Movie #800 ........................."Crossed Over"

Movie #800 "Crossed Over" had to be a made for t.v. movie because of the amount of fades in and out (leaving room for commercials).  As a result, the pacing seemed a bit uneven........with fake builds of highs to keep the audience coming back after the commercials.  Aside from that, the story I found to be intriguing, and while I was watching the movie, I was looking up Karla Faye Tucker to see what I missed about her case, because I don't remember ever hearing about her.  It's hard to believe after killing someone so viciously, that she could change so much in the prison.  The grief Diane Keaton went through was , on the other hand, very believable, so somehow putting those two stories together seemed hard to believe....but the two female leads are so good, you just go along with the story.  I liked it, but I can't say that I'd recommend it so highly.  It was "Dead Man Walking" with a female, and with a little weaker script.  See "Dead Man Walking" over this one.








Crossed Over2002NR89 minutes                I gave it 3 out of 5 stars.

After her son is killed in a hit-and-run accident, writer Beverly Lowry (Diane Keaton) sinks into a morose obsession with death. Eager to learn more about the mind of a killer, Beverly befriends incarcerated Texas murderer Karla Faye Tucker (Jennifer Jason Leigh). Their unlikely friendship takes the pair on an unexpected journey of healing. Maury Chaykin co-stars as Beverly's frustrated husband in this gripping true-crime melodrama.

Cast:

Diane Keaton, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Maury Chaykin, Nick Roth, Karl Pruner, Patrick Galligan, Alexa Gilmour,Mika Ward, Richard Eden, Tyson Tyukodi

Genre:

Dramas Based on Real Life, Dramas Based on Contemporary Literature, Crime Dramas, Drama

Movie #799 ........................."Rush"

Movie #799 "Rush" was just okay.  Oh, it probably will be nominated for sound and maybe cinematography, and Ron Howard, director, knows how to tell a good story, but the script has a lot of clunky spots, and the acting is very mediocre.  I thought the characters were pretty one-dimensional, and the actors weren't really good enough to flesh them out more, so it becomes just another racing movie ----------a good one, though, with the racing, and all its sound and spinouts and accidents and fire taking the position of main character in this film.  So in that way, it's intense and fun to watch, but just on that level.  Oh, I thought about what it takes to be a race car driver of this calibre, and what goes into the competition, etc., but only for a few seconds.  It just was a little fun to watch for me..........but I'm not nuts about cars, either, so I'm not the demographic here.  I just went to see it because I respect Ron Howard.  (incidentally, I thought it was ironic that a previous movie I had seen entitled "Rush"  I liked a lot more --- might want to check that dark one out --- it's about cops that work undercover and get hooked on drugs while doing the undercover work and what they do to get their "man" --- it was well acted, but pretty grim watching)







Rush2013R     i give it 3 stars out of 5

This dramatic portrayal of the intense 1970s rivalry between race drivers Niki Lauda and James Hunt captures the contrasts between the two champions. While Hunt was a charming and handsome ladies' man, Lauda was a loner with a single goal: victory.

Cast:

Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Brühl, Olivia Wilde, Natalie Dormer, Alexandra Maria Lara, Pierfrancesco Favino,Christian McKay, Lee Asquith-Coe, Joséphine de La Baume, Jamie De Courcey

Genre:

Biographies, Sports Dramas, Auto Racing, Drama

Movie #798........................"It's Not You, It's Me"

Movie #798 "It's Not You, It's Me" is a thoroughly engaging film about love, self doubt, trust and commitment, all universal truths in every relationship, but this movie has a twist.  It reveals the voices in the head of the two parties in the relationship.  Now, you'd think with all the points of view that the film would be bogged down, confusing, slow and dragged out, but it is far from it.  The pacing and the editing are so well done, that it moves along with very few slow spots ----  that is accomplished through the quick witted repartee of the voices ,  the overall sense of humor, and the creativity of the script...............so there's an accomplished director at the reigns here, and he was honored Saturday night at the Naperville Film Festival with best directing.  Add a crackerjack acting job by all involved, esp. the two leads (the female Joelle Carter was also honored on Saturday with best a best acting award ) and you have one heck of a movie that we all should see.  One more thing I want to add is the importance of the subject matter here ......it concerns a journey one of the characters takes to become a better person, and he finds help through therapy, and this is an avenue I feel we should be exploring more in our  society so   look for this movie.   It  is well worth the search, and  i think you'll find it quite refreshing ,  funny, and poignant!   




