Movie #1230 ........................."Inferno"

Movie #1230 "Inferno" is not as bad as rotten tomatoes and the critics are making it out to be.  I read the book and thought it was the best of the 4 (considering I don't read many action books) and why?  1)  it started right away!  2)  went non stop  and 3) most importantly, it had a plausible reasoning behind the whole thing with the world population problem and a man who was passionate to do something for the greater good , which was a  misguided solution, but plausible, somewhat.    In the book  there were lots of surprises to me.  The movie did the same as the book in starting out pretty exciting (albeit, a bit annoying with all the hand held stuff and overly loud volume) The cast was good (I esp. want to do a shout out for the Bouchard character who was played by Omar Sy (from one of my all time favorite films "The Intouchables") and the action was swift with some surprises --- here's the problem, though;  if I were just watching the movie, I would have had lots of questions, esp. on the main reasoning behind the whole thing --  the arguments of the World Health Organization vs. Zobritsky  were pretty much gone --- also any background on the characters was gone, too.  But I get it.  They are making an action film and want to get through the incidental stuff.  But the change of the ending of the book to the movie really made the film shallower than the book.  I read a quote by the director Ron Howard, and he said since it was an action film, he wanted to make the big fight in the concert aqua hall ---- to do that, he changed a lot of stuff --- I don't want to give away too much, but it changed a main character's intent, the original intent of another main character, but it DID make it quicker and more exciting.  Just took away the thought provoking aspect that the book has --- and the book's ending is more doom and gloom, for sure.  Anyway, this was a good action flick, and I would recommend it only for that and seeing all the beautiful art work and places (this time:  Florence, Venice, and Istanbul)  But, of course, I enjoyed the book more.  And P.S.  I think this book should have opened in any other time of the year but right now --- it will draw no academy award nominations.  But then, I'm for spreading out all kinds of films all year and not just the AA noms in the fall, so maybe it is okay where it is!

INFERNO    2016      PG-13          I give it 4 out of 5 stars

Tom Hanks returns for a third outing as symbologist Robert Langdon. This time, Langdon awakens in an Italian hospital with no memory of the past few days and suddenly finds himself in a race to stop a madman from unleashing a plague on the world.

Cast: Tom Hanks, Felicity Jones, Omar Sy, Ben Foster

Movie #1229 ........................"The View from Tall"

Movie #1229 "The View from Tall" ---- this was the best film we saw at the festival, and the one that should be seen by many people because of the subject matter.  It probably will not be released to big movie theaters because it deals with a teacher who takes advantage of a student and the repercussions that act causes for the girl, while the teacher conveniently gets out of town.  Justine is that girl, left confused and unloved, and now talking to a therapist in a wheelchair with his own baggage to deal with.  It shows bullying, it deals with teenagers in a real way, it is well acted , and it speaks volumes on how hard it is to be a teenager in this day and age, more particularly a smart, creative thinking teenager.  Can't recommend it enough for parents and teens to see it so they can talk about some of the issues tackled quite well in this film.












THE VIEW FROM TALL         2016          1 hr 27 mins   I gave it 5 stars out of 5.

 17 year-old Justine is having the worst year of her life, when she finds an unlikely lifeline in her disabled therapist.

Directors:

 Caitlin Parrish,  Erica Weiss

Writer:

 Caitlin Parrish

Stars:

 David Christopher Arnold,  Adrian Bond,  Chris Boykin, Amanda Drinkall (an ohs theatre alum)  

Movie #1228 .........................."Pushing Dead"

Movie #1228 "Pushing Dead" was another Chicago Festival film that we got to see the other evening, and we really enjoyed it.  First, the topic is one you don't see discussed very much, that being living with HIV positive and all that entails --- and that is different enough, but then to be somewhat a comedy on the subject puts it into a category all its own.  And James Roday, whom most of us know from the t.v. show "Psych,"  shows off  his acting chops quite well in this indie film, and he has lots of good scenes with Danny Glover and Robin Weigert.   I found  the conflicts that he faces  on a daily basis and the overall story to be very intriguing, and I would recommend it to those who don't mind more dialogue than action in their films.  It doesn't seem to be on the netflix list yet, but sure hope it is in the future so more of you can see it.  I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

• PUSHING DEAD    1 hour and 48 minutes   2016      I would give this 5 stars out of 5
  
  
  When a struggling writer, HIV positive for 20+ years, accidentally deposits a $100 birthday check, he is dropped from his health plan for earning too much. In this new era of sort-of universal care, can he take on a helpless bureaucracy or come up with $3000 a month to buy meds on his own?
  
  

  Director:

   Tom E. Brown

  Writer:

   Tom E. Brown

  Stars:

   Danny Glover,  Robin Weigert,  Tom Riley, James Roday

Movie #1227 ........................."Arctic Heart"

Movie #1227 "Arctic Heart" was another Chicago film festival offering that we saw the other night, and it started out pretty good ---- very fast dialogue taking part in a lab that is doing experiments on mice and penguins.  A young woman is obviously in love with her boss, and when she sees that he needs a human to experiment on to get results in a quicker way for an award he is after, she decides to step in and be that guinea pig.  The story then got even funnier when her boss and she discover that the act of sex prompts the drug she has been given to finally do its job.  The story gets stickier and stickier, and then it takes a wild turn.  Some people will follow the love story to the end;  I'm afraid  others may  not and might find the end, and therefore the film, a little too silly.  I was in the first batch, but Dave was in the second.  I am a watcher of tons of romantic comedies, and I found this french film a very entertaining film, and I would recommend it, with some reservations which I've stated above.  Also, this is a very adult film and should not be watched by kids at all.  I would be remiss if I didn't mention the young woman in the film who did an extra great job in  acting in a quiet manner and getting the comedy across, and she is  Charlotte Le Bon (from "The hundred ft. journey" and " The Walk").  What a wonderful face that she uses  ---- she's so natural, and I hope to see her in more films in the future.

ARCTIC HEART      2016     1 hr and 21 minutes       4 stars out of 5       French with subtitles

Silently and hopelessly in love with brilliant and egotistical Professor Quignard, the shy Christophine has been pursuing her PhD at his research lab for eight years. Now, the professor and his team are on the verge of making a discovery that will rock the world of science and medicine: the key to universal immunity through 'ppm', a miracle penguin protein. All they are missing is approval from the funding board to begin human testing. In a crazy gesture to finally get her beloved's attention, Christophine injects herself with the compound, thereby, becoming the first ever human test subject. Instantly, Christophine, whose name he didn't even know, becomes the center of Quignard's focus, as he and his ever-devoted lab rat secretly embark on one far-fetched experiment protocol after another. until it becomes clear that immunity could be triggered by... lovemaking!.

Director:

 Marie Madinier

Writer:

 Marie Madinier

Stars:

 Guillaume Canet,  Charlotte Le Bon,  Xavier Beauvois

Movie #1226 .........................."9 Rides"

Movie #1226 "9 Rides" is another Chicago film festival entry that I got to watch this past week.  What's unique about the film is it is shot entirely with an I-phone.  In the Q & A, the director talked about hiding in the trunk and various places in the car during scenes.  The story of the film is about a man of color who is an Uber driver on new year's eve (to add a conflict, he thinks his girlfriends is two-timing him with someone else so when he isn't driving, he tries to find where she is)  I gave up counting if there were indeed 9 Rides --- because it seemed a steady stream with all kinds of problems from emotional abuse of a partner, to a drunk scene with kids that causes a policeman to stop the uber driver and test if he is drunk --- lots of indignity in that scene -- very poignant and topical.    I liked the claustrophobia of being in the cab most of the 90 minutes, the driver was good, and I got a strong sense what it would be like to have a job like this  on New year's eve  --- I would give it a 4 out of 5 --- a major problem was not being as clear as it could be in the ending.  Otherwise, good effort to explain what this guy's life is like.

9 RIDES     2016           NR             4 stars out of 5

To earn some extra money for his upcoming wedding, an Uber driver spends New Year's Eve motoring around Los Angeles transporting an array of fares. But in the midst of his busy shift, he receives life-changing news.

