Movie #282 ........................."Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs"

Movie #282 "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" was a delightful film that i watched witth a room full of kids --- we found it lots of fun, very creative, quick witted, and had some memorable characters (esp. "Steve") . But more importantly, the theme is a good one --- as a society we are gluttons and we don't need to be. When we get the chance to get food free from the clouds, we take it and just want more. That is a good theme, and one I found to be most effective --- I didn't want to eat dinner afterwards because I felt I had already overeaten. Good film, esp. for the kiddies.







DONNA's rating: 4.0 stars
Average of 826,080 ratings: 3.8 stars
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
2009PG90 minutes
Inventor Flint Lockwood creates a machine that makes clouds rain food, enabling the down-and-out citizens of Chewandswallow to feed themselves. But when the falling food reaches gargantuan proportions, Flint must scramble to avert disaster. Can he regain control of the machine and put an end to the wild weather before the town is destroyed? Bill Hader and Anna Faris lend their vocal talents to this Golden Globe-nominated animated adventure.

Movie #281........................."Lucas"

Movie #281 "Lucas" was filmed at Glenbard West, and I had heard about it for years but never sat down to watch it until last night. I found it quite enjoyable. The film could have easily been way sappy with the subject matter, but the acting ensemble of kids they found to play the leads (and they DO control the whole film) and the direction and the realistic teen situations kept it pretty real (however, even I found it a bit sappy in just a few parts). By the time we reached the end point of the film, I felt I might miss the characters I had been inroduced to in this charming drama, and that's a 4 film in my books.




You rated this movie: 4.0
Lucas
(1986) PG-13
Fourteen-year-old bookworm and bully magnet Lucas (Corey Haim), exhibits a streak of independence when he befriends 16-year-old Maggie (Kerri Green) and introduces her to a world of intellectual pursuits. But while Lucas is eyeing Maggie, she's eyeing football jock Cappie (Charlie Sheen), who may just have a sensitive side himself. Director David Selzer's sincere coming-of-age film includes both comic and dramatic moments.

Movie #280 ........................"Liberty Heights"

Movie #280 "Liberty Heights" is my kind of movie --- it has everything that I would ever want to put n a film. It's not one of those shoot 'em' up blockbusters at all --- on the contrary, it's an intelligent film that addresses the issue of being Jewish and a victim growing up in Baltimore in the 1950s. That in itself makes it special to me because I can't remember seeing another one on the subject. It also seems one of a kind in the theme: Ben Foster halfway through the film is talking to Orlando Jones, and asks him why he would pick on a jew when he is also a minority. Orlando says that he comes from slaves, and Ben Says so does he --- who do you think built the pyramids. Hah! There's a gotcha moment that was fun to watch, and it brings up a huge question about why minority groups pick on each other, when if they banded together they wouldn't be minorities any more. I was glad to see a movie state that in so many words. What I really loved about this movie besides the great acting with Bebe, Ben (my new found actor to stalk (see everything he's done) in movies) Joe Mantegna, Orlando Jones and ever favorite Adrien Brody, is that it uses a simultaneous editing technique that I really liked;i.e., the movie usually followed silmultaneously what Ben, Adrien, Mom and Dad were doing all at the same time --- it layered the film, and made it the 5 I thought it was. I highly recommend this. But not for kids --- there are some sexual awakening scenes in the film because they are part of the conflict --- Ben is dating a black girl, and Adrien is dating a rich girl. Good film.

You rated this movie: 5.0
Liberty Heights
(1999) R
"No Jews, dogs or coloreds," reads the sign outside a public swimming pool in 1954 Baltimore. High school freshman Ben Kurtzman (Ben Foster) and friends find themselves confronted with anti-Semitism, racism and coming of age in a fast-changing world. Writer-director and Baltimore memorialist Barry Levinson takes viewers on a sentimental journey, complete with loving period details and wry humor.

Movie #279 ........................."Gigantic"

Movie #279 "Gigantic" is a quirky, indie love story. Can't say I've seen one like it, but that's a mark of an independent film --- I'm just not sure a lot of people would like it. The love story worked for me pretty much because the couple is charming (although Dano is quite quiet throughout the movie, a far cry from his role in "There Will Be Blood") and Zooey is even quiet --- but she does have quirky as her forte( (I'd like to see a movie where she is opposite Michael Cera --- that would be awkward with a capital A) Anyway, her father is a hoot, but a scary one --- he alway is whining about his back and in the prone position, except when he takes them out to dinner and asks them inappropriate questions about sex. There's a homeless guy that keeps beating up Dano (I'm not sure where that story went - it ended but any repercussions? I guess not because he's homeless) This critique is all over the place because the film was --- I DID like the quirkiness, and it was a fun watch, but as far as recommending it, I'm not sure everyone would enjoy it at all. For it to be a 4 or 5, the film needed to go somewhere --- sorry, it can't be so "out there" that it doesn't go somewhere. It " kind of" does, and that's why some of you might like it, but I would have liked a better high point and ending. And to me, the high point can be everything!




