken from a leader of a religion of sorts? more of a cult, it seems. The film could answer a few more questions that linger after the film comes to an end, esp. the big one ---- is Freddie any better after his experience with this "religion/cult"? Our movie club stayed afterwards to discuss some of this, and my mind is still whirling with this film --- so if you see it, and you want to cash in on your thoughts, please do. I think the film shows that he's such an individual thinker, that Freddie is better off by himself, but he is lost at sea without someone to care about him ---- it's too bad for all the Freddies of the world, that the best they can do is some pseudo religious group who is ready to cast him aside because he's too much work! The Master2012R A heavy-drinking loaner named Freddie finds some semblance of a family when he stumbles onto the ship of Lancaster Dodd, the charismatic leader of a new "religion" -- some say cult -- he forms after World War II. Cast:Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Laura Dern, Jesse Plemons, Rami Malek, Jillian Bell, Ambyr Childers, Lena Endre, Kevin J. O'Connor, Josh Close, Barlow Jacobs, Mimi Cozzens, Madisen Beaty Genre:Drama

Movie #666 ........................."The Impostor"

Movie #666 "The Impostor" earns 4 stars out of 5 with me --- just saw it at Sundance in Madison today and found it quite intriguing. Is it a documentary or not? Is it based on a real story or isn't it? I felt it could have given a bit more information on the family (although it did tell us where the impostor is now). It has several twists and turns, which is different for a documentary, and the idea for the story, and the conflicts that result, are quite different and make you, the audience, think! What happened to Nicholas Barkley? and if he is still alive, has he seen this movie? a very odd duck this film is. The Imposter2012R A 13-year-old boy who vanished in Texas and shows up three years later in Spain now has the same tattoos, but looks different and speaks with an accent. An investigator sets out to unravel the mystery in this riveting documentary. Genre:Documentary

Movie #665 ........................."The Iron Door"

Movie #665 "The Iron Door" is a Naperville Film Festival film I watched the other night and it was a bit strange. It concerned a man with a hangover who wakes up in a room with a locker, a swinging lamp , a dead rat and an iron door. He can't get out. When he tries to sledgehamer his way through a wall, he finds another room with the same stuff next door, but with one difference. There is a woman in that one. The stuff they do to get food and drink will make you throw up, but the tension is good and sustained throughout. I would give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars, mostly because of two things ---- 1) the ending, which kind of just "ends" and 2) the acting of the main guy --- he is forced to talk to himself many times, and he just isn't good enough to do that well. Otherwise, a very interesting film.

Movie #664 ........................."Beasts of the Southern Wild"

Movie #664 "Beasts of the Southern Wild" --- well, if one of the things you like about movies is that they can take you to places you've never been, then this is one for you ---- it takes you to a place ( The "bathtub" in the Mississippi Delta/Louisiana area)many of us haven't even heard of, and you spend time with people you never knew existed ---- those who live off the "fat of the land." (as Steinbeck would put it) We have seen the father/daughter story line, but the film lacks so much dialogue that we just guess at a whole lot here. That can be good or bad ---- Dave and I had a long discussion afterwards piecing together what we saw and what it could mean in the film because there's very little explained through dialogue. The tech. in the film is tremendous, but it really plays like a documentary of these people's conflicts with the weather and their living conditions. It seems like a few days in the life of --- as a result, it doesn't seem to have a plan --- things just happen, and that's kind of interesting to watch playing out. But then there are lag times, where the viewer is left with: Now what was that scene in there for? But if you stop guessing and go with the flow of the documentary-style, the film gets to some good stuff at the end, one scene in particular. I recommend it for people with patience, and for those who want to see something different in a film. I rate it 4 out of 5 stars. Beasts of the Southern Wild2012PG-13 This fantastical drama follows a little girl named Hushpuppy who lives in a dilapidated pocket of homes in the Mississippi Delta. When her father falls ill and natural disasters strike, Hushpuppy sets off to find her long-lost mother. Cast:Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry, Levy Easterly, Lowell Landes, Pamela Harper, Gina Montana, Nicholas Clark, Jovan Hathaway, Jonshel Alexander, Kaliana Brower, Joseph Brown Genre:Indie Dramas

