REVIEW DATE: 03/05/07

Theatre Release: 12/08/06
DVD Release: 03/13/07

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IS everything concerning the plot perfect?  No.  Is Cameron Diaz the strongest, most convincing actor?  No.  Is the writing and dialogue extremely sharp, witty, and convincing?  No.  Is it a classically over stylized film with big-name actors, a simple plot, and a predictable ending?  Yes.  Did I still like it?  Absolutely.  In the same genre as Love Actually, a movie I absolutely adore, The Holiday follows suit and delivers a delightful, heart-warming, fun romantic comedy both men and women can and will enjoy.  And though it is 95% formulaic, there are a few decent twists and turns within the character development that are surprising.  Two women, Kate Winslet and Cameron Diaz, exchange homes during the Christmas holiday in order to forget and get over the past loves of their life.  Each of them is desperately unhappy and cannot seem to find true love, so a change of pace seems to be exactly what Dear Abby recommends.  And what, do you think, they find when they exchange homes?  I'll let you figure out this particular brain-teaser on your own.  I'll simply tell you that Jude Law, playing Kate Winselt's brother, happens to run into Cameron while she is in England.  And Jack Black happens to "meet-cute" (see movie for reference) Kate Winslet.  Yes, you've seen this movie before, but this is a decent adaptation of the same old story.  It's very charming, sweet, and simply fun to watch.

REVIEW DATE: 03/04/07

Theatre Release: 11/17/06
DVD Release: 03/06/07

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I'M almost embarrassed to admit I rather enjoyed this stupid, insignificant, mindless premise of a movie.  Let's Go to Prison is as stupid and silly as anything else out there, but it sat just right with me.  What you get is what you pay for: $4.30 rental.  If you're looking to kill ninety-minutes, have some laughs, shake your head, and roll your eyes when you and whomever you're watching the movie with, then this is the film for you.  Dax Shepard (Without a Paddle, Zathura, Employee of the Month) plays John Lyshitski, a three-time felon who exacts revenge on the judge who sent him to prison all three times.  Unfortunately, though, the judge dies right before the cold dish can be served.  So, why not punish and torture that which is the next best thing, the namesake of the Judge, his son, played by Will Arnette (Arrested Development).  The premise is idiotic and simple.  One, send the son to jail.  Two, go to jail in order to make his life miserable.  Three, fail, humorously, and watch everything work out for everyone in the end.  Don't worry, it isn't a spoiler.  After all, