Fog City Media Maven

The X-Files: I Want to Believe

2008-08-17T13:08:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed the X-Files television series. Not fanatically, like some, but I did enjoy it - especially the relationship between Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson). Throw in a little paranormal phenomena, conspiracies, and aliens and what's not to like? The show ran from September 1993 to May 2002 with a full-featured film produced in 1998. That was a good film. Just saying.

The X-Files: I Want to Believe takes place six years after the season finale. Scully is working as a doctor in a Catholic hospital (subtle) and Mulder is a hermit, entertaining himself by throwing pencils into the ceiling. The FBI promises Scully they will stop searching for Mulder if he helps with this one final case. She draws him in and soon they are in their familiar roles: he the believer, she the skeptic. I could go on in more detail but it really isn't necessary.

The director, Chris Carter, has stated he wanted this film to be stand-alone. No previous knowledge of the characters or their relationship or the premise of the TV series would be necessary to enjoy the movie. That is just plain silly. Who is going to see this film unless they were already fans? And if they are already fans, they will be sorely disappointed. The chemistry is still there but that is the actors doing, not the scriptwriters. Their child, William, gets one post-coital reference - not enough for fans and completely confusing for those not familiar with the series. Where are the aliens? MIA. Things that go bump in the night? Nada. The connection between the pedophile priest and one of his victims could be labeled paranormal, I suppose, but I want more in an X-File movie. This was just a creepy slasher film.

I won't give it a zero because I do like the franchise and the characters and the actors who portray them. And maybe they will redeem themselves with a third movie, kind of like Ocean's Thirteen. I have that kind of faith. I'm sure, if I give the movie a zero, that won't happen. So Mr. Carter...I give you a 5/10 just so you will work harder next time. Don't let it go to your head.

Mamma Mia

2008-08-08T22:11:00.000-07:00

So, do you ever read those smarmy romance novels or "beach" books and when someone asks you what you've read lately, you say something like "War and Peace" or The Bible rather than admit what you are spending your time on? Same thing with Mamma Mia! Proof is in the scores on RottenTomatoes.com where it gets a rating of 41% by critics but 74% from the RottenTomatoes community (no doubt anonymously). Few critics would actually recommend this film, but I'll bet far more of them actually enjoyed it!

Donna Sheridan (Meryl Streep) has a rustic, in-need-of-a-few-repairs inn on one of the Greek islands. Her daughter Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is getting married, and having snooped through her mother's old diaries, comes across three potential fathers for that walk down the aisle. She invites all three gentlemen from her mother's hippie past (Stellan Skarsgard as Bill, Pierce Brosnan as Sam, and Colin Firth as Harry) to her wedding, without telling her mother, and assumes she will know which one is her father by some magical look in his eyes or stars circling his head at the appropriate time. Throw in the wacky friends of Donna's (Christine Baranski as Tanya and Julie Walters as Rosie), boring friends of Sophie's and non-descript friends of the hottie groom (Dominic Cooper as Sky), and stir with liberal doses of ABBA music and out comes a delish tropical drink.

ABBA music is the sing-along kind, toe-tapping stuff. Most of it makes you smile but some of it can be pretty heavy stuff - The Winner Takes It All - is particularly haunting in context. I have heard this song many times but never really listened to it. Now I can't get it out of my head. Other familiar tunes include: Honey, Honey; Money, Money, Money; Dancing Queen; Take A Chance On Me; and of course, Mamma Mia. I'm just humming up a storm as I type this....

Meryl has a decent singing voice and can shake a leg without looking like a complete fool. As for all the negative press on Pierce Brosnan's singing abilities, just don't look at him while he's singing - he doesn't sound that bad but his face makes such contortions while he's warbling - like he thinks it is much worse than it is and he would much rather be anywhere else doing anything else.

The casting was interesting - the faces were unusual, not just a bunch of pretty smiles, especially with the supporting actors. They were all very good, particularly Amanda Seyfried. She was very believable as Meryl Streep's daughter. I think Colin Firth was the weakest of the three potential fathers. Not that he did a bad job, but that his character was rather poorly drawn. The plot is simplistic - you sure won't be getting a headache figuring out the plot. But basically, this is a musical - not up the caliber of Chicago, but people break out in song at the most unexpected places - just like they are supposed to in musicals!

