Movies Blog : reviews

"Moon" and the David Bowie connection

MediaPhile@evpl — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:48:00 GMT

Did you know that the director of the recently relased DVD "Moon" -- Duncan Jones (also known as Zowie or Joey) -- is the son of David Bowie?

Which is especially intriguing because "Moon" is the ethereal tale of a lonely man finishing up a three-year stint as the sole operator of a mining operation on the far side of the moon. Sound familiar?

All Sam (Sam Rockwell) wants is to go home to his loving wife and three-year-old daughter. But instantaneous two-way communication is down (mysteriously) so all he can do is leave messages and watch videos sent by her in reply.

When a mining machine malfunctions and he has to go out to fix it, things start getting really wierd. His faithful robot companion (voiced by Kevin Spacey) is no help as far as providing answers, although he assures him that a rescue crew is on the way.

One wonders if David Bowie's classic song "Ground Control to Major Tom" was reverberating in Jones' head as he made this really classy flick that got a whopping 89% on rottentomatoes.com. For those of you unfamiliar with it (or those who need a refresher), here are the lyrics:

Ground control to Major Tom Ground control to Major Tom:
Take your protein pills and put your helmet on
Ground control to Major Tom: Commencing countdown engine's on
Check ig-nition and may God's love be with you

This is ground control to Major Tom, you've really made the grade!
And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear,
Now it's time to leave the capsule if you dare

This is Major Tom to ground con-trol, I'm stepping through the door
And I'm floating in the most peculiar way 
And the stars look very difeerent today

For here am I sitting in a tin can, far above the world
Planet Earth is blue and there's nothing I can do

BRIDGE

Though I'm passed one hundred thousand miles, I'm feeling very still
And I think my spaceship knows which way to go, 
tell my wife I love her very much she knows

Ground control to Major Tom: 
Your circuit's dead, there's something wong.
Can you hear me Major Tom? 
Can you hear me Major Tom? 
Can you hear me Major Tom? Can you ...

Here am I floating round my tin can, far above the moon
Planet Earth is blue and there's nothing I can do

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Toni Collette wins Golden Globe for "United States of Tara"

MediaPhile@evpl — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:17:00 GMT

Having always been a Toni Collette fan, I was happy to hear that she was the star of a new Showtime series. I was even happier when the first season of "United States of Tara" arrived at the libraries on DVD.

Collette, who is Australian by the way (I didn't know that), played the mom in "The Sixth Sense." She also played the mom in "Little Miss Sunshine." Once again she plays a mom, but this time she is split into 4 parts.

Yes, she has dissociative identity disorder -- which (shades of "Sybil") used to be known as multiple personality disorder. As the series starts, she and her family have just agreed that the drugs she is taking are not worth the side-effects, and she is off her meds.

Collette is magnificent at morphing into the various personalities. In fact, the four-time nominee just took home the Golden Globe for leading actress in a comedy TV series.

Rounding out the cast are John Corbett (the nice guy who Carrie leaves on "Sex and the City" -- still a really really nice guy) as her husband Max, Kier Gilchrist as son Marshall, Brie Larson as daughter Kate, and Rosemarie DeWitt as sister Charmaine. Each family member is unique and a bit flawed but they all soldier on, with humor and grace.

Give this one a try. The second season just started in January.

Easy Virtue

KickinLibrarian@evpl — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:55:00 GMT

I am a huge fan of Colin Firth. I might question his decision to make films such as What a Girl Wants, but he easily redeems himself with performances in Love Actually, Then She Found Me, and now Easy Virtue. In this movie, Firth plays the distant father and husband of an English family living in a crumbling estate. Firth’s character returned home after wandering around Europe following WWI as part of the Lost Generation. He now hides in his family’s shed repairing an old motorcycle and avoiding his family and their problems. He pops up throughout the movie with sardonic wit and repressed feelings.

Easy Virtue was adapted from a Noel Coward play set in the late 1920s. Jessica Biel plays American racecar driver, Larita, who steals the heart of English heir, John (played by Ben Barnes). The two marry and head to the family's English estate. Larita faces the scorn of her new mother-in-law who had plans for her son to marry the wealthy neighbor girl. Kristin Scott Thomas does an excellent job as the mother fighting against her daughter-in-law for her son's attention and affection. Larita's only allies come in the form of the family's servants and father-in-law (Firth). Once her past scandals come to surface, however, Larita must decide if she will stay with John or leave him and his family behind.

