Movie #248........................."Toy Story 3"

Movie #248 "Toy Story 3" is a wow film!!!!!! from the opening 10 minutes to the very end, it is rip roaring fun ---- maybe better than the first, and if you know me, I have always held the first one in the highest esteem. You read it here first! "Toy Story 3" will be nominated in the best picture category, and for my money, I haven't seen any previous 2010 movie better than this! I don't want to give too much away, but it's fit for every age, shape and form -----highlights include a brief homage to the Great Escape, Stalag 17, and, of course, Cool Hand Luke!!!!!!! There's romance, action adventure, dance, fighting, crying, hugging, pieces of Mr. and Mrs. Potato head strewn about ---- just about everything you can imagine, all rolled into a gift package for 4th of July fun from Pixar!!! Make sure you see this one. And, you know, you don't have to see it in 3D. Not a must, and I liked that, too. Oh, and leave it to Disney/Pixar to come out with a powerful indictment of the partisan way of politics these days (at least that's my take on the short that preceded the feature film) with their short: "Night and Day" (not to be confused with the T. Cruise one out at the same time) And what they say in that film needed to be said, and NEEDS TO BE SAID EVERY DAY until we can work together to come up with solutions to fix what's wrong with our society. But Disney does it so much better than feeble words put down in a blog like this! Go see it. It's a must!





Average rating: 4.531
I gave it 5 stars.
Toy Story 3
(2010) G
In this installment of the hit Pixar animated adventure, toy cowboy Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks), his astronaut pal, Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), and their friends cope with their owner's departure for college -- and their new home in a daycare center. Lee Unkrich directs this family film that features the voices of Joan Cusack, John Ratzenberger, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, Ned Beatty, Jodi Benson and Estelle Harris.

Movie #247 ........................."Treeless Mountain"

Movie #247 "Treeless Mountain" concern these two adorable little sisters (the oldest is 6 and very undemonstrative) left alone to fend for themselves. Really, the synopsis from netflix is all it's about ------and although it is poignant in parts, oftentimes the camera is somewhere else from where I wanted to be ----- it was so much a slice of life, that I wanted so much more to the story. The director also edited the film, and I think that was a mistake, because the camera is way too slow. And as adorable these kids are, and how sad their lives are, it doesn't sustain a lot of interest in this watcher. One can see just so many grasshoppers caught, and the eldest daughter is way too quiet for my money. I know it's her major trait, but it gets tedious to watch the same expressions one frame to the next. I saw a movie about Italian kids a while back, who shared shoes so they could go to school, and it was so much better than this.





You rated this movie: 3.0
Treeless Mountain
(2008) NR
Sisters Jin (Hee-yeon Kim) and Bin (Song-hee Kim) must fend for themselves when their mother abruptly packs her things, leaving the girls in the care of their alcoholic aunt (Mi-hyang Kim) without a word as to when she'll return. In a tale of innocence lost, the sisters try to make sense of their mother's absence. But in the meantime, 6-year-old Jin will be forced to mature far beyond her tender years. So Yong Kim writes and directs.

Movie #246........................."Radio"

Movie #246 "Radio" is based on an article for sport illustrated about this guy nicknamed "Radio" in a South Carolina town who blossoms under the guidance of a coach who takes him under his wing. He becomes a mascot for the team, and ends up teaching everyone a lesson in tolerance. It's a bit schmaltzy in parts, but the acting is so good (esp. Ed Harris) that I think it works. I've had this in my Queue from a few years ago, and I'm glad I finally got to it because it is a very inspirational film. It certainly proves that if you believe in someone, he can move mountains. Good soundtrack, too.




Average rating: 3.859
I gave it 4 stars
Radio
(2003) PG
A small-town high school football coach (Ed Harris) befriends a developmentally disabled man (Cuba Gooding Jr.) nicknamed "Radio," who has always been the target of jokes and teasing, in this heartwarming drama based on the real-life experiences of James Robert Kennedy. Although their friendship raises eyebrows at first, Radio's growth under the coach's guidance ultimately inspires the local townsfolk to think differently about being different.