Corny? Yup. Schmaltzy? Of course. Believeable? Not a chance. Worthwhile? Indeedy. Singalongable? Most definitely. And certainly very picturesque. I hear those islands calling my name.... 7.5/10

The Dark Knight

2008-07-31T21:10:00.000-07:00

In the extremely heated Superman vs Batman debate of my youth, I was always on the side of Superman. After all, he could see through things and fly and had that baby face. Whereas Batman was darker, lived closer to the edge, and had all that help (would Superman have an Albert - no, he was much too "everyman"). Superman was my innocent youth. But now I am firmly in the Batman camp. Maturity I guess. Now I look at Superman as kind of a wimp. But I digress.

A little history: Batman went from comic book icon to a mid-sixties camp tv series and movie. The series ran for two seasons with the movie released between the seasons. Adam West starred as Batman and this whole package was known by the Bam! Kapow! graphics and the trademark “Na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na Batman” theme song. Corny but popular. Thinking big, Tim Burton directed two much more adult versions in 1989 (Batman) and 1992 (Batman Returns), both starring Michael Keaton. It was this first version that had Jack Nickolson playing the Joker. Both of these movies were hugely popular and box-office successes. Joel Schumacher took over directorial duties in 1995 (Batman Forever) with Val Kilmer and repeated in 1997 (Batman & Robin) with George Clooney. A couple of flops despite stellar casts! Enter Christopher Nolan in 2005 to direct Batman Begins with Christopher Bale as Batman. The darkest and most adult production, this release more than made up for the two previous stinkers. Whew…all up to date.

This film opens with a bank robbery…just the thing to get ones juices flowing. The robbers are all wearing clown masks and as the robbery progresses and each particular task is completed, that clown gets blown away by the clown responsible for the next task. One would think the clowns would figure that out, and they finally do, but it is too late. By then, there is only one clown left – the Joker (Heath Ledger)! But the Joker isn’t robbing the bank for the money, he’s just messing with people! Specifically, the mob, who owns the bank. That’s it – no more plot spoilers from me – maybe just a little more background. I mean, it’s Batman. He goes against the Joker. Good versus evil. That’s all you need to know.

With so much press surrounding the performance of Ledger, it was a treat to see him so early in the movie. He commands the screen in every scene he is in. The violence is fast – sometimes I caught myself thinking ‘Hey wait – did that just happen? Where’s that pencil?” No doubt for the PG-13 rating, but it worked. It kept those in the audience on their toes! Batman (Christian Bale) is no slouch in the charisma department. He is my favorite Batman and goes toe-to-toe with Ledger’s interpretation of the Joker. Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) is Gotham City’s new district attorney and does an outstanding job. Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal, replacing Katie Holmes, thank you thank you thank you), one of the few who know of Batman’s real identity, is now dating Harvey. Also returning from Batman Begins are Lieutenant Gordon (Gary Oldman), valet Alfred (Michael Caine), and gadget guru Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman).

With so much territory to cover in this film, it plays out at 2 hours and 35 minutes. It is an intense ride. There was one slow stretch in the middle but maybe that’s just so the audience can catch it’s breath. The action scenes are terrific as is the cinematography. Batman has plenty of new gadgets, although I did miss the bat cave. The fancy new batmobile makes up for that! People die – don’t take the young’uns. The movie is dark and brooding, scary and threatening, and the sight of the Joker in his cute nurses outfit is reminiscent of Norman Bates in his little wig – initially funny but then incredibly disturbing. See it, you won’t be sorry! 9.5/10

Ps….ignore everything you’ve read about the Batman=Bush, “even us good guys have to do evil to fight evil” kind of propaganda. Especially how it relates to Fox and his spying “just this once”. It’s a Batman movie. Relax.

Wall-E

2008-07-24T23:55:00.000-07:00

I want to shout WALL-E the same way one shouts STELL-A (whew, showing my age), but Wall-E is much too humble for that kind of allocade.

Wall-E is Pixar's latest entry (after Toy Story/Toy Story 2, A Bug's Life, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, and Ratatouille) in the adult/kiddie animation crossover flicks. Fun enough for the kiddies but clever enough for the adults who do the driving, Wall-E is even more adult-oriented than their previous endeavors. It is about robots, after all...they don't talk much! Younger kids might have a bit of trouble keeping engrossed - but maybe I underestimate the little goobers.