Cast: Dorian Missick, Omar Dorsey, Robinne Lee

Movie #1225 ........................."Lost in Paris"

Movie #1225 "Lost in Paris" was one of the 5 movies we watched at the Chicago Film Festival this past week, and it was the funniest one we watched, but it was quite silly in several moments.  It is centered around a Canadian woman who dons a huge orange backpack and a green wool dress with big white gym shoes to go to France to find her aunt who called her and said she needed her help --- that she didn't want to be put in a nursing home.  In the first few moments that this woman plants her feet in Paris, she asks a jogger to take her picture on a bridge with the Eiffel Tower in the background.  While he continues to jog and tell her to take a step back, she falls over the bridge ----- the film continues its merry way with one mishap following another --- some absurd, some actually tie into the story (the search for the aunt) , some just plain goofy and the film  leaves the audience wondering why that  dog is in the film, or why the homeless guy she eventually falls in love with carries around the aunt's two fake jeweled earrings...... and so many more questions...but one thing it succeeds at is memorable moments, and there were two big ones here:  1) the dance scene --- never saw anything like it before... 2) the funeral for her aunt, or she thought it was, but it really wasn't
I give this film a 4 ---- french subtitles, goofy sense of humor, but could have a tighter story.



LOST IN PARIS   2016    NR  

When her elderly Aunt Martha in Paris asks for help, Canadian librarian Fiona sets off for France, but by the time she arrives, Martha has vanished. While searching for her, Fiona crosses paths with a pesky vagabond -- and can't seem to shake him.

Cast: Fiona Gordon, Dominique Abel, Emmanuelle Riva

Movie #1224 ......................."Denial"

Movie #1224 "Denial" ---what a hidden gem of a movie.  It's centered around a true London court case when   Irving, a British historian who was a Holocaust denier sues  an American author who called him a liar in her book in the 1990's.  The film has everything I like about a film --- a fight with words, instead of fists, guns or cars.....a tight court room case that uses strategy and wit and intelligence;  Great acting (Rachel Weisz one of my favorite actresses right now) ; beautiful photography; intelligent script (written by playwright David Hare); strong themes --- author learns that if she speaks up for herself and takes a stand, she doesn't necessarily win -- she learns about support from a group can succeed in many cases; knowledge about the british court system.  Now, I know this isn't a film for everyone, though, because the pacing is a bit slow at times, but I can only gives stars for my reaction to this gem of a film, and I give it 5 stars out of 5 stars.  I have talked to some people who have seen the film also, and it was equally entertaining to them, as well.  But once again, if the topic doesn't sound good, you don't need to see this.  But I think it's one of the best out there right now.

DENIAL       2016     PG-13

In the 1990s, well-known Holocaust denier David Irving sued historian Deborah Lipstadt -- issuing a complaint under British law requiring the American academic to prove that the greatest atrocity of World War II actually took place. 

Cast: Rachel Weisz, Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Spall,

Movie #1223 ........................."Mr & Mrs. Bridge"

Movie #1223 "Mr. & Mrs. Bridge" could be considered like watching paint dry to some people --- it's that S-L-O-W......Merchant and Ivory talkie film that didn't do well at the box-office, but that's because the film  is not action-packed at all.  It is character driven and boy are these two characters quirky....they are based on book characters, but ones I knew nothing about because I hadn't read the books.  According to IMDB website, people who have read the book think Woodward plays it too flighty --- I , not knowing the book's character, thought that Ms. Woodward's characterization was spot on---she has very little room in her life to be herself --- to be free to do what she wants --- she , being the matriarch in the house, lives for everyone else, and she is hurt a lot along the way when her hubby and kids can't give as much love or sacrifice back to her.  Paul Newman plays a very stoic, sexually repressed character, and he does it well.  I think this character (and not the one we all love in the film Cool Hand Luke) is closer to the real Paul Newman, and it was fun watching him play this character so repressed.  The odd things he says kept the movie going for me.  His one daughter is played by the great Kyra Sedgwick, and she is so terrifically real in this film.  So is Blythe Danner, the woman friend of Woodward's that doesn't want to do what her hubby wants her to do, so she is searching for freedom also.  I found the film very good, but a bit confusing at times where it was going --- it seemed to lack focus --- it just moved from one scene to the next and didn't seem to have transitions....the scenes finished abruptly and were left there to thud!  The ending is the best place to see that thud in action --- not a very good ending at all to me.  But that's what happens in an indie film --- it takes chances and sometimes doesn't succeed with every viewer.  But this wasn't supposed to be an indie so it and several scenes were quite unexpected and seemed out of place.  However, the history background was terrific, and how these rich people act in upstate New York in the 1930's was quite enlightening and made the film worthwhile to watch.  I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.   If you are a fan of Newman and Woodward, you would find a lot to like here, I think.  But it isn't must see at all!