I loved the music, costumes, and actors in Easy Virtue. This movie slipped my attention before landing on the library shelves, so I guess many others may have missed it as well. Check it out- highly recommended.

Sunshine Cleaning

KickinLibrarian@evpl — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:24:00 GMT

Rose and Norah were little girls when their little mother died. They both came in from playing in the yard to find their mom dead in the bathroom, an apparent suicide. As the two girls grow up, that day shapes their lives. Rose is a single mother working hard as a house cleaner to raise her son, while having an affair with her married high school sweetheart. Norah is a party girl. She doesn't have a boyfriend, drinks all the time, and can't hold a job. Their father is a quirky man always looking for a get-rich-quick scheme.

After Rose's son is expelled from school and a reunion with her high school friends approaching, Rose convinces Norah to start a crime scene cleaning business with her. Hilarity ensues as the two women struggle to learn the ropes of cleaning up grisly crime scenes, but there is an underlying seriousness as well. With their new business taking off, both Rose and Norah have to come to grips with what happen to their mother all those years ago and figure out what they want out of their own lives.

Fans of Little Miss Sunshine will like this movie with the quirky characters, humor, but a serious storyline as well. I laughed out loud and cried a few times as well. Highly recommended.

"Hot Fuzz" a modern spoof film worth watching

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:20:00 GMT

While channel surfing several weekends ago, I happened upon Naked Gun 33 1/3 airing on Comedy Central. I used to love the Naked Gun series, with Leslie Nielsen portraying a bumbling Lieutenant Frank Drebin. It made me recall some of the other "classic" (I use that word subjectively) spoof films of the late 80s and early 90s, like Spaceballs, Hot Shots!, and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. Okay, so none of these movies are all that great, but I still enjoy them to this day. And it's not just from nostalgia-goggles...the lame, in-your-face comedy cracks me up.

I then thought about the current state of the spoof movie...and it's a bit painful. From the Scary Movie's to Meet the Spartans to Superhero/Date/Epic/Disaster Movie, things have come a long way. In my opinion (and on IMDB & Rotten Tomatoes), most of these movies are unwatchable. But someone's watching them, as they all make millions (and Sci-Fi Movie & Scary Movie 5 are in the works).

It was there, in the midst of that frightening darkness, that I recalled a beacon of hope...a 2007 film called Hot Fuzz. I rewatched it to get the bad taste out of my mouth and was amazed...a modern spoof movie that's witty & funny!

Hot Fuzz, in a nutshell, is a spoof on the "buddy cop" movie (i.e. Rush Hour, Bad Boys) from the guys that created Shaun of the Dead (a romantic comedy, with zombies!). Here's the official plot summary, better than what I could come up with:

Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is the finest cop London has to offer, with an arrest record 400% higher than any other officer on the force. He's so good, he makes everyone else look bad. As a result, Angel's superiors send him to a place where his talents won't be quite so embarrassing - the sleepy and seemingly crime-free village of Sandford.

Once there, he is partnered with the well-meaning but overeager police officer Danny Butterman (Nick Frost). The son of amiable Police Chief Frank Butterman, Danny is a huge action movie fan and believes his new big-city partner might just be a real-life "bad boy," and his chance to experience the life of gunfights and car chases he so longs for. Angel is quick to dismiss this as childish fantasy and Danny's puppy-like enthusiasm only adds to Angel's growing frustration.

However, as a series of grisly accidents rocks the village, Angel is convinced that Sandford is not what it seems and as the intrigue deepens, Danny's dreams of explosive, high-octane, car-chasing, gunfighting, all-out action seem more and more like a reality. It's time for these small-town cops to break out some big-city justice.

This movie is absolutely hysterical! Pegg & Frost always work great together, and Hot Fuzz continues that trend. Their dialogue, characterization, everything is A+! Every "buddy cop" and over-the-top action movie cliche is taken on here. Whether it's the humorously-overdone gore, the hilariously-brilliant plot you won't see coming, the insane gunfight at the end, the FOUR cliffhanger endings, or "firing your gun in the air and yelling 'aaaahhhhh!!!'" (ala Point Break), you will laugh profusely while watching this movie. Unless you have a condition that prevents you from laughing.

Below is a short clip of one of my favorite scenes. If you find yourself laughing, you owe it to yourself to watch the whole movie!

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More Information

Library Catalog: Check the availability of Hot Fuzz on DVD. The EVPL has widescreen and fullscreen versions.
Theatrical Trailer: Check out the theatrical trailer for a glimpse of the humor, guns, & gore.
User Reviews: The movie has an 8.0/10 rating on IMDB and a 90% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

"Dexter" season 3

MediaPhile@evpl — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 21:42:00 GMT

The lovable serial killer/blood spatter anaylyst with a Code of Ethics (he only kills killers) is back!