In the future, a host of robots are assigned the task of cleaning up and storing all of Earth's trash. The earthlings have been temporarily relocated to spaceships in orbit awaiting notification that it is safe to return. As our story opens, Wall-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) is the last robot left and is seen toodling around Earth compacting the garbage into tidy little cubes which he then stacks to skyscraper-like proportions. But he has been doing it for so long (700 years), that he is now discriminating. Not everything gets bundled up - some "treasures" he takes back to his liar to enjoy later, ie a Rubik's cube, some Zippo lighters, a few rubber duckies, and a Hello Dolly VCR tape. Wall-E is clutzy, rusty, and just putters around with his only companion, a Jiminy Cricket-like cockroach. He has seen better days...when one of his parts breaks, he has a whole inventory of salvaged parts and simply self-repairs. While compacting his trash, he finds a plant. This goes into his "treasure" stash and the takes it back to his lair.

Breaking the monotony, one day a spaceship lands and drops off Eve (Extraterrestial Vegetation Evaluator) - she is sleek and high-tech and dangerous, everything that Wall-E is not. On his part, it is love at first sight. She, however, is only focused on her directive, which is to find life. Eve finds Wall-E's plant, tucks it into her sleek belly, and is ready to be picked up by the rocket ship. But Wall-E can't let her go! He attaches himself to the rocket and follows her into her world.

Once Wall-E and Eve reach the orbiting spacecraft, the movie opens up. We see what happens when human beings float around with nothing to do for 700 years and a whole new set of robot characters is introduced. My favorite, MO (Microbe Obliterator), follows Wall-E around like a mini-vacuum cleaner, sucking up all the dirt and debris he leaves in his wake. The story now switches to more action. The plight of the plant, the dilemmas these human beings find themselves in, and the tribulations of the star-crossed lovers.

This is a very sweet movie. Wall-E is a borderline piece of junk but obviously more emotionally evolved than slick, sleek Eve and has a few lessons to teach her. And the lessons for the audience? Don't litter! Don't guzzle too much, either internally (eating and drinking too much) or externally (over-consumption of material things). Don't sit around on you keester all day or sometime you might not be able to walk. Protect the Earth. Think green. Love each other. Have faith. Anti-fat? I don't think so. More anti-technology. Too much for the little ones? Once the action picks up, they will be fine. If your tot is advanced for his/her years (ask any parent, their child is in this category), he/she will be fine. Technically, this movie is marvelous. Some scenes, such as the outer space dance, are a visual feast. Since the first half is noticeably short on dialogue, the sound track has to take up the slack and it is more than up to the task. The whole thing is just beautifully done. I really really enjoyed this movie!! 9/10

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

2008-07-20T21:44:00.000-07:00

1981, 1984, 1989, 2008...what do these dates have in common? INDY!!! Why the lag between #3 and #4? Supposedly "to make sure the script is terrific". If that was the reason, they didn't wait long enough. Ok ok...maybe 19 years means my expectations were too high or my memories of the first three classics grew over that same period of time. But still. And if they think they can pass the franchise over to that young whippersnapper (get it, get it...if you are an Indy fan, you will), they have another think coming.

Back to basics. It is the late 1950’s and the Nazis are no longer our enemy. It’s those pesky Russians. We are first introduced to Professor Henry "Indiana" Jones (duh, Harrison Ford) by the shadow of his hat and his trademark theme song - nice touch. He is in trouble. Russian Colonel Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett) and her goons need Indy to identify a crate in Hanger 51 in the Nevada desert. He leads them to the crate & rides a rocket contraption into a nuclear test zone simulated town. Stretching the imagination, he manages to escape the bomb blast without being completely fried, and goes about his business. Unfortunately, his escapade in the desert with a spy flip-flopper has caused the FBI to take interest in his activities. He resigns his position at the local college while under investigation and in a snitty fit, goes to the local coffee house where he meets Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf). This young Fonzie-wannabe has information from an old associate of Indy’s and wants help interpreting the message. And off we go – searching for the crystal skull in the jungles of Peru.

