Movie #937 ........................."Prodigal Sons"

Movie #937 "Prodigal Sons" is a documentary I was looking for ward to seeing, and when I noticed that it was going off my list in a few days, I decided to take time to watch it, and it was disappointing.  There wasn't much to this, and it didn't hold my interest.  The real "star" of the show is the brother who has emotional problems and negatively affects most of the members of his family.  I wasn't interested in him ---- I was more interested in the Transgender child --- but that story seemed to take a back seat.  The documentary could have been more focused, in my opinion, and I don't recommend it.

Prodigal Sons        I give it 2.5 stars out of 5.

In high school, Kimberly Reed was male, a straight-A student and captain of the football team. But since leaving his rural Montana hometown, he's become a woman -- and a filmmaker whose documentary could not be any more personal. Half the story involves her attending her high school reunion as a transgendered female; the other half involves reuniting with her siblings, including her estranged adopted brother.

Cast:

Kimberly Reed, Carol McKerrow, Marc McKerrow, Claire Jones, Loren McKerrow, Gordon McKerrow, Kathy McKerrow, Glenn McKerrow, Jasmine Fuentes, Frank Mayo, Cyndee Moe, Tim O'Leary, Diana MacDonald

Genre:

Biographical Documentaries, Social & Cultural Documentaries, Indie Gay & Lesbian, Documentary

Movie #935 ........................."Look at Me"

Movie #935 "Look at Me" is billed as a comedy, but I didn't laugh once, I don't think.  I must admit I tried watching this movie on three different evenings, and couldn't not get through it the first two.  Then, I sat down and made myself watch it the third time.  It was way too slow for me, and I didn't see a lot that I hadn't seen before in other, better films. So I would not recommend this.  The daughter is whiney, a little overweight, but think everyone hates her because she's "fat" --- and thinks if people are nice to her it's because her father is a famous writer.  She has an okay operatic voice, but little confidence to make it in music, but doesn't seem to have a back up.  I DID like the teacher, but her story seemed to end up in the air.  Really, I don't need to go on about this film because I don't think any of you out there, reading my blog, would like it.  So I'll just let it be.  You don't need to see this downer.












Look at Me2005PG-13111 minutes             I would give it 2.8 stars out of 5

This unusual comedy catches its characters at various moments of loneliness, identity crisis and despair. Marilou Berry plays Lolita Cassard, a young woman disgusted with the world's seeming inability to accept beauty in all forms. Her neglectful father, Etienne Cassard (Jean-Pierre Bacri), wants so badly to have someone to love, and when they meet up with the equally lost Sylvia (Agnès Jaoui) and Pierre (Laurent Grévill), all hell breaks loose.

Cast:

Marilou Berry, Jean-Pierre Bacri, Agnès Jaoui, Laurent Grévill, Virginie Desarnauts, Keine Bouhiza, Gregoire Oestermann, Serge Riaboukine, Michele Moretti, Jean-Pierre Lazzerini, Jacques Boko

Genre:

Foreign Comedies, France, Foreign Dramas, Foreign

Movie #934 ........................."I'll Be Seeing You"

Movie #934 "I'll be Seeing You" is a hidden gem, and one of those you can play again and again at Christmas time, if you want to.  Not for its rambunctious look at the holiday season, but for its quiet, true spirit.  For a 1944 film, this seems before its time because it deals with soldiers coming back from the war with post traumatic syndrome, something they knew little about at the time.  So, for that reason, it doesn't seem outdated that much.  I also like how it isn't sappy, or melodramatic, in dealing with the subject matter, which, if you read below (dealing with prison and war),  you would think it would be.  Leave it to Ginger Rogers and Joe Cotten for "naturally" playing these two very wounded, but universal, people who are far from perfect but discover there may still be hope in the world for them, and that hope is in finding people who are perfect for them.  These two actors were always underrated, in my opinion, and it's nice to see them here together doing what they do best.   And what fun to watch Shirley Temple when she's interested in teenage things and showing teenage angst ------something different from most of the roles I have ever seen her in.  This is definitely a must see if you ever get a chance ---- that is, if you are a fan of low key kind of films that show genuine people trying to work out problems through dialogue (this was based on a radio play, so it does rely on the spoken word, for sure) .  

I'LL BE SEEING YOU (1944, 85 minutes) 4 stars out of  5        

A soldier suffering from combat fatigue meets a young woman on Christmas furlough from prison and their mutual loneliness blossoms into romance.

Directors:

 William Dieterle, George Cukor (uncredited)

Writers:

 Charles Martin (play), Marion Parsonnet

Stars:

 Ginger Rogers, Joseph Cotten, Shirley Temple 

more detailed plot:

Mary Marshall, serving a six year term for accidental manslaughter, is given a Christmas furlough from prison to visit her closest relatives, her uncle and his family in a small Midwestern town. On the train she meets Zach Morgan, a troubled army sergeant on leave for the holidays from a military hospital. Although his physical wounds have healed, he is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and is subject to panic attacks. The pair are attracted to one another and in the warm atmosphere of the Christmas season friendship blossoms into romance, but Mary is reluctant to tell him of her past and that she must shortly return to prison to serve the remainder of her sentence.

Movie #933 ........................."Today's Special"

Movie #933 "Today's Special" was recommended to me when I had blogged how much I  loved the movie "Chef" ----  I was told that this film was  a lot like it, and it is.  It lacks the Salsa music, and the fun road trip with John Leguizamo , but it does have its moments.  It inspires one to gain a "hankering" for Indian cuisine, that is for sure (much like Chef did for Cubano food).  The son this time is much older (than the one in "Chef")  and on his way to Paris --- he dislikes Indian food, mostly because his family has been cooking it since he was little --- they own a restaurant that he does NOT want to take over, but by golly, circumstances occur that he finds he must.  Both films have a respect for the food they present, and both suggest that there is almost "magic" that occurs when conjuring up a new dish -------this one deals in mixings with curry.  It's lots of fun, and I recommend it ----- not quite as enjoyable a watch as "Chef" but a close second.  I think the lead character and the love story that pushed Chef to first ---- there's something winning about both in that film.  They exist in this one, but just not played as energetically as the other one.  Bon appetit on both!















Today's Special2009R99 minutes     I would give it 3.8 stars out of 5

After he gets passed over for promotion, haute cuisine sous chef Samir quits to pursue his dream of cooking in Paris, but an emergency forces him to take over his family's shabby Indian restaurant in Queens.

Cast:

Aarti Mann, Dean Winters, Kevin Corrigan, Jess Weixler, Naseeruddin Shah, Aasif Mandvi, Ajay Naidu, Amir Arison, Kevin Breznahan,Madhur Jaffrey

Genre:

Food Stories, Indie Comedies, Indie Romance, Comedy

Movie #932 ........................."Obvious Child"

Movie #932 "Obvious Child"  is not a movie I would recommend to many people at all.  It is billed as a comedy, but it really isn't.  I don't know much about this comedian except that she was fired from SNL for using profanity, and I haven't seen her other movies (One of which is Alvin and the Chipmunks, so that's not saying much). But she appeared to be one of those comedians that just want to push buttons ---- she screams to be controversial, to be real, to whine or make smart ass comments on some things that are taken seriously, just for the sake of doing something different.  Well, abortion and pregnancy happen to be subjects she tackles here, among others, and I found most of the movie uninspired.  I think I have seen most romantic comedies, because this is my favorite genre, and this fails in the comedy part ---- the jokes are forced and just NOT FUNNY!  Now, on the romantic side, it is a tad better, and the reason I didn't give a 1 to the film ---- the two are awkward with each other, they seem to get each other, they finish each other's sentences, and those moments (though few and far between) seem to work, but the rest is pretty mean spirited on her part --- she's hard to like.  The movie got better about 10 minutes before the end of the film, but that's not enough to recommend it to anybody.  There are movies on this subject that are so much better written and executed, and are funny, and I'd see those.  Yes, this is an indie, yes the couple seems to work well together, and yes it was written and directed by a female, and I normally like to support a film like that, but this one I don't.  Not funny, not original, not nice, just controversial.










Obvious Child2014NR                                 2.5 stars --- not recommended

After being fired from her job and dumped by her cheating boyfriend, a comedian bottoms out and has a drunken one-night stand with a nice guy who's not her type. Weeks later, she finds out she's pregnant.

Cast:

Jenny Slate, Jake Lacy, Gaby Hoffmann, David Cross, Gabe Liedman, Richard Kind

Genre:

Comedy