This time Dexter makes a friend! It is, unfortunately, Miami Assistant D.A. Miguel Prado, played by Jimmy Smits. Can Dexter keep his secrets but continue his mission? Turns out that A.D.A. Prado has through the years compiled his own hit list, and he enlists Dexter's advice on carrying out his personal vendettas.

Then there is Dexter's domestic situation. Can a secret killer also make a good father and husband? His angelic girlfriend thinks so. But will marriage cramp his style?

Michael C. Hall, who delighted us as the gay undertaker in turmoil in "Six Feet Under" easily slipped into Dexter's shoes. It is sheer pleasure just to watch him act. Another high point of the series is Jennifer Carpenter, who plays Dexter's tomboyish adopted sister Debra, a woman who knows how to speak her mind. In real life Hall married Carpenter in January 2009.

Just a note: don't even THINK of watching Season 3 until you have seen the first two seasons. (And be sure to stick with the first season through at least 4 episodes before passing judgment -- Dexter DOES develop a conscience!)

Looking for Family Friendly Movies?

Shh_ImReading@evpl — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:47:00 GMT

I'm often asked to recommend family-friendly movies. This is really not my area of expertise. I don't have kids of my own to consider when choosing a movie and my own childhood experiences are sort of complicated since it didn't seem to occur to my dad that maybe some movies aren't good for kids and my mom usually concentrated on getting us to read or go play outside. Since I'm not much help in this area, perhaps The Dove Foundation can be. Their website rates movies in specific categories like sex, language, violence, drugs and nudity. Titles that have received their Family Approved seal are clearly marked. They also note what ages a movie is appropriate for. For example, I noticed several approved titles that were said to be best for children 12 and older.

"Let the Right One In": a Swedish vampire flick

MediaPhile@evpl — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 21:58:00 GMT

A Swedish vampire flick, you say? Impossible -- there is no such genre!

But here it is in the flesh. And it turns out that it not only netted a whopping 97% rating on rottentomatoes.com but "Cloverfield" director Matt Reeves is making an American version to be released in 2010.

So is it worth all the hype? Well, yes and no.

I am of the opinion that American filmmaking is so good that it is hard to find a "foreign" flick that rivals our productions technologically -- in cinematography, editing, special effects, sound quality, etc. Our acting and directing techniques are also quite polished. And, of course, a ton of money is poured into most American productions, and money talks in alot of ways.

That said, this film -- in Swedish with English dubbing -- has a striking and inventive plot, an increasingly forbidding atmosphere, and two marvelous child actors -- the blonde (almost Albino) Oskar and the dark mysterious Eli who moves in next door. So what if some of the minor characters can't act and the set designs shout of production on a shoestring? It is still a really cool flick and I can't wait for Reeves' version due out next year!

By the way, the movie is based on a bestselling Swedish novel, Låt Den Rätte Komma In by John Alvide Lindqvist, who also wrote the screenplay for the movie.

"Brick Lane" -- the book and the movie

MediaPhile@evpl — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 21:13:00 GMT

If you LOVED the book, should you see the movie? In this case the answer is YES.

British author Monica Ali's beloved novel, "Brick Lane," won all sorts of awards and made numerous top ten lists when it was published in 2003. Critics praised it and readers embraced it.

Now this story of a Bangladeshi teenager named Nazneen who, after an arranged marriage to a man more than twice her age, ends up making a life in London's East End has been made into a movie just released on DVD.

The novel weaves all the BIG issues -- racism, religious and cultural differences, class divides, love vs. passion, responsiblity, the immigrant experience, and the pull of family -- into Naznee's faltering steps toward self-expression and self-reliance.

Of course, the movie can't include all the detail of the 400 page book, but it is a faithful recreation of the novel's main threads. It is a touching and beautiful little movie.

The Spirit of the Beehive

wag.mado@evpl — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 01:07:00 GMT

Thanks to a recommendation by my friend, I watched a stunning film this weekend. Set in a Castilian village somewhere in early 1940's rural Spain, this movie has won international acclaim as a masterpiece - labeled one of the greatest Spanish films of the 1970's. On the surface, it is a coming of age story in which six-year-old Ana, played by Ana Torrent, tries to make sense of the world after seeing a young girl die in the classic 1931 film, Frankenstein. However, the movie is chock-full of symbolism and is also a commentary on life at the conclusion of the Spanish Civil War. The cinematic photography shot by Luis Cuadrado (who was going blind while the film was being made) is stark and breathtaking. Each scene seems to stay in your memory as a snapshot. As with many foreign films, the pace is hauntingly slow and the dialogue is sparse, adding to the intense feeling and emotion of the storyline. Isabel Telleria plays the innocent Ana's older sister Isabel, and has a menacing side to say the least. Together, these beautiful little girls bring this powerful story to life.