Without giving away any more of the plot, I will say they meet up with Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) of the original Indy movie fame and it was fun seeing her again. There are plenty of things going for this latest sequel: they don’t avoid the fact that Indy is aging, rather they play it up. Cate Blanchett approaches, but never crosses the line into being cartoonish. There were a few groaner scenes, such as one where Indy goes eyeball to eyeball with the crystal skull. But the sizzle was gone. I never felt that anyone was in any real peril and none of the antagonists seemed that threatening or innately evil. That's what I want in an Indy movie! And non-stop thrills! Overall, I kept thinking of the video game which will undoubtedly be coming to stores near you soon. The rocket-riding, bomb-avoiding, vine-swinging, raft-riding, ant-stomping, and puzzle-solving skills necessary to get you to the treasure have WII/Playstation written all over them. I’m sorry, I wanted more. Both Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk gave me more. 5/10

Iron Man

2008-07-17T21:40:00.001-07:00

Tis the summer for the comic book movies! I have to admit, I had never heard of Iron Man but in doing my extensive research for this review, I discovered he first appeared in a Marvel Comic in March 1963. So that explains it...between my own personal comic book days and the buy-the-comics-for-my-sweet-little-boy days.

Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) is a gadgetry and weapons genius. He inherited his father's munitions company when his father mysteriously died and is now a kajillionaire. The movie opens with Tony bouncing around in a jeep in some Mideastern war zone. KABOOM!!! He wakes up to find himself hooked up to some mysterious device which includes a magnet to prevent the shrapnel from moving into Tony's heart. The terrorists want Tony to build them a new weapon...instead he builds himself a gigantic iron suit with a built-in reactor which will keep his heart protected and provide enough power to do all kinds of superpowered things. And so goes the story..the bad guys want the suit. Tony has been redeemed and wants to use his powers for good! The evilness is personified in the character of Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) who was Tony's fathers' business partner...and Tony's business partner as well. The eye candy is Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) who is surprisingly good as the efficient secretary/personal assistant/jeeves.

Lots of action even before the credits! I don't know how much of a stretch this was for Robert Downey, Jr. - it reminded me of the Jack Nickolson movies which seem to play him to type so much. I think Tony Stark and Robert Downey, Jr. have the same kind of personality but nonetheless, it was a perfect match. Developing his Iron Man suit and testing it out were humorous counterbalances to all the action. His joy at his first flight was hard to contain. The supporting actors were all terrific and the special effects were wonderful. The script was witty and moved along. The banter between Tony and Pepper was especially engaging. It was unusual to see someone become a superhero by his own curiosity and cunning rather than by an accident of birth or a spider bite and emphasized the fact that his most super power is his brain. Awesome summer fun! 9/10

The Incredible Hulk

2008-07-14T20:43:00.000-07:00

I confess...I was a BIG fan of the 1970's TV series with Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno. So when they showed the clip of Bill Bixby in his other TV series, The Courtship of Eddie's Father, and later security guard Lou appeared, I did giggle. And I wasn't much of a fan of the 2003 Hulk movie...so I went in with rather low expectations.

This movie picks up where the 2003 movie ends. Scientist Dr. Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) is living in obscurity, trying to find an antidote for his "condition", while also becoming an anger management devotee. Evil General Ross (William Hurt) has his goons scouring the planet for any information on where Bruce might be. Aha....a clue! While in Brazil, Banner is working in a bottling plant and accidentally his blood contaminates one of the bottles causing a little old man (Stan Lee, in another giggle) in Midwestern USofA to act Hulklike - a stretch of the imagination that this would lead General Ross right to his doorstep but hey, it's based on a comic book. Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), one of General Ross' soldiers, catches a glimpse of the Hulk while in pursuit in Brazil and wants him some of that magic juice. General Ross obliges. Not being safe in Brazil any longer, Banner returns to the states and reconnects with his long-lost love, Betty Ross (Liv Tyler), son of the evil General. So it the Hulk vs the Abomination (aka Blonsky) for the rest of the movie.