MR & MRS. BRIDGE     1990      PG-13       3.5 stars out of 5 from me.

The American upper middle class  is the target of this masterful Merchant-Ivory film based on a pair of novels by Evan S. Connell starring real-life husband and wife Paul Newman and Oscar nominee Joanne Woodward as the eponymous couple. Newman plays the patriarch of a well-to-do family whose members are struggling to define themselves under his austere command and the changing mores of the 1930s and '40s.

Cast: Paul Newman, Saundra McClain, Joanne Woodward, Kyra Sedgwick, Robert Sean Leonard, Blythe Danner

Movie #1222 .........................."The Girl on the Train"

Movie #1222 "The Girl on the Train," contrary to the low scores it has gotten from critics, is a good, solid adaptation of an equally intriguing book.  Oh, there are a few flaws, like both the film and  the book  endings (for different reasons) , but I marvel at the layering of the story and the way time moves so swiftly but so smoothly, esp in the movie.  I'm not sure it was that smooth in the book; in fact, it was annoying at times to have to concentrate not only on all the names of the characters, and their similarities in looks and their relationships, but also the use of dates instead of chapter numbers.  But what I marveled at is how both the book and the movie have you going back and forth from one possible murderer to another all the way through.  The acting in the movie is pretty strong , esp. Emily Blunt --- with the camera up front it exposes the warts and all on each of the characters, and in that way they are hard to like, but still captivate our interest.  It's tough to play Blunt's character because she is the portrait of one terrifically sad person, so it's a gutsy role for her to have to  do, mainly  to keep our interest in a character that seems so weak willed.  The movie seemed a bit more lewd and foul mouthed than I remember the book was, and there were scenes left out from the book that fleshed out the characters a bit more (and a whole character left undeveloped (Mac)) but the added Elfman score helped fill in some gaps, and yes, there were a few "soapy" moments, but on the whole, I went with 3 other women who had also read the book and we all decided we enjoyed both a lot.  The one person who hadn't read the book said she could easily follow the movie , and it was quite a fun time to have seen the movie together and then over lunch to rehash our thoughts about it.  And just one post script:  we liked the whole experience of reading the book and watching the movie better than we had with the book/movie of "Gone Girl" --- just for what it is worth!  I give it 4 stars out of 5.  I don't want to say too much more, since people might be reading this and not know anything about the story --- and that's just a fine way to approach either  this  book or this  movie .  I think you will be entertained.


THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN      2016        R rated       4 out of 5 stars

During her daily rail commute, divorcée Rachel Watson observes the happily married couple living in a house near the train route. One day, she witnesses a scene that enrages her -- and soon finds herself deeply entangled in the ensuing mystery.

Cast: Emily Blunt, Haley Bennett, Rebecca Ferguson , Justin Theroux

Movie #1221 ........................"The Middle of Nowhere"

Movie #1221 "The Middle of Nowhere" shows in a very understated way the effects incarceration has on the whole family.  And it is quite a lot.  The film opens in the middle of a discussion between the husband, who now finds himself in jail, discussing with his wife on  how she  shouldn't quit medical school, but she wants to be supportive and come as often as she is allowed to visit, and be available for phone calls, etc. from him;  so she decides to put school on hold and  take on a  part time job for 4 years(it's eight, but she thinks it will be 4 because of his good behavior). As the time moves on, she becomes less and less sure about her decisions.  I really liked the realness of the movie, but what I didn't like is the ending....... I felt it  could be a tad more decisive, even though it is an indie film (and therefore usually has these kinds of endings..)  I would give it 4 out of 5 stars for its realness.