You rated this movie: 3.5
Gigantic
(2008) R
Unhappy with his life, mattress salesman Brian Weathersby (Paul Dano) pursues his lifelong obsession with adopting an infant from China. But when attractive customer Harriet (Zooey Deschanel) catches his eye, he starts pursuing her instead. Soon, Harriet's overbearing father (John Goodman) and Brian's parents (Ed Asner and Jane Alexander) become involved in their relationship, pushing Brian to take drastic action in this quirky romantic comedy.

Movie #278 ........................."Mrs. Hotchkiss' ballroom Dancing and Charm School"

Movie #278 "Mrs. Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School" was a charming study on how dance can bring people out of grief. Evidently, this movie was originally a short film with the actor Elden Henson playing the part of Steve, and then in the 2005 production, he is playing a friend of Paul Carlyle. Cool, idea there, and really well done overall. And I have never been disappointed yet with a Marissa Tomei performance --- once again, she's great. And Paul Carlyle (from "Full Monty") plays such a gamut here ---- excellent actor, as are all the supporting people here --- the cast is stellar, for such a nonbudget independent film. I can also say, as many movies as I have seen, the frame work here was very original, so maybe you want to see it for just that! But it does use the back and forth method of telling the story --- black and white from 1962, and color for now. I totally was drawn into the 1962 world because the narrator was my age talking about a charm school he was forced to attend. Ah, the memories!!





DONNA's rating: 4.0 stars
Average of 140,781 ratings: 3.4 stars
Marilyn Hotchkiss Ballroom Dancing and Charm School
2005PG-13104 minutes
Writer-director Randall Miller's heart-achingly sweet drama centers on the unsatisfying personal life of protagonist Frank Keane (Robert Carlyle), a sensitive baker who remains deeply despondent over his late wife's untimely death. When Frank helps a stranger (John Goodman) who's sidelined by a fatal accident on his way to a fateful reunion, he decides to show up for the rendezvous in the man's place. In the process, he finds hope and redemption.

Cast:Robert Carlyle, Marisa Tomei, Mary Steenburgen, Sean Astin, Donnie Wahlberg, David Paymer, Camryn Manheim, Adam Arkin, Sonia Braga, Elden Henson, Ernie Hudson, Miguel Sandoval, Danny DeVito, John GoodmanDirector:Randall MillerGenres:Drama, Romantic Comedies, Indie Comedies, Indie Romance, Sony Pictures Home EntertainmentThis movie is:Feel-good, Romantic, Sentimental, Inspiring, EmotionalFormat:DVD and streaming (HD available)

Movie #277 ........................."The Kids Are All Right"

Movie #277 "The Kids Are All Right" breaks some ground. It actually shows a typical family with all the aches and pains of trying to raise two high school kids, one who is leaving at the end of the summer to go to college. The one big change is it is a lesbian family, and each woman bore her kid with the same sperm donor. They are going through midlife crises themselves, with one partner being a doctor, the other moving from one job to the next --- right now it's lawn architecture. Anyway, the show is so well acted it sucks you in to the situation --- the sex scenes are quite "out there" and it seems very honest in most of its portrayals and Annette Bening is so darn good ---- even during Julianne Moore's breakdown, the camera goes to Bening who supports Moore in the scene. The reason for the 4 rating is that I had some concerns in the film --- some of it seemed tough to swallow, like just how mean and cold Bening has to play her character most of the time and how flaky Moore has to play hers ---- and the major conflict hinges on that, and it was a little tough to believe, but other than that, the movie seems realistic in showing the title: the kids ARE all right --- everyone has gone on a journey in the film, and they all come out better spending the time together -------and the viewer gets some insight and knowledge, as well. And that is groundbreaking in itself.



Average rating: 3.817
I give it 4 stars.
The Kids Are All Right
(2010) R
The children of same-sex parents Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore), Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and Laser (Josh Hutcherson) become curious about the identity of their sperm-donor dad (Mark Ruffalo) and set out to make him part of their family unit, with frequently comical results. With his arrival, the household dynamics quickly become complicated, and nobody's quite sure where or how he fits in, if at all.

Movie #276 .........................."Summer Hours"

Movie #276 "Summer Hours" is well acted, very universal, very intriguing to watch. The film brings up lots of issues as a life comes to an end, but her grandchildren's lives are just beginning. I would have ranked this movie higher if the end worked better. Although Roger Ebert said in his critique that if the viewer thought about it, it seemed an appropriate end, I don't agree. I HAVE been thinking about it for two days, and even though I understand why it ends so low key, I expected much more poignancy. For sure, It's always fun to watch juliette Binoche, but I prefer Cache over this.




Average rating: 3.324
I gave it 3.4 stars
Summer Hours
L'Heure d'été
(2008) NR
Sensing that death is close at hand, 75-year-old Hélène (Edith Scob) summons her three adult children to her home in the French countryside and tasks them with deciding the fate of her extraordinary art collection. Juliette Binoche, Charles Berling and Jérémie Renier star as the three siblings forced to ponder their legacy and identity in this touching drama from internationally acclaimed writer-director Olivier Assayas.

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