Exciting stuff!! Norton is a good Banner - cerebral like Bixby was. And Tim Roth was great as the over-the-hill soldier, looking for any kind of pick-me-up to extend his career. Liv Tyler was weak but that was the fault of the screenplay - there really wasn't anything there for her. There was a bit too much Beauty and the Beast with her character as well, although the sex scene was funny. There, that alone will cause you to rent it! William Hurt's portrayal of General Ross was also one-dimensional. He acted as though he was aware this was a comic book movie...big mistake! A bit over the top and corny. But Norton more than made up for the shortcomings of the others. There was a lot of terrific action interspersed with the introspection of poor Dr. Banner. I hope Norton does another one! 7/10

Sex and the City

2008-07-14T20:39:00.000-07:00

Based on HBO's 94 episode run which ended in March, 2004 this movie picks up after the real-time interval of four years. Same actors but same characters? I think not.

In the series, they were:
Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker): the insecure, fashion-conscious writer who was always drawn to the wrong men.
Samantha (Kim Cattrall): the independent, nymphomaniac who survived breast cancer.
Charlotte (Kristin Davis): the artistic, conservative one who longed for a husband and children.
Miranda (Cynthia Nixon): the career-minded attorney who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant and tries to balance it all.

And the guys:
Mr.Big (Chris Noth): Carrie's bad boy boyfriend.
Smith (Jason Lewis): Samantha's boy toy.
Harry (Evan Handler): Charlotte's nebbish husband.
Steve(David Eigenberg): Miranda's bartender husband.

* * * SPOILERS BELOW * * *

Okay...those were the descriptions from the series. But what happened? In the movie, Carrie is shallow - only focusing on her wedding and ignoring the signals from Mr. Big, who is notoriously skitterish when it comes to commitment! Samantha - would she really give up life in the Big Apple to devote herself to Smith and his career? Doubtful! Sure she had other clients, but he was her main focus. Would the Samantha of old get angry if Smith was late for dinner...posh. Moving on to Charlotte - she just plain lost 80% of her intelligence! She became cutsie and little-girlish and not at all the Charlotte of the series. Sure, she was always the "sweet" one but in the movie, she became the "dumb" one. One of the best parts of the series was that there was no "dumb" one. And Miranda - she was the one most consistent with her series character but she would NEVER have said what she said to Mr. Big and then not tell Carrie about it. Especially when she saw the results of her outburst.

And the guys?
Mr. Big turned into a wuss. Blink and you would miss Smith (who has not aged gracefully - meow). Blink a second time and you would miss Harry - who did remain 100% consistent with his series character. And Steve would never have confessed the way he did - he was too smitten with Miranda.

So what does this all mean? To me, it means sloppy writing. It was like they got so excited to have all the principals on board, that they scribbled out the screenplay too fast. The shell was there, but the nuances were missing. Of course, the series had 6 years to establish those nuances, but I think they rushed this screenplay.

For those who were into the fashion, that was all there. A bit too much for me. I enjoyed the fashion being a by-product of the plot - not being the plot. Seeing Carrie endlessly modeling old clothes as she cleaned out her closet or trying on wedding dress after wedding dress after wedding dress - it just went on too long! And New York City was such a big part of the series. I think Sarah Jessica Parker once said the the city was the fifth lady. Not so much in the movie. I didn't get any kind of feel for the vibrancy of the city.

So for me, a 6/10. Had I not been a fan of the series and seen this movie cold, I would have wondered what the hoopla was about! And I don't think I would have liked any of the characters - in that case I would give it a 3/10. And to think they are considering a sequel....

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

2008-07-14T19:26:00.000-07:00

In the Superbad and Knocked Up tradition, this comedy may not be one for Grandma or it may be just her cup of tea, depending on your Grandma. Starring Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis, Bill Hader, and Paul Rudd with direction from Nick Stoller, this film is based on the age old guy-has-girl, guy-loses-girl, guy-meets-new-girl, should-guy-go-back-to-old-girl-or-stay-with-new-girl premise.

The movie begins with bored composer Peter (Jason Segel, who also wrote the screenplay) being unceremoniously dumped by his TV star girlfriend Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell). The breakup scene is one of many which will cause Grandma to either reach for the smelling salts or adjust her bifocals as Jason Segel wrote a surprising number of personal "au natural" scenes. Unbearably depressed, and unwilling to accept her rejection, he embarks on a series of miserable one-night stands between attempts at winning Sarah back. Finally he goes to Hawaii to get away from it all only to meet Sarah and her new boyfriend vacationing at the same resort. Mayhem ensues.

