Movie #255 ........................."Y tu Mama Tambien"

Movie #255 "Y Tu Mama Tambien" is a movie I have heard about and wanted to see for a long time. Now that I have seen it, I can say that it is a movie that is a bit over-rated, in my opinion. It is a little better than average road picture --- three people go on a trip and for a variety of reasons are all vulnerable ----- and they learn a lot about themselves, their sexuality (lots of nudity and sex scenes), and the meaning of true friendship. The acting is better than average, the filming is really good, the script makes it seem a slice of life, and there's a poignant ending. But as far as road pictures, it is just okay. I DID like that we got into the souls of these people, and I found them interesting, but at times I felt I was invading their privacy --- like i was put in the position of a voyeur of their exploration into their sexuality -----there seemed to be a bit too much of it for me, and I wanted the film to delve deeper into their psyche ---- but perhaps that would be another film. So, if you plan to see this one, please know there's quite a few sex scenes ---- and the language is raw, but it is a better than average road trip, and I'm glad I finally saw it.





Average rating: 3.779
I gave it 3.4
Our best guess for DONNA: 3.3 stars
Average of 980,440 ratings: 3.8 stars
Y Tu Mamá También(And Your Mama Too)
2001UR105 minutes
When rich teenagers Tenoch (Diego Luna) and Julio (Gael Garcia Bernal) meet the alluring, older Luisa (Maribel Verdu) at a wedding, they try to impress her with stories of a road trip to a secret beach, and ultimately convince her to come with them. What follows in director Alfonso Cuaron's Oscar-nominated film -- one of the most talked-about pics of 2002 -- is an escapade involving seduction, conflict and the harsh realities of poverty.

Movie #254 ........................."Color of Freedom"

Movie #254 "Color of Freedom" is an excellent film if you are interested in what happened the 20+ years while Mandella was in prison --- this is from the point of view of James Gregory (played by mighty fine Joe Fiennes) who went 360 degrees from his position about apartheid while in charge of the day to day business of keeping watch on Mandela and censuring his mail. This was well acted, and though a bit melodramatic at times, it told a good story --- one that needs to be told.







Average rating: 3.807
I gave it a 4
The Color of Freedom
Goodbye Bafana
(2007) R
Dennis Haysbert and Joseph Fiennes co-star in this remarkable drama based on the controversial memoirs of James Gregory, the white South African who guarded Nelson Mandela during more than 20 years of imprisonment under apartheid. As Mandela (Haysbert) seeks freedom for himself and his people, Gregory (Fiennes) gradually begins to renounce his militant racism, thanks to his unlikely but powerful relationship with the political prisoner.

Movie #253 ........................."A Very Long Engagement"

Movie #253 "A Very Long Engagement" is another Audrey Tautou film that works. In fact, it gathers together some more-than-capable actors (Jody Foster speaking French impeccably & Marion Cotillard) to get across 5 stories ---- it's a few too many names and girlfriend's names and best friends' names to remember (and that's the reason it isn't a 5) but the 5 soldiers have something in common --- they all were sent to the front by the French to be sent out first and TO BE KILLED because they tried to self mutilate themselves to get back home to their families. Audrey (Mathilde) has a strong feeling her fiance is still alive so she goes on this journey to find out the truth -------it's like a mystery and she has to go through all different ways to get her info (interview, letter,etc.) so it takes quite a while to get to the end, but it's a nice ending scene --- it's just that the story is a bit convoluted in parts and the film is a tad long. Otherwise, a very good WWI film --- disclaimer: very violent at times, since it's a war picture in parts. There's an esp. powerful scene with bombs dropping in a hospital that's tough to watch.

Average rating: 3.681
I gave it 4 stars
A Very Long Engagement
Un long dimanche de fiancailles
(2004) R
Amelie's Audrey Tautou stars as Mathilde, a young Frenchwoman who vows to find out what happened to her missing fiancé (Gaspard Ulliel) during World War I. He appears to have died after a court-martial, but she needs to know for sure. As she looks for the truth, she discovers unexpected things about herself and the people she meets along the way. Jean-Pierre Jeunet directs this foreign-language adaptation of Sebastien Japrisot's novel.

Movie #252........................."Departures"

Movie #252 "Departures" is a movie I've wanted to see for a long time. In fact, way back in February, my in-laws, Dave and I drove over to the rec center in Boca, Florida so that we could see this movie. When we got there, they couldn't get the apparatus to work, so we went home disappointed. Had I known what a good movie it was, I would have been VERY disappointed. I had skipped it several times because of the time length of the movie (131 minutes), and that is really the only reason I'm giving it a 4 instead of a 5 ----its length. I really don't think it needed to be as long as it was. It is quiet and slowly paced, and I get that, but it was a bit too much, I felt. The casketing that he does in the movie, I got the first time --- so by the end of the movie, I felt I could go to Japan and do it myself, it was so detailed. However, I felt I learned quite a bit about how they prepare their dead in this culture, and how positive they are about death even though their bodies are prepped extensively to be cremated!!!! Unbelievable the care they take ---- now, if this were a documentary, I would have still enjoyed and learned from it, but to also have a script that takes the married couple on a journey to discovery, well that's what makes the film rating so high for me. Also, I appreciated all the supporting actors/characters that helped to make this film a rich find. I recommend it ------ but it is dark in its subject matters. It isn't about a travel agency (when you see the movie, you'll laugh at that comment!)