"IT'S NOT YOU, IT'S ME"                comedy             2013          I rated it 5 stars out of 5.
Serial commitment-phobe, Dave, is reeling from his decision to break up with his near perfect, now ex-girlfriend. As he tries to forget her, his battling inner voices come to life and cloud his mind with conflicting desires. Meanwhile, Carrie's own disjointed inner voices push her to move on with someone less complicated. Sensing time is short, Dave embarks on a sincere and sometimes fumbled personal journey to conquer his fear of commitment.

Director:

 Nathan Ives

Writer:

 Nathan Ives

Stars:

 Ross McCall, Joelle Carter, Vivica A. Fox

Movie #797 ........................."In a World....."

Movie #797 "In a World...." is a film about sound and voice overs, with a couple of strong female parts played by excellent female actors, and a very good script with lots of jokes and humorous moments wrapped around a romantic subplot.  Why wouldn't I like this?  The one weak link I thought was the guy playing her dad ---- I get that he was supposed to be condescending and in love with his own voice, but I found very little redeeming in him --- kind of one-dimensional, and the theme kind of depends on how we see him change and if we believe that change --- I really didn't, so the end didn't work for me as well as I think it should have..........but that being said, everything else works really well, and there are some moments in this film I will always remember.  And isn't that what you want in a film?  But, take heed, filmgoer, this is , indeed, an indie film in topic and spirit, and I enjoyed its refreshing nature.

In a World...                I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.

2013R

Vocal coach Carol Solomon lives in the shadow of her father Sam, Hollywood's go-to movie trailer voice, as she tries to break into the field herself. Aided by her sister and a sound whiz friend, Carol jumps into an unexpectedly strange new career.

Cast:

Lake Bell, Fred Melamed, Demetri Martin, Michaela Watkins, Ken Marino, Rob Corddry, Alexandra Holden, Nick Offerman, Geena Davis, Tig Notaro

Director:

Lake Bell

Genres:

Comedy, Indie Comedies, Showbiz Comedies

This movie is:

Romantic

Movie #796 ........................."The Giant Mechanical Man"

Movie #796 "The Giant Mechanical Man" --- the title refers to Chris Messina's job --- he's one of those human statues on the streets that you might have seen, except he also stands on stilts ---- this time the streets happen to be in Detroit, Michigan, and he acts as this "go to" person for advice for the Jenna Fisher character.  This is a romantic comedy that starts with a meet cute between two people who seemed to be rudderless in the sea of life both meeting after a breakup.  Of course, there are minor conflicts along the way, this time involving another guy her family wants her to end up with because he has a good job!  On his part, he's hesitant because no one ever gets him and his strange after hours job.  I liked the people, I liked what the film said about how you oftentimes need just ONE person to believe in you to change your life, but the reason I gave this a 3.5 is the clunky script at times, which resulted in a clunky high point (scene in the movie theatre lobby) that didn't work for me, even with competent actors.  The ending was satisfactory, and stick around for the credits, because I liked the way they used those, too.  There's a lot to like from what the director (who incidentally is Jenna Fisher's real hubby) offers here and I recommend it for romcom fans, like me.








The Giant Mechanical Man2012PG-1394 minutes   I'd give it 3.5 stars.

Janice, still adrift in the adult world in her 30s, shocks her family when she falls for Tim, a similarly aimless street performer. Ignoring pressure to marry self-absorbed Doug, Janice finds that settling down doesn't have to mean settling.

Cast:

Jenna Fischer, Chris Messina, Topher Grace, Malin Akerman, Rich Sommer, Bob Odenkirk, Sean Gunn, Lucy Punch, Nick Holmes, Sarab Kamoo, Valentine Miele, Travis Schuldt, Greg Trzaskoma

Genre:

Indie Comedies, Indie Romance, Romantic Comedies, Comedy

Movie #795 ........................."The Spectacular Now"