MIDDLE OF NOWHERE
2012        Rated R   1 hour and 41 mins
Her husband did the crime, but they're both doing the time.  He's on the inside.  She might as well be there.  This moving indie drama took home the U.S. Directing Award:  Dramatic from the Sundance Film Festival.  Director:  Ava DuVernay
Cast:  Emayatazy Corinealdi, David Oyelowo, Lorraine Toussaint, Sharon Lawrence

Movie #1220 ........................."Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children"

Movie #1220 "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" has Tim Burton's mark on it from beginning to end.  Nice special effects, esp. the kids' peculiarities, and the swift changing from bird to woman and back to bird.   I just read the book a few weeks ago, and I thought the film stuck to the storyline of the book really well --- (disclaimer:  I can never remember  the very endings of books and movies, so I can't speak for the end --- it seemed to stray a bit there, though).  The story really grabbed me in both movie and book --- and as I watched the film I was trying to think as to why that was  because this seems to be in the magical, fantastical genre, one I don't usually enjoy that much.  I think it's because it seems so rooted in reality --- the set is a beautiful castle in Wales, and seeing it in the movie, just helps cement the realism to me even more.  Asa. the lead, does such a good job of being a regular kid, that it's hard to believe he fits in with these peculiar kids, which are all introduced to us first  through very old postcard pics showing their particular peculiarities.  Those kids play so well, that it isn' difficult to identify with them, even with their strange habits.   And the relationship between the son and grandfather was one I esp. liked and believed (kudos to Terrence Stamp, for that, too)  The only thing I didn't quite embrace in the book or the movie is the big fight at the end.  But the movie reminded me why the violence and fighting didn't repulse me like it usually does --- and that is, that the fighting is won more with wiles than physical shooting, knifing, etc.  Oh, there is some of that, but all in all, it depended more on the kids' abilities, and one more thing I liked is that the fighting was done ALL TOGETHER -- that the kids learned they had to work together to get the job done.  And that is an important lesson everyone needs to learn and relearn, esp. in our society:  accepting people for their diversity and learning to work with everyone.  (I think about these themes esp. when I write this during the second debate I am about to watch!)    I give it 4 stars out of 5, the movie, not the debate!

MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN
PG- 13    2016,  2 hours and 10 minutes

• Rate 4 stars
• Rate 3 stars
• Rate 2 stars
• Rate 1 stars

After Jacob Portman unearths a cache of his grandfather's old photos, curiosity about them leads the teen to a dilapidated former orphanage, where he discovers a group of children who are not only peculiar but also possess extraordinary powers..

Cast:  Eva Green, Judy Duench, Terrence Stamp, Asa Butterfield, Chris O'Dowd., Samuel Jacksons

Movie #1219 ........................."Evelyn"

Movie #1219 "Evelyn" was on TCM the other night, and it happened to be  a Pierce Brosnan film I had heard about but not seen yet, so I sat down to watch it, and I'm glad I did.  It's based on a true story of the plight of an Irish dad whose wife just takes off   suddenly , leaving him to raise their three kids on his own.  He finds it quite impossible to be there to raise them and to make a living paying to clothe and feed them.  He starts to feel the pressure and turns to the bottle, and the alcohol and the lack of money contribute to the government taking his kids away from him and putting them into catholic private institutions ---- a difficult place to then extricate them from in the future.  He fights several years to get them back with the help of Aidan Quinn and Alan Bates, two very capable, smart men who start to turn the tide once they join him in his plight to get the kids.  Lots of heart here, some good realism with the problem of being poor and raising kids, and I highly recommend it.  4 stars out of 5.

EVELYN 2002   PG
4 out of 5 stars


Based on real-life events, this Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy) drama follows the story of Desmond Doyle (Pierce Brosnan), whose wife has left him and whose three children -- Evelyn, Maurice and Dermot -- are taken from him and placed in orphanages. Authorities deem Doyle's dire financial straights unacceptable for raising children, and the unemployed father vows to reunite his family. But he faces the judgment of the Irish Supreme Court.

Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Julianna Margulies, Aidan Quinn,

Movie #1218 ........................."These Daughters of Mine"

Movie #1218 "These Daughters of Mine" is the last of the movies we saw at the Milwaukee Film Festival 2016, and it rated a 4 to me --- in the middle of the other two.  I haven't seen a lot of Polish movies , but of the ones I have seen, they were about health care in some way, they referred to alternative ways of healing people, life/death issues, and the endings seem more poignant rather than final --- that is, I liked the characters so much, I wanted to see their story go a tad further, but I wasn't unhappy with where it ended, just moderately surprised.  Anyway, this movie deals with two sisters who couldn't be more different from each other, dealing with their two parents who have health issues at the same time.  Even though it is dealing with the polish culture, there is so much we can identify with as far as family conflicts and dynamics.  It was a story that involved me from beginning and ending, and I found it quite good.  But warning that it is intense through a lot of it --- lots of hospital scenes that we don't like to go through in our lives, so watching movies that include them can't be that much fun to watch for many of us!