Average rating: 4.15
I gave it 4.
Our best guess for DONNA: 4.1 stars
Average of 109,569 ratings: 4.2 stars
Departures(Okuribito)
131 minutes
Freshly unemployed, young cellist Daigo (Masahiro Motoki) has an epiphany in which he realizes he's been heading down the wrong career path. Retreating to his hometown, he trains for a new professional role as a nakanshi, or one who prepares the dead for burial. Tsutomu Yamazaki provides comic relief as Daigo's eccentric mentor in director Yojiro Takita's Oscar-winning, richly detailed -- if unlikely -- drama about finding your bliss.

Cast:Masahiro Motoki, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Ryoko Hirosue, Kazuko Yoshiyuki, Kimiko Yo, Takashi Sasano, Tôru Minegishi, Tetta Sugimoto, Yukiko Tachibana, Tatsuo YamadaDirector:Yojiro TakitaGenres:Foreign, Foreign Dramas, Japan, Japanese LanguageLanguage:JapaneseThis movie is:Understated, Sentimental, EmotionalFormat:DVD and streaming (HD

Movie #251........................."Shrink"

Movie #251 "Shrink" is still another film about grief ---- a psychiatrist is trying to dole out help to others when he is grief stricken himself over a death in his family. He's numb and moves around his house as if he's not even there ---- he half listens to his patients, he drinks, smokes, takes drugs..........this is not a happy film. but then............he comes across someone, a young girl, who has the same kind of grief, and then the film starts to get a bit more upbeat. Otherwise, for most of this, it's very sad and dark. It's a tough watch, but Kevin Spacey, as usual, is terrific as this damaged "shrink" whose life has shrunk to almost nothing and he know he should cope, and he probably knows how (because he's taken people through it so many times) but does he want to? Is he willing to take his own advice?





Average rating: 3.421
I gave it 3 stars
Shrink
(2009) R
In the wake of a personal tragedy, Hollywood's psychiatrist to the stars (Kevin Spacey) devolves into a slovenly pothead and worries he's become incapable of helping his patients in this sharp indie drama that premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. Saffron Burrows, Robin Williams, Jack Huston, Griffin Dunne, Gore Vidal, Robert Loggia, Dallas Roberts and Mark Webber co-star as the shrink's diverse brood of showbiz clientele.

Movie #250 ........................."Georgia O'keeffe"

Movie #250 "Georgia O'Keeffe" is a well acted study of the relationship of Georgia O'keeffe, the painter, and Alfred Stieglitz, the photographer, and how much influence he had in building her career, but how they just couldn't live with each other for long periods of time. The film is beautifully filmed and the characters are very complex as we watch her career build, then come to a screeching halt, and then rebuild again, this time in New Mexico. I highly recommend this quiet, but well done film biography of a very complex, creative individual ---Georgia O'Keeffe --- made me want to look her up more.












Average rating: 3.371
I gave it 4 stars
Georgia O'Keeffe
(2009) NR
Joan Allen stars as 20th-century painter Georgia O'Keeffe in this Golden Globe-nominated biopic that follows the artist's tempestuous relationship with her lover and eventual husband, Alfred Steiglitz (Jeremy Irons), a New York photographer and art promoter. Though their marriage weathers long absences and extramarital affairs, O'Keeffe prefers solitude in New Mexico, where she creates her greatest work. Bob Balaban directs.

Movie #249........................."Nothing to Lose"

Movie #249 "Nothing to Lose" has lots of funny moments that I found myself laughing out loud. I have never seen a Martin Lawrence film all the way through, and though he's no Eddie Murphy, he's pretty funny when he "cops" an attitude, and working off of the very skilled straight man (who is funny himself) Tim Robbins, they make a good pair, which propels this film to the end (which I guessed, but liked anyway). It's a comedy with heart and some very funny moments and a most capable cast --- put that together with an amazing bunch of songs in the background, and I'd recommend it. Very amusing!



Average rating: 3.648
I'd give it 3.8 stars
Nothing to Lose
(1997) R
Nick Beame (Tim Robbins), an advertising executive, thinks he's having a bad day when he discovers his wife Ann (Kelly Preston) in bed with his boss (Michael McKean). But Nick's day goes from bad to worse when he drives around aimlessly and soon finds himself in a poor neighborhood, staring at the barrel of a gun. Carjacker T. Paul (Martin Lawrence) gets taken on the ride of his life in this odd-couple buddy flick.