Movie #1237 ........................."Family for Christmas"

Movie #1237 "Family for Christmas" was kind of a corny hallmark christmas season film that you don't have to watch if the plot sounds oh too familiar (kind of a George Bailey "It's a Wonderful Life" except much shallower).  Most of the film is spent with her in her new life acting like she knows how to drive the kids to school or even know their names, when she doesn't.  Not very funny, nor does the story go up and down in excitement --- it kind of plays one note and then when it gets to the ending, she has to be told she has to look to the future rather than the past (you're kidding?  We got that so much earlier than she does.....) and it's over?  hmmmm.  Her scenes with her kids and also her hubby, the love of her life were good, but the rest, not really necessary to watch.  Maybe look for another film?  and experience your own family for Christmas and be happy that you are spending the season with them instead of going through what this lady did!


"FAMILY FOR CHRISTMAS"    t.v. - G       2015         I'd rate it 3 stars out of 5.

After a conversation with a man playing Santa Claus during her office Christmas party, a woman wakes up to find herself married to her college sweetheart and two kids and questions her life choices.

Director:

 Amanda Tapping

Writer:

 Bryar Freed

Stars:

 Lacey Chabert,  Tyron Leitso,  Milli Wilkinson

Movie #1236 ........................."Let It Snow"

Movie #1236 "Let It Snow" is a Hallmark film that actually might get you into the Christmas spirit (unless you are such a grinch, you are a hopeless case!)  Of course, it has the obligatory happy  ending, which is one of the reasons I watch these during the xmas season, but it also has a lot more going for it like a winning, competent cast, believable characters, a good script, strong themes, and it takes its time developing the love story.  I know a lot of people would consider these films lame, and if you are one of them, I  probably lost you at the word "hallmark" earlier, anyway.  But if you watch these , this is one of the better choices, I think.  It made me wish I could ski, so that's something!  I would rate this 4 out of 5 stars.

"LET IT SNOW"  T.V. - G       2013          1 HOUR AND 22 minutes
A self-defined Grinch, Stephanie begins her stay at Snow Valley Lodge immune to Christmas sentiment. But as the lodge's festive traditions provide the Christmas Stephanie never had growing up with her distant father, Stephanie finds herself enjoying every minute. To complicate her professional duties even further, the combative feelings she felt toward Brady turn into romantic ones. With Stephanie's newfound Christmas spirit and unexpected holiday romance, she begins to question Falcon's overhaul. As her Christmas Eve deadline approaches, she's faced with a decision: should she transform the lodge into a new winter hot spot or embrace tradition and let it snow

Director:

 Harvey Frost

Writers:

 Harvey Frost (teleplay by),  Jim Head (teleplay by) 

Stars:

 Candace Cameron Bure,  Jesse Hutch,  Alan Thicke 

Movie #1235 ........................."Second Time Around" (1961)

Movie #1235 "Second Time Around"  --- I caught this movie the other day because I hadn't seen it the first time around, and I now know I didn't miss very much.  Debbie Reynolds kind of plays the Molly Brown, tomboy- strong woman much like the character in "Unsinkable Molly Brown." But that's where the comparison ends because this script was horrible.  Not to mention it probably set back women a decade in its treatment of the main character here --- Even for the 60s, this does nothing to boost morale of women  -- it tells them if they are in trouble, they should just marry well. At least that's what the Thelma Ritter character tells Debbie when she is suddenly widowed with two small children and is broke and never had a job .  Debbie decides to go  out west to work, but everyone, including the women, thinks that is laughable.  Wow!     The film just goes down hill from there.  It's full of caricatures  instead of fleshed out characters --- something Debbie Reynolds was usually good at doing. Andy Griffith, too, but they don't deliver here --- it's the script.  So if this comes around a third and fourth time, you can miss it.  It's not that good at all.  2.5 stars out of 5.

The Second Time Around (1961)

1h 39min | Family, Western | 22 December 1961 (USA)

In 1911, a widow with two children leaves New York City for territorial Arizona and becomes a ranch hand and later gets herself elected sheriff. A gambler and a rancher become rivals for her affections.

Director:

 Vincent Sherman

Writers:

 Richard Emery Roberts (novel),  Oscar Saul (screenplay) | 1 more credit »

Stars:

 Debbie Reynolds,  Steve Forrest,  Andy Griffith

Movie #1234 ........................."A Crown for Christmas"

Movie #1234 "A Crown for Christmas" --- here we go again.  Part of getting in the xmas spirit for me is watching some christmas movies I have not seen, and what better (and easier) way to see them than on the Hallmark channel.  So here's the first one ---- it happened to be on tonight , and I was typing a big project (packet for "Hamilton") and voila!  I decided to watch it because I know the ending is going to be happy and romantic and after a very bad week, I needed to watch something fun.  That being said, this was just okay.  The guy they got to play the male love interest -- the king---was a stiff, and Danica McKellar (Winnie in "Wonder Years") is a little too breezy and cavalier, and the script is a bit too pat ---- and it depends on us believing that the little girl gets attached to the governess because they bake cookies and decorate trees (not too original!)  But it's a beautiful castle and the costumes are beautiful, and like I said, he gets the girl  (no surprise there!) and he learns to be a better king because of falling in love (another no surpriser!)  I would rate this 3 stars out of 5.