Everyone has been here. The heartbreak, the what-ifs, the pitying looks from friends and family as they wish you would just "get on with things". But the characters push this movie into the above-average territory. Sarah's new boyfriend Aldous (Russell Brand) is every ex-boyfriends nightmare and is amazing. At first he seems to be a caricature but as the film progesses, he presents more layers and became my favorite character. Old story but new twists and told from the male point of view. While this may be billed as a romantic comedy and therefore be lumped into the chick-flick category, it is definitely told from the male point of view. As a matter of fact, the female characters are the most weakly drawn...this is a dude-flick all the way. Funny, raunchy, pitiful, hopeful - words that describe the main character as well as the movie. 8/10

The Other Boleyn Girl

2008-03-06T21:23:00.000-08:00

I do love the well-done period piece.

But there was something lacking in this one. Based on the book of the same name by Philippia Gregory, it was an ambitious work. Whenever a huge book is translated to the screen, something must be cut but this was a major shift in emphasis. In one of the opening scenes, Anne Boleyn (Natalie Portman) refers to herself as "The Other Boleyn Girl" when talking to her sister Mary (Scarlett Johansson) on Mary's wedding day. The emphasis in the book was on Mary - her romances, her marriages, her affair with King Henry VIII, and her relationships with other members of her family and the court. The movie focuses on Anne but by necessity, shortcuts and streamlines a long and vital part of English history into a very compressed version of girl-after-king, girl-gets-king, girl-has-baby-girl, girl-loses-head. Oops...hope I didn't spoil it for you.

Everyone knows the story. The book certainly took some controversial liberties, which were expanded upon in the movie. I have no qualms with that part - it is a fictional work and might pique one's interest in doing some actual research to determine what is truthful and what is speculation. Did Anne really sleep with her brother? Did she want to? Were those children of Mary's really Henry's? If so, were they not in line for the throne because of their illegitimacy? If that's the case, why was Uncle Norfolk suggesting Anne get pregnant as a mistress as well? But there was too much to squeeze into one movie! The Tudors on Showtime is going into its second season on the same timeframe. Even if the focus were to switch to Anne, there is so much juicy stuff about her rise in the court, her seduction of the king, her coronation, and her time as queen which was ignored. Time was all skewed...it seemed like just a blink between her marriage and her death.

Natalie Portman as Anne delivered the goods. She was smart, seductive, and aware of her situation. The scene where she delivers a daughter, tells it all - her eyes and her face expressed her disappointment and fear as well as her love for her daughter. She went a bit over the top in her final scene, but she was losing her head, after all. While Eric Bana played a young, vigorous king, he lacked any strength of personality. His split from the Pope and the creation of the Church of England was touched on way too lightly considering the effect on England's history. He was somewhat of a bland character...not regal at all! Scarlett Johansson was miscast as the innocent Mary. I say "innocent" because that's how she was portrayed in both the book and the movie. Historically, her reputation isn't quite as pure. Her constantly downcast eyes and bashful demeanor didn't quite ring true for me.

There was too much ground to cover for this movie to have any depth - it had to be about the sisters (hence the title) but those two had very full, complex lives. Maybe it should have focused on the rise in "The Other Boleyn Girl - The Early Years" followed by "The Other Boleyn Girl - The Rest Of The Story"! High points for the technical aspect (cinematography and costumes) but low points for screenplay. 6/10

In Bruges

2008-03-06T20:35:00.000-08:00

Quirky!

But fun! Hit men Ray (Colin Farrell) and Ken (Brendan Gleeson) are sent to Bruges, Belgium after a botched hit. One is determined to enjoy the sights and take advantage of the opportunity to spend time in such a historic city while the other, a city-boy out of his element, is bored, frustrated, and feeling guilty about the hit. While killing time (get the pun?), they encounter an array of un-pc characters who lead them on their path to redemption. Or do they?

Ralph Fiennes comes in halfway through the movie as their boss Harry. He is hysterical! And so out of character - everything he says is clipped and bitter. The supporting characters were off the wall! Ray was fascinated with the "midget" in town making a movie and became somewhat of a groupie. And Bruges looked like a place I would like to visit! Ray and his interaction with the American tourists was classic, and the reference to them in a later scene was a treat for the audience.