Movie #795 "The Spectacular Now" is not that spectacular.  Not at all.  And I'm in a minority here, I think.  I just got done looking at the posts on rottentomatoes.com (which gave it 93% and was the reason I suggested to see it for my movie club) and they all seem to be in agreement that the mundane, can I use the term "awesome" dialogue?(because that's the adjective primarily used) is sooooo realistic.  I thought it seemed forced --------let's interrupt each other so it comes across as realistic ---- let's use the word "awesome" as many times as we can, because we want to suggest we are  improv-ing here; let's giggle, because isn't that what a teenager would do?  As one critic put it, the "movie is just the two of them really with no sense of the community around them"  --- and I didn't find them or what they say very interesting at all.  Why do a movie on these two?  we are given background info, but the father stuff is just a plot device, so wouldn't you have to have two in-depth characters to focus on?  They talk a lot, which I guess is better than the alternatives (like the sex scene in it that really wasn't necessary, thank god for the blackout which could have come sooner .  If that happened  then maybe teenagers could see the film....  why wouldn't you make it for the demographic group?  What are we adults getting out of the film, really?)  or all the drinking --- but when they talk, they really don't say much that is compelling.  At least to me, anyway.  I blame it mostly on the script, but the actors, if they are good enough, can sometimes rise about the script.  In this film, it just doesn't happen.  And all the conflict and excitement happen in the last couple of minutes ---- for it to be compared to the two other MUCH BETTER coming of age films so far this year is a huge mistake.  Go see "Kings of Summer" and "The Way, Way Back" --- both of which are Way Way better!  (or rent, stream "Perks of a Wallflower from last year" to see something much more  compelling and REAL about teenagers!  I guess this is film's answer to reality t.v. ---- a reality movie that is staged, but is not supposed to appear that way!  









The Spectacular Now2013R          I rated it 2 star s out of 5

When high school loner Aimee Finicky finds her classmate Sutter Keely passed-out drunk on a lawn, it marks the start of an unlikely friendship. After deciding to help Aimee raise her social confidence, Sutter finds himself falling for his creation.

Cast:

Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Brie Larson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kyle Chandler

Genre:

Indie Dramas, Romantic Dramas, Indie Romance, Drama

Movie #794 ........................."16 to Life"

Movie #794 "16 to Life" is a refreshing coming of age film, and so much more to my liking than the previous one that I blogged about ("The Spectacular Now" which the critics seem to love), and probably hardly anyone noticed when this came out in 2009.  I liked the cooky characters this girl works with, who all seem like they care for her in their own ways --- and I really liked the main character, Hallee Hirsh.  I guess she's a child star going from children films to adult, and instead of twerking like Miley Cyrus to be noticed, she tackles this film and takes on the lead,  a 16 year old on her birthday, with a lot of complexity and charm in her character, with her  birthday goal  to be kissed.  Like the french film ("Shall we Kiss"), the emphasis on the kiss and its importance is covered here.  and again, I enjoyed that.  I'm going to recommend this for my niece to see because I felt the values in the film made it a good one  for a teen to watch.  I would have liked the ending to have more to it (seemed to end a tad soon), but other than that and the actress with the phoney accent, I found this , like I said at the beginning, refreshing.









16 to Life2009NR89 minutes    I'd give it 3.8 out of 5 stars

On her 16th birthday, never-been-kissed Kate (Hallee Hirsh) decides to play cupid for two people she works with, pairing her boss (Theresa Russell) with a paraplegic customer (Jaime Gomez) and setting up short-order cook Rene (Shiloh Fernandez) with an oversexed co-worker (Emily Foxler). But in the process of matchmaking, Kate learns some surprising lessons about love and the mechanics of romantic relationships.

Cast:

Hallee Hirsh, Theresa Russell, Mandy Musgrave, Shiloh Fernandez, Jaime Gomez, Will Rothhaar, Emily Foxler, Brendan Dunphy, Nicholas Downs, Ryan Gourley, Carson Kressley

Genre:

Indie Comedies, Indie Romance, Comedy

Movie #793 ........................."Blue Jasmine"

Movie #793 "Blue Jasmine"  ---Woody Allen does it again!  He takes some of the better actors in hollywood and puts them into a terrific script that he has written for them, and voila!  Cate Blanchet as Blue jasmine (a sure to be (at least in my eyes) academy award nominee for this year's best actress) --- what a juicy part that Cate sinks her teeth into ---- and equally good is Sally Hawkins, her sister --- such dimension in both of the characters, and what fun it was watching this story unfold.  I usually say Woody Allen's films are an acquired taste, but this one is pretty universal and I recommend it. For my money, it ranks up there with his best:  "Annie Hall,"  "Manhattan, "  "Crimes and Misdemeanors," "Hannah & her Sisters," and "Radio Days".  My hats off to you, Woody, because you have another winner here!