The Spirit of the Beehive (1973) was written and directed by Victor Erice and is one of only three movies he made over a 20 year period. The other two films, The South (1982) and The Quince Tree Sun (1992) are also highly regarded.

Treat yourself to The Spirit of the Beehive. It now ranks among my top ten favorite foreign films.

"The Squid and the Whale": absorbing family drama (not a science documentary)

lit.fic.reader@evpl — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 20:49:00 GMT

After seeing it mentioned on one or two best movie lists, I decided to check out this 2005 film although I wondered if I would enjoy its story about a 1980s Brooklyn couple's decision to divorce and the resulting damage to their two sons. I was swayed by the casting of Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney as the parents and they are indeed both excellent, Daniels being especially compelling as the increasingly bitter husband watching his wife's star rise while his falls. My reactions varied from reluctant sympathy for the dissolution of the couple's marriage; amusement at their almost comic diatribes and the husband's occasionally pompous comments; but mostly dismay at the parent's insensitivity to and manipulation of their sons, especially by the father who can barely stand being bested at table tennis by his younger son. The title is highly significant but probably not the best choice for attracting the attention of fans of dramatic films. The actors who play the sons are very good, and William Baldwin is also enjoyable in a smaller role as a laid-back tennis instructor. As a plus, I also found the soundtrack quite beguiling.

This is an often heart-rending but also funny family drama, well worth your time.

"Burn After Reading"

MediaPhile@evpl — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 23:28:00 GMT

I guess the ads tipped us off that this was not your run of the mill spy thriller, but let me assure you that nothing about this Coen Brothers movie is run of the mill. Following the dark "No Country for Old Men," the brothers have returned to the comic instincts so evident in "Fargo," "The Big Lebowski," "O Brother Where Art Thou" and other Coen classics.

As usual, the brothers had no trouble attracting some of our most outstanding actresses and actors for their ensemble cast. George Clooney plays an enthusiastic lady's man, Frances McDormand a 40-something fitness club employee determined to follow through on a five-part plastic surgery makeover plan, John Malkovich a sophisticated ex-spook with a "drinking problem," Tilda Swinton the spook's uptight and unhappy pediatrican wife, and Brad Pitt a stupid but likeable personal trainer.

All of their lives intertwine in unexpected and hilarious ways. I was so caught up in the slapstick that when things started to turn a bit dark, I was startled -- but quickly settled in for the rest of the ride.

"Burn After Reading" is in the running for the 2009 Golden Globe for Best Musical or Comedy, and McDormand is one of the finalists for best comic actress. But it's all the little pieces that make a Coen Brothers movie special -- the trip to the drab 100% concrete Russian embassy to sell "secret" data, the priceless posturings of Malcovich (who has the unfortunate name of Osborne Cox), the nonchalance of CIA superior J. K. Simmons, the moony attempts by fitness club manager Richard Jenkins to woo McDormand...let's just say that this is the sort of movie you can watch more than once.

"One Magic Christmas"

MediaPhile@evpl — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 01:03:00 GMT

Everyone has favorite Christmas DVDs.

My favorite comedies are "Scrooged" with Bill Murray (since all I had to do was look at Murray and I would start guffawing) and "Christmas Story" (since it is set in Hammond, which is where I grew up). My favorite dramas are "It's a Wonderful Life" (no explanation required) and "One Magic Christmas."

Released in 1985, "One Magic Christmas" stars Mary Steenbergen as an overworked, fretful mom who labors away as a grocery store clerk and Harry Dean Stanton as Gideon, a guardian angel. Mary's husband is laid off and she doesn't look forward to Christmas at all. In fact, she is an outright Scrooge.

Things get much worse before they get better. But a sequence of events lead her to once again believe in the Christmas message of hope and change.

Just a couple words of caution -- this is more a slice of reality than a magical little children's flick. Also, Mary's children willingly rendevous with Gideon on a trip to the North Pole, but he is after all an angel! (Don't know if times were safer then, or if we just thought they were).