The only problem I had with this movie was the accents. I think both Farrell and Gleeson fed off each other and sometimes the Irish was just too thick to understand. There were a couple of scenes, where they talked with lower voices, that I had no clue as to what they were saying.

One of those flicks that sticks with you - it will make you giggle the next day when you are relecting about what an odd movie that was! 8/10

There Will Be Blood

2008-02-19T23:13:00.000-08:00

Based on Upton Sinclair's 1927 novel "Oil", this movie is a one-man show. Daniel Day-Lewis carries the whole movie on his shoulders and the only other actor who is his match is a child.

In 1898 Daniel Plainview is a lone minor trying to find a silver strike. The movie goes for almost 12 minutes with us watching his solitary early trials. With a broken leg, he drags his nuggets to the assayers and makes enough to stake his next claim. A few years later, he finds oil rather than silver. In the beginning, he seems focused, hardworking, and caring when tending to a child orphaned by a mining accident. Fast forward a few more years, and Plainview is all business. Capitalism at its worst: buy low - sell high; take what you can get from the little guy. He now tries to swindle people out of their land so he can drill for oil and make money hand over fist. Along the way, he tries to con faith healer Eli Sunday (Paul Dano of Little Miss Sunshine fame) and his parents out of the oil rights to their property. Trouble ensues. Tensions mount. New characters pop in for a visit. A brother - from a different mother. More trouble. More tensions. Let's all go bowling.

See...spoiler-free! There were many pluses. I think movies should sweep you away to a different time or place or situation. This one certainly was successful there. I could almost smell the oil shooting out of the ground. The poverty of the early 1900s was palpable. When Plainview was scouting a new site and the family offered him water, goats' milk, and a potato, you knew things were tough. The film captured the work ethic of the times but completely glossed over the roles of women. It was almost a stag film! The cinematography was terrific and it captured the spirit of the time and place. I even enjoyed watching the progression of his one-man mining operation to the massive drills Plainview engineers.

The minuses: the score completely unnerved me. I don't want the music to tell me when I should tense up or relax, sit forward or back, or generally treat me like a nincompoop. I found it discordant and screechy. Since seeing the movie, I did a bit of googling on the score, since I found it so annoying. Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead was the one responsible. Apparently, one either loved it or hated it - there were no in-betweens. You know my vote.

I was also disappointed with the performance of Paul Dano. While I understand it would be tough to be going mano-to-mano with Daniel Day-Lewis, I don't think he was up to the task. His scenes were the most emotionally packed but seemed fairly one-sided.

Overall, it was too long. I'm glad I saw it but wouldn't see it again - an Oscar test for me. 6/10

Breaking Bad

2008-02-19T22:54:00.000-08:00

Breaking Bad is a new AMC series...nice original programming while we wait to see what the writers can churn out post-strike. The premise is the life and times of a high school chemistry teacher Walter White (Bryan Cranston of Malcolm in the Middle) who finds out he has terminal lung cancer. With a disabled son and a pregnant wife, he is desperate to earn some quick cash. An unfortunate run-in with one of his less than stellar ex-pupils (Jesse Pinkman played by Aaron Paul) causes these two strange bedfellows to team up in the meth business; Mr. Whilte in manufacturing and Jesse in marketing. Just to add a bit of spice to the mix, Walter's loud-mouthed brother-in-law is a DEA agent.

While advertised as a drama, it is a drama in the mold of Boston Legal. These two unlikely business partners are constantly thrown by the situations they are in and their total lack of understanding of each other. To say Jesse is as dumb as a stump is giving him credit. And he is a bit too involved with the merchandise.

Three episodes are now under my belt and I have to say I enjoyed them. The characters are original and very well developed. And certainly the plots are noting like I have ever seen before. No one is really that likable but perhaps that makes it easier to laugh at them. Imagine the doomed chemistry teacher in an illegal business with his worst nightmare. Plenty of chuckles right there! I would give this one a 7/10

The Painted Veil

2008-02-02T21:41:00.000-08:00

Here is an OnDemand (or NetFlix) treat!