THESE DAUGHTERS OF MINE 2015      1 hour 28 minutes

Director:

 Kinga Debska

Writer:

 Kinga Debska

Stars:

 Agata Kulesza,  Gabriela Muskala,  Marcin Dorocinski

Marta is a successful actress unable to put her life in order. Unlike her domineering sister, Kasia is sensitive and effusive. They're not keen on each other but an unexpected illness of their mother forces them to cooperate. Laughter is liberating in this heart-warming and profound story about family relations.

P.S.  The actress who plays Marta is a big deal actress in Poland and was the co star (not the nun, but her cousin) in the academy award winner "Ida" (couple of years ago).

Movie #1217 ........................."Sweet Bean"

Movie #1217 "Sweet Bean" was the third movie I saw at the Milwaukee Film Festival, and this is the one I rated as a 5.  What a wonderfully poignant film full of the message that every soul is important and worthy of our attention --- even the cherry blossoms on the tree in front of your storefront.  This is a Japanese film about a guy who makes doriyaki every day but is not excited about it.....until a very old lady with crippled hands makes him try her sweet bean paste, and the bean paste and his relationship with her transforms his life forever.  And just when you think the story is going to go on this straight narrative about experience teaching the young what life is really about, the film goes into some discrimination and the consequences of that.  This is a quiet, slow paced film, but I loved it --- I am a foodie (so all the painstaking effort they put in together to get the sweet bean paste just right every day, I greatly appreciated), and I also like good character work, and that's here, as well.  Throw into the mix metaphors of freedom like birds, and cherry blossoms, etc. and you have a great idea for this film that is executed quite well.  Highly recommended. And you can stream it on netflix (just found that out).

SWEET BEAN 2016   1 hour 53 minutes (just a tad too long for me, but that's my only complaint: 4.8 out of 5)



Looking for help in his bakery -- where he specializes in doriyaki pastries -- Sentaro hires 76-year-old Tokue. To Sentaro's surprise, his new employee has a unique talent for making the popular delicacy ... but she's also hiding a troubling secret.

Cast: Masatoshi Nagase, Kirin Kiki, Kyara Uchida

Movie #1216 ........................." A Stray"

Movie #1216 " A Stray"  -- well it's that happy time:  Milwaukee Film Festival 2016, and we saw three movies yesterday, and this was the first one, and it was just okay.  (Incidentally, if it sounds intriguing to you, I do believe it is an offering at the Chicago Film Festival which starts very soon, check their website).  It's about a muslim looking for direction in his life --- he's not found anything he is passionate about --- his family, friends and religion are just not that thrilling to him --- they don't seem to give him guidance.  When he finally finds a job and starts to put some regularity in his life, a a stray dog comes into his life and he loses that job.  We spend an evening and a day as he wanders the city trying to find his niche.  I like the relationship he had with the dog (and the dog with him), but what I didn't like about the film was the missing information the viewer didn't get through his wandering.....whether it was due to muffled sound or lack of the subtitles occasionally (the whole film should have had subtitles) or missing dialogue or explanations, possibly faulty editing....whatever, there were  moments and even whole scenes where I was left "hanging" ----and I wasn't the only one because there were four of us afterwards, trying to fill in the blanks; some we could, but others we couldn't.  So overall, this was a good film viewing; I just wanted more info along the way.  And I learned something I didn't know about his culture (he was somalian) --- they think dogs are impure and they shouldn't let dogs touch them --- if you have that info going in, might be easier to follow the film.  I give it 3 out of 5 stars.




A STRAY 2016

After burning bridges with friends and family, Adan has nowhere to go until the imam of a local mosque allows him to sleep there in return for work. But when Adan takes in a stray dog, he finds himself homeless again -- this time with a mangy charge.