Movie #663 ........................."Maid of Honor"

Movie #663 "Maid of Honor" --- as much as it pains me to give such a low score to any romantic comedy, this film deserves it ---- it brings nothing to the genre, except to serve as an example of the bad stereotypical representation of "romance" at its worst! Traveling on horseback to get to his lady love and being catapulted into the church right before she says I do to some "neanderthal" jerk that she would never marry --- no one would! How could Patrick Dempsey sign up for this one? --- the ending is a lot like the one in "Sweet Home Alabama" where he plays the jilted husband! With one difference ---- in "Alabama" he walks away with some dignity, and that turn made a statement for the genre. Of course, Candice Bergen gets suckerpunched by Mary Kay Place in that one; this time it is Dempsey who is the recipient ----I guess that is only right since he plays a jackass through the entire film. And that's the problem! Who really cares what happens to him by the end of the film? This one he relies too much on being P. Dempsey, and that's why it is skippable, in my estimation. I gave it 2.5 out of 5 stars Made of Honor2008PG-13100 minutes Only after his platonic best friend announces her engagement does a perennial skirt-chaser suddenly realize he loves her -- but will lose her unless he uses his role as her "maid" of honor to unravel her marriage plans. Cast:Patrick Dempsey, Michelle Monaghan, Kevin McKidd, Kathleen Quinlan, Sydney Pollack, Busy Philipps, Chris Messina, Kadeem Hardison, Kelly Carlson, Beau Garrett, Richmond Arquette, Whitney Cummings, Emily Nelson, Selma Stern, James Sikking, Kevin Sussman, Elisabeth Hasselbeck Genre:Romantic Comedies

Movie #662 ........................."Dakota Skye"

Movie #662 "Dakota Skye" isn't much of a film at all --- it's slow, full of not very interesting characters, and the story isn't original at all. A big disappointment to me. Just a couple of scenes that struck me as good. The superpowers thing was a bust ---- not used much at all and didn't affect the rest of the story. The Disengaged part is what is the turn off here --- the main character isn't that interesting. Skip this one. I rated it 2.7 out of 5 stars Dakota Skye2008R89 minutes Superpowers rarely come without a price, and for 17-year-old Dakota Skye, the price is cynicism that stems from spotting the truth in every lie. Disengaged, she watches life go by from the sidelines until she meets the unfailingly honest Jonah. Problem is, Jonah is her beau's best friend -- which leaves Dakota navigating the treacherous waters between friendship and romance in this well-crafted indie drama. Cast:Eileen Boylan, Ian Nelson, J.B. Ghuman Jr., Bay Dariz, Dominique Generaux, Scott F. Anderson, Calico Cooper, Lori Decker, Lou Grande, Destiny Hyden Genre:Indie Dramas, Indie Romance

Movie #667 ........................."The Campaign"

Movie #650 "The Campaign" seemed to be appropriate to watch in this election year --- a parody of the two parties and how down and dirty campaigns can get --- but the enjoyment pretty much stops there. Why does it have to go to such extremes that we would never think that the situations could possibly happen? --- This one crossed the stupid line halfway through, when Will Ferrell tries to get back at Zach G., and the way he chooses to do this isn't funny at all ---- from then on, the film goes downhill, traveling limply to its cringeworthy ending (Note: I can't remember ever using that very-popular-among-critics-term --- but this was!) So in a nutshell, this film had a few legs on it in the opening, but that was it. This is a don't bother! The Campaign2012R Plenty of mud gets slung when an inexperienced contender backed by two plotting benefactors goes up against a longtime North Carolina congressman in a ruthless battle to win a House of Representatives seat. Cast:Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis, Jason Sudeikis, Dan Aykroyd, Dylan McDermott, John Lithgow, Brian Cox, Sarah Baker, Katherine LaNasa, Scott A. Martin, Thomas Middleditch Genre:Comedy