Released in 2007, the movie stars Edward Norton and Naomi Watts in an adaption of W. Somerset Maugham's novel. English bacteriologist Dr. Walter Fane (Norton) marries spoiled socialite Kitty Garsten (Watts) in the early 1920's. While he thinks he is madly in love with her (after a glance across a crowded room), she marries him only to get away from her overbearing mother. He works for the government and they immediately move to Shanghai. Kitty then becomes romantically involved in affair with Charles Townsend (Liev Schreiber), a married diplomat. When Dr. Fane discovers the betrayal, he tells Kitty she must move with him to a small village to help contain the cholera epidemic or face a very public divorce.

Beautiful scenery - great acting...even the minor characters are well-written and developed. It was a nice treat to see Diana Rigg as the nun! I was also fascinated from a historical perspective - seeing how the Chinese resented the "interference" from the English doctor and the struggle he had with that when he knew his motives were pure. Hey George... maybe you should watch this movie! I don't think you would get the "pure motives" part though.

Romance, morality, history, scenery, great actors - terrific way to spend a couple of hours. I don't really understand why this movie didn't get more play. And as an added bonus, Edward Norton's bare buns! That alone gives it a couple of extra points! 9/10

The Number 23

2008-02-02T21:23:00.000-08:00

Ok...the writer's strike is still on so I have to stoop to some OnDemand movies that I would never have spent money on. Sometimes I find a treat. This time I didn't.

The Number 23 stars Jim Carrey and Virginia Madsen. An odd pairing but I've enjoyed both actors in other films. However, this movie is so complicated that one should see it twice to pick up all the nuances. But it is so bad, that one doesn't want to see it twice. I mean, it's bad enough seeing it once. With The Sixth Sense, it was fun seeing it again - to make sure there was continuity with "the ghost". I just don't care that much with The Number 23.

And it is rather insulting the way they keep coming up with 23. I mean really - everyone knows you are supposed to add up all digits to come up with one digit. As far as I'm concerned, 23 is really 5. You can't be indiscriminately taking months and days and years and times to come up with 23 - give me a break.

Skipping all the 23 nonsense and assuming that this is just a story about obsession and that the number 23 just happens to be HIS obsession, it still pushes credulity. That would imply the rest of the story makes sense when it really doesn't. People stabbing themselves in the throat, doggies remembering where bodies are buried from 15 years ago - sorry, no sale.

Apologies for not delving more into the plot with this movie but I just can't go there. Believe me, I'm saving you 98 minutes by telling you to skip this movie! 0/10

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Ep #2)

2008-01-31T22:32:00.000-08:00

Skip it. Short and sweet. Save your time. Watch BBC's Life on Mars instead. Or rent The Wire. Or read a book.

The Bucket List

2008-01-14T11:20:00.000-08:00

I saw this movie with low expectations. The trailers showed Jack being Jack and Morgan being Morgan. But it was a treat seeing them play off of each other. I could have done without the narration by Morgan - I think he's done that a few too many times. Is it in his contract that he has to do the voice over?

Anyway, Jack was Jack but he was an older, sadder, chubbier Jack which was film-appropriate. His character showed some vulnerablitity which is usually lacking in his films.

Some of the items on the bucket list were a bit strange. "Laugh til you cry" - who hasn't done that? If you haven't, I doubt you would think of it to put it on a list. And when they had the laugh, it seemed very contrived - could see it coming from the first scene in the movie. No plot surprises, smaltzy and corny - somewhat of a guilty pleasure. Overall theme (find joy) a good one but I think more could have been done with these two lions. 6/10

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

2008-01-13T23:49:00.000-08:00

Do we really need this? That said, I don't think it stood alone. But maybe there is no one in the universe who isn't familiar with the Terminator series. If there are, I think they would be confused. If there aren't, they know the kid isn't in any danger...since he survives to make future Terminator movies! Am I being too logical?

Anyway, the casting was interesting. Not typical "pretty boy" actors. Very interesting faces - except for the bad-robot-dude...he was lousy. Cameron (gee, where did they come up with that name) was particularly intriguing. If they made robots that now eat, one would think they could now smile as well, better to assimilate.

Lots of action, interesting plot. The whole bank scene was quite clever. Some misplaced attempts at humor, or maybe some of the jokes just fell flat to me. After all, there's no Ahnuld! I'll give it another shot but haven't given it a season pass yet. 6.5/10