Cast: Barkhad Abdirahman, Faysal Ahmed, Christina Baldwin

Movie #1215 .........................."Two Guys from Texas"

Movie #1215 --- the other night I watched halfheartedly "Two Guys from Texas" just because it was on TCM and I was missing that beloved station  at home (where Comcast recently took it away from my basic package and I'm still angry about that!)  Anyway, the film was pretty silly and lame.  How they ever got Dorothy Malone to act in it with Jack Carson and Dennis Morgan I will never know.  It dealt with disguises, an all too earnest sheriff who is ready to lock up Jack and Dennis instead of the real criminals, so these two "cowboys" have to figure out who really robbed the bank and also they have to get the girl.  Incidentally, the very end of this film was pretty offensive because the two girls went to the other stars, and Jack Carson was left out, but then he was called over by a voluptuous native American and he ends up with her (and whooping like a stereotypical "Indian")  oh my.  Anyway, it wasn't worth your time, so if you missed it, don't worry about it at all.  Just here to warn you that if you ever see it pop up on the t.v., you can turn it off.  2 stars out of 5.  And that's just for the singing.....


TWO GUYS FROM TEXAS
1948     1 hour 26 minutes      2 stars out of 5


Song-and-dance men Steve Carroll and Danny Foster walk to a Texas dude ranch after their car runs out of gas. The team's friend, singer Maggie Reed, gets the boys a job. With their auto stolen, the two settle into ranch life. While Danny consults with Dr. Straeger to conquer his fear of animals, Steve courts ranch owner Joan Winston. When their stolen car is used in a robbery, the duo must then find the real culprits

Director:

 David Butler

Writers:

 I.A.L. Diamond (screenplay),  Allen Boretz (screenplay)  

Stars:

 Dennis Morgan,  Jack Carson,  Dorothy Malone

Movie #1214 ........................."Daddy's Little Girls"

Movie #1214 "Daddy's Little Girls" is the second Tyler Perry film I have watched.  Yes, I was a big supporter of his excellent film "Precious,"  but I have never sat through an entire "Medea" film, for example.  Just looked too silly to me, and there are so many other films out there I'd rather see.  But I also know that he has been working on a ton of movies, such as this one, and I've been wanting to see one of his for  a while, so I did the other night when it was on t.v. on an indie station.  I tried this one in particular because of the actors who were starring in it:  Idris Elba and Gabrielle Union --- both really capable actors to get this story across about a dad trying to keep a hold of his three little girls while his ex wife is trying to get complete custody of them because he is too busy working to take care of them.  It sounds reasonable until you find out that she is tangled with gangs and drugs --- her boyfriend is a biggie drug dealer and the neighborhood doesn't even want her and him around.  A couple of scenes are manipulated in the story:  for example, the meet up of the lawyer and the daddy is a bit pushed when he has to get another job and becomes her driver.  While driving her , he overhears quite quickly that she is lonely and single ,  and because they have to go to the hospital one night instead of taking her home, she is able to change from being  witchy (with a b) to  being nicer when she learns what really was happening (his kids were in danger because they had been home alone and a fire had started).  Some parts are hokey (like some  courtroom scenes when the entire neighborhood stands up to condemn a bully in their neighborhood), but the film still works--- why?  we need films like these that show a black man's plight in so many ways living in a white world:  he is put in jail wrongly for a while and is still paying for that, he can't afford lawyers to help him out, he can't afford nannies who could help him out, he really cares being a father and is excellent at it (which would surprise those who misstereotype african american fathers, and those are just a few.  So I'm glad I sat down and gave this film a look and I intend to seek out others ----- might not be Medea, but I will try his others because if they are good like this one, I will find other real stories about real people acted well, with good storylines and valuable racial issues that we should be talking about and helping people to solve.  I give this 3.5 stars out of 5 and recommend it.

DADDY'S LITTLE GIRLS

2007, PG 13      1 hour 40 minutes      I give it 3.5 stars out of 5.

In this drama from Tyler Perry, a powerful attorney falls in love with a janitor who's the single father of three daughters. Trouble comes in the form of his ex-wife, who reappears on the scene threatening to take away his children.

Cast: Idris Elba, Gabrielle Union, Louis Gossett Jr.