"Dexter" and his dark roots

MediaPhile@evpl — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:54:00 GMT

I've been watching the hit Showtime series "Dexter" on DVD and have been tracing the genealogy of this "lovable" serial killer.

The "Dexter" series, based on a 2004 novel entitled "Darkly Dreaming Dexter" by Jeff Lindsay, does, I think, owe a debt of gratitude to the Ripley series of novels by Patricia Highsmith. To quote Wikipedia, "her recurring character Tom Ripley — an amoral, sexually ambiguous con artist and erstwhile murderer — was featured in a total of five novels, known to fans as the Ripliad, written between 1955 and 1991."

I got hooked by the 2000 movie "The Talented Mr. Ripley" (starring the dream cast of Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Cate Blanchett and directed by the esteemed Anthony Minghella). I ended up reading all five installments of the Ripliad. "Ripley's Game," a pale but acceptable follow-up by a different director that starred John Malcovich, was released in 2002.

Now we have "Dexter." Both Tom Ripley and Dexter Morgan are sociopaths who operate out of the normal bounds of accepted behavior. Ripley, however, only kills to get ahead and to protect his secrets. One kill inevitably leads to another. Dexter is drawn to killing and enjoys it -- it is the only thing that makes him feel -- but is taught by his cop foster father to channel his urges into killing only serial killers.

So, you are probably telling yourself, why should I watch such a disturbing program as "Dexter"? Well it stars "Six Feet Under's" Michael C. Hall (as a blood spatter analyst), has a strong supporting cast, is set in scenic Miami, and is essentially a mystery suspense series. But I must warn you that a strong stomach is a necessity when Dexter gets down to business. It's not that we see much -- it's just the thought of it. If you prefer a more elegant killer, you might want to check out Ripley in book or video form.

"Chuck" is about a nerd that becomes a spy...essentially my life story

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:50:00 GMT

In the television show Chuck, Charles "Chuck" Bartowski plays your typical 20-something computer-geek, stuck in a dead-end job at Buy More's Nerd Herd (a less-than-subtle parody of Best Buy's Geek Squad). He lives an uneventful life with his sister Ellie, until one day when he receives an email from his long-lost friend Bryce. Turns out Bryce is a rogue CIA agent, and his email contains an entire government database of top secret info, which embeds itself into Chuck's brain upon viewing.

Both the NSA and CIA want the intelligence returned to them and dispatch agents of their own - Major John Casey and Sarah Walker - to "retrieve" that data. When the original database is destroyed, Chuck has the only copy of that data, so he is forced to become a spy. Chuck's decision to keep his new-found occupation a secret from his family and friends, and to live his life as normally as possible, forces Casey and Walker to establish an uneasy alliance and secret identities (Walker poses as Chuck's girlfriend and takes a cover job at the local restaurant next to the Buy More while Casey gets a job at the Buy More), with the shared goal of protecting Chuck at all costs.

Seeing specific people/things causes Chuck to "flash", subliminally retrieving data about the person/object from the government database in his mind. Chuck uses this ability to help John & Sarah thwart evildoers and save the entire world from impending doom.

Sarah is an incredibly attractive female spy, and as they continue their "fake" relationship Chuck's feelings for her become real. There is lots of romantic tension, often mocked by smart-aleck comments by John (portrayed by Adam Baldwin, of Full Metal Jacket & Firefly/Serentity fame).

This show is brilliant, tied with The Office as my favorite current TV show. The cast is excellent, with real chemistry. The plots, while far-fetched, are extremely well-thought out, always resulting in hilarity and the unexpected. And the emotion evoked by the tension between Chuck & Sarah (not helped by Ellie's constant "I'm so happy you finally found a girlfriend" remarks), his belief that Sarah is way out of his nerd-league, the experiences with his ex-girlfriend (who re-appears in season 2), and his quest for more (a normal life and better job, for starters) creates endearing, genuine characters.

Season 1 was released on DVD & Blu-ray a couple months ago, and season 2 (which is even better than season 1) is currently airing on Monday nights at 7pm on NBC. It's a show you really need to watch in order, so check out the season 1 DVDs, catch up on the previous season 2 episodes at NBC.com, and watch the latest episode every Monday night!

More Information

EVPL Catalog: Check on the availability of Chuck: The Complete First Season on DVD at EVPL libraries.
NBC.com: Official website of Chuck. Find out more about the show, and watch full episodes from season 2!
Amazon: Buy Chuck: The Complete First Season on DVD or Blu-ray using these links, and the Public Library Friends will receive a portion of your purchase!