Movie #245........................."Cache" (Hidden)

Movie #245 "Cache" is a very stylish film. It's all about how hidden things in our lives are. So sometimes what you see isn't reality what you see. For example, the opening you are watching a screen with a house on the streets of Paris and two cars parked in front --- we are watching this for about 1 minute or so, then we hear voices of a man and woman asking questions --- and then the screen shows fast forward through the picture to something else............very stylish, because we were actually watching a videotype that was sent through the mail to them. The film is full of moments like these, which make it an intriguing movie to watch. All up until its ambiguous last scene. See what you think ----- and if you ever see, let me know your interp --- should make for interesting conversation with others. I liked this and recommend it, and Julliette Binoche is always fun to watch.



Average rating: 3.142
I rated it 4 stars
Caché
Hidden
(2005) R
Winner of the Cannes Best Director Award, Michael Haneke's psychological thriller centers on wealthy French couple Georges (Daniel Auteuil) and Anne (Juliette Binoche), who begin receiving threatening videotapes and phone calls that threaten to ruin their relationship. Georges realizes who the perpetrator is but refuses to tell Anne. Yet childhood flashbacks reveal the mystery, a story that illuminates France's damaged relations with Algeria.

Movie #244........................."Beyond Belief"

Movie #244 "Beyond Belief" was an excellent documentary (though 30 minutes too long) about these two very different women bonding through grief. What a positive message this film and their Beyond 11th organization sends out ------to help all the widows in afghanistan, of which there are many. It reminded me of the "Three Cups of Tea" and I thought through this film, wouldn't it be amazing if all these groups came together and became a power too big to disregard. That's my wish. If you are interested in what it is like in Afghanistan in 2007 for women, esp., check this film out. Very intriguing.










Average rating: 3.727
I gave it 4 stars
Beyond Belief
(2006) NR
Two strangers, Patti Quigley and Susan Retik, formed a common bond in their grief when both lost their husbands on Sept. 11, 2001. This documentary chronicles how the two coped with their unimaginable loss, traveling to Afghanistan to meet women there who were also widowed by violence. Director Beth Murphy follows Quigley and Retik as they discover that they share a kinship with their Middle Eastern counterparts, even though they're worlds apart.

Movie #243 ........................."A Walk to Beautiful"

Movie #243 "A Walk to Beautiful" was way too long for what it was about, and it was only 53 minutes. Its constant repetition got in the way of what could have been a powerful movie ---- it only followed one woman and not three as the blurb below says, and it got boring because the film kept repeating her rather thin story. The filming of Ethiopa was beautiful and I learned about the topic, but I could have read about it and it would have taken less time. I don't recommend this. I'm not sure why it was in my queue because someone must have recommended it, but I don't.



Average rating: 4.113
I gave this 2 stars.
Our best guess for DONNA: 4.3 stars
Average of 27,690 ratings: 4.1 stars
A Walk to Beautiful
2007NR53 minutes
In Ethiopia, a country with few hospitals and even fewer roads that lead to them, three women are on a journey to rebuild their lives after suffering devastating losses in childbirth. When the women survive but their babies do not, they are summarily shunned by their families. Now, they must make their way to a hospital in Addis Ababa, where they hope to receive treatment for fistula, a condition caused by obstructed labor during childbirth.

Movie #242........................."Ira & Abby"

Movie #242 "Ira & Abby" is a good romantic comedy because it offers something different to the genre -----the art of surprise because just when I thought I knew where it was going, I was surprised. And it made some good statements about the failings of the institution of marriage, and how hard it is to be truthful in this day and age, about love at first sight, the use of marriage counsellors and counselling vs. analyzing, and overall what makes a good marriage. Along with comedy and two very winning main characters, one of which wrote the script. Fred Willare, Frances Conroy, Robert Klein and Judith Light are the two sets of parents, and that added to the worth of the film, as well. Very enjoyable and believable in most of the situations.










Average rating: 3.222
I gave it 4 stars
Ira & Abby
(2006) R
A wry look at the insanity of married life, this offbeat comedy follows the ups and downs of a whirlwind romance between the brilliant yet neurotic Ira Black (Chris Messina) and the free-spirited but flaky Abby Willoughby (Jennifer Westfeldt). Hastily married after knowing each other for only a few short hours, Ira and Abby battle a series of misadventures that forces them to question just how real their love is.