Blue Jasmine2013PG-13                I would give this 4 out of 5 stars

The high life leads to high anxiety for a fashionable New York City homemaker in crisis who finds herself forced to live a more modest lifestyle in San Francisco. Woody Allen directs an ensemble cast that includes Cate Blanchett and Alec Baldwin.

Cast:

Alec Baldwin, Cate Blanchett, Louis C.K., Bobby Cannavale, Andrew Dice Clay, Sally Hawkins, Peter Sarsgaard, Michael Stuhlbarg

Genre:

Indie Comedies, Comedy

Movie #792 ........................."The Class"

Movie #792 "The Class" --- this french film is very good.............IF you are interested in  watching  a teacher teach , and the kids in his class respond.    Being a retired teacher, I had much interest in the style and substance of the lessons, the kids in the class, and the conflict going on.  However, this is not a film for everyone, because I feel some people would think it was tedious and very talky. There were a lot of kids we were expected to keep track of, and I didn't do well there, and I also thought if I had concentrated more, I might have gotten more out of it.  But there are some very intriguing, believable scenes in this film.  Esp. for the teacher and the student.





The Class2008PG-13130 minutes               I would give it 3.9 stars out of 5.

In an inventive adaptation of his novel about his experiences working in one of the roughest neighborhoods in Paris, François Bégaudeau stars as a replica of himself -- a passionate teacher who presides over a classroom of diverse young minds.

Cast:

François Bégaudeau, Nassim Amrabt, Laura Baquela, Cherif Bounaïdja Rachedi, Arthur Fogel, Burak Özyilmaz, Boubacar Toure, Esmeralda Ouertani, Agame Malembo-Emene, Carl Nanor, Dalla Doucoure, Eva Paradiso, Justine Wu

Genre:

Foreign, Foreign Dramas, Indie Dramas, Drama

Movie #791 ........................."The French Film"

Movie #791 "The French Film" --- I wanted to see this film because of the lead character Hugh Bonneville, or the lord of the manor in "Downton Abbey. "  I had seen him for a short time in "Notting Hill" but I wondered if he could pull his weight as the lead in another film, so I found one.  This was a very creative take on the romantic comedy.  The reason for the title is that one of the characters in this film gets all of his advice from french films, from one director directly.  To add to the humor, he has fallen in love with another guy's girl and he's friends with both the girl and the guy --- so conflict abounds.  I really liked watching the British "take" on the French art of lovemaking.  To watch the two sides duel it out in this film is fun to watch, so I recommend that to anyone else who is interested in the differences.  Viva la differences!







French Film2008NR87 minutes  I give it 4 out of 5 stars

While preparing to interview renowned French filmmaker and self-proclaimed romance expert Thierry Grimandi (Eric Cantona), London journalist Jed (Hugh Bonneville) struggles to hang on to his longtime girlfriend, Cheryl (Victoria Hamilton), and comprehend the true meaning of love. Directed by Jackie Oudney, this romantic comedy waxes philosophic on the stark differences between French and British approaches to relationships.

Cast:

Éric Cantona , Hugh Bonneville, Victoria Hamilton, Douglas Henshall, Jean Dell, Anne-Marie Duff, Adrian Annis, Benjamin Bellecour

Genre:

Romantic Comedies, Indie Comedies, Indie Romance, Comedy

Movie #790 .........................."Shall We Kiss?"

Movie #790 "Shall We Kiss?"  I like the idea of this film but not necessarily the journey along the way.  See, there's an inside story and an outside story that all center on the importance of that first kiss --- well, I like the idea of a film on that first kiss, because after all, one of the first short films in the history of film was entitled "The Kiss" --- but I found I was more interested in the shorter, outside story rather than the inside story.  Why?  Well, the lead characters in the inside story were less interesting than Melba Toast.  Kind of like a you tube I just watched about the "bitchy resting place" (incidentally, check the you tube out --- hysterical!) and thought what a good way to describe the two main characters in this film --- they were so stoic, and although that adds a little humor to the love story and their awkwardness with each other, that got stale after awhile.  Oh, and then there's the end to both stories.  The inner story tells us it is tragic, and it was kind of unbelievable to me how it got there, so that wasn't very successful --- and the outer story was kind of "out there", and if I would have known where the journey was taking us in this film, I don't think I would have bothered.