A CROWN FOR CHRISTMAS     2015        1 hour and 26 minutes     t.v. movie   3 stars out of 5

Crown for Christmas

9:00 PM on HALMRK 78, 2 hr 2015 TV-G

A fired New York City maid reluctantly becomes a governess to a poorly behaved little girl who turns out to be European royalty. Before long, the two form a strong bond, and the governess also grows close to the young princess's engaged father.

director:  Alex Zamm

Writers:  Neal H. Dobrofsky, Tippi Dobrofsky

Cast:  Danica McKellar, Rupert Penry-Jones, Ellie Botterill

Movie #1233 .........................."Arrival"

Movie #1233 "Arrival" is a very ambitious sci-fi  film with a subdued amount of CG stuff.  As a result, it depends a lot on reaction shots and whatever other tool Amy Adams uses to get across her thoughts and fears in the female.  And FEAR is the focus of the film, and we are with Amy from the opening and the closing.  So although we have never had huge alien monoliths land in various places in the world, we have experienced facing our fears, which is what everyone does here in the film.  She, being an ace  linguist, is asked to help decipher the hepatods' (sp?) communication code, which brings her face to face with the creatures, and those scenes work pretty well.  I don't want to give away too much about the film because it would greatly affect the challenges watching the film bring --- enough said there, but I need to speak on the pacing which was really slow to me --- but  it might not affect you because neither Dave nor the woman sitting next to me noticed it but the guy in front who was snoring loudly felt it, I think.  Because you are kept at  a distance, even when you want to get closer and get to solutions, the film keeps you at a distance for a tad longer, and so it felt a bit stretched to me --- but it was all necessary, so I didn't mind and I don't think you will either.  The different way the story is told, the acting,  photography and themes are all reasons for seeing this anomalous film, but you might feel the music is a bit too much?  It is one you'll want to discuss long after it comes to a close.  I give it 4 stars out of 5, and I'm thinking it might be nominated for some awards in the future, esp. for Ms. Adams.


ARRIVAL   2016   PG-13      4 stars out of 5

Confronted by a mass landing of alien vessels around the globe, military leaders seek the help of brilliant linguist Louise Banks in an effort to communicate with the extraterrestrials and determine their intentions.

Cast: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker,

Movie #1232 ............................"Demolition"

Movie #1232 "Demolition" was just okay.  If you want to watch a very slow film with a meandering focus, this might be the one for you.  I applaud Jake G for his odd choices in films he does, but this one could be edited and directed much better.  Because the character Jake plays is so quiet and inside his head, it's tough to understand at times why he does what he does........I was going to turn it off after the first few minutes, but then the young boy was introduced and the film perked up (and I did) a little, so I watched it to the end.  The film certainly reminds you that not everyone thinks alike, and we oftentimes can never guess what is on someone's mind.  The people (Jake G, Naomi Watts and Chris Cooper) are more than capable, but the film could be better.

DEMOLITION  2016     1 hour and 41 minutes      R         3 stars out of 5

Shattered by his wife's tragic death in a car crash, investment banker Davis Mitchell is rendered emotionally numb -- until his frustration with an uncooperative vending machine leads to an unlikely correspondence and some therapeutic destruction.

Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Naomi Watts, Chris Cooper

Movie #1231 ........................."A Man Called Ove"

Movie #1231 "A Man Called Ove" is a wonderful film, and I loved it!  So did Dave!  I had read the book for book club , and we all enjoyed the book, and this is a fine rendition of it.  Very little missing, and certainly got the story and more importantly the Ove character across to the audience.  This could be a successful t.v. series character, for sure (a la Doc Martin character, maybe?).  I don't want to give too much away, and esp. not why he acts the way he does ---- that's for the audience  to find out ---- but sufficeth it to say that his character is quirky but believable, and the film is filled with more believable characters who just annoy the heck out of Ove for one reason or another.  And there's a cat!  Isn't there always a cat?  And  the Story unfolds in a good way, smoothly moving in and out of flashbacks that give some background on this character named Ove.  Incidentally, the film is swedish and so there are subtitles, but you forget about them after awhile, which proves again how entertaining the movie is.  Highly recommended here ---- should be nominated for best foreign film, in my opinion.  But then, how they pick foreign films is much of a mystery to many of us and the powers that be make it pretty impossible to see any of them that are nominated anyway by not showing them in our American theaters ---- that has to change because there are some terrific foreign language films out there, and this one is a winner!

A MAN CALLED OVE    
2016     PG-13         5 stars out of 5

Despite being deposed as president of his condo's resident association, 59-year-old misanthrope Ove continues to plague his neighbors with dictatorial demands. But when Ove's new neighbor runs over his mailbox, the old crank finds he's met his match.

Cast: Rolf Lassgård, Bahar Pars, Filip Berg