Shall We Kiss?2007NR102 minutes   I give it 3.8 stars out of 5 stars

After a lovely evening, Gabriel (Michael Cohen) offers his new acquaintance, Émilie (Julie Gayet), a goodnight kiss. As much as she'd like to indulge, Émilie declines and recounts the story of Nicolas (Emmanuel Mouret) and Judith (Virginie Ledoyen), best friends whose innocent smooch ended in disaster. Written and directed by Mouret, this charming romantic comedy set in Nantes, France, reflects on the consequences and complexities of love.

Cast:

Virginie Ledoyen, Emmanuel Mouret, Julie Gayet, Michael Cohen, Frédérique Bel, Stefano Accorsi, Mélanie Maudran, Marie Madinier, Lucciana de Vogüe, Jacques Lafoly

Genre:

Foreign Comedies, Foreign Romance, France, Foreign

Availability: streaming until 9/15/2013

Movie #789 ........................."Safety Not Guaranteed"

Movie #789 "Safety Not Guaranteed" was a fun, indie film.  I was looking for kind of a sci fi, and came across this time travel gem.  It's not even recognizable as far as sci fi --- it comes across as a quirky indie film that has some romantic comedy genre traits, but it is lots of fun.  It's based on a true ad that was seen in the newspaper , and it blossomed into this love story about the guy who might have put in the ad, and a journalist who is assigned to check it out.  The girl from "Parks & Rec" and the guy from "New Girl" are very funny, and this isn't a bad Mark Duplass vehicle either (as the guy who placed the ad).  I thought it was quick moving, creative, and believable (in most places) with a satisfying ending.  I noticed the ending was controversial on one site's board about this film, but I thought it was just right.  See what you think if you get to the end ----






Safety Not Guaranteed2012R84 minutes -- 4 stars out of 5

A team of journalists are dispatched to find out who's behind a classified advertisement seeking a companion for time travel, with payment on return. After tracking down their oddball prey, the team has to decide how best to approach their subject.

Cast:

Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson, Karan Soni, Jenica Bergere, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Kristen Bell, Jeff Garlin

Genre:

Indie Comedies, Romantic Comedies, Comedy

Movie #788 ........................."House of Cards"

Movie #788 "House of Cards" is a netflix t.v. show with 13 episodes that have garnered 9 emmy nominations, so I wanted to see what all the hubub was about ---- so I watched it a few nights ago, and I found it quite interesting --- I didn't love it, but I enjoyed watching the good acting, esp. by Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright, and Kate Mara (Roony's sis).  It wasn't anything new --- corrupt politicians.  And maybe that's why I wasn't crazy about it --- I'm so sick of "that kind" of politician.  This time he's upset he hasn't been given the post of Secretary of State (which was evidently promised to him) so he and his wife seek revenge.  Like I said, good acting, the look of the show is good, but I'm not sure I feel the need to to see the rest.  One thing I don't like at all is the tendency of the main character to turn to the camera, break the 4th wall, and narrate what is happening.  Too interruptive to me, but I can understand why they chose to do it.  If you are going to watch such despicable politicians, I personally find the t.v. show "Scandal" to my liking --- it's slicker and moves more quickly, and doesn't have a phony southern accent.  I'll keep this blog posted, if I see more episodes of this show.







House of Cards2013TV-MA4 discs / 13 episodes - I saw one episode 3.8 out of 5 stars

Ruthless Congressman Francis Underwood and his ambitious wife Claire will stop at nothing to conquer Washington D.C. in this political drama that was nominated for nine Emmy Awards including Drama Series, Best Director, Lead Actor and Lead Actress.

Cast:

Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright, Kate Mara, Corey Stoll, Michael Kelly, Sakina Jaffrey, Kristen Connolly,Constance Zimmer, Sebastian Arcelus, Nathan Darrow, Sandrine Holt, Michel Gill, Elizabeth Norment, Mahershala Ali, Reg E. Cathey

Genre:

TV Dramas, Political Dramas, TV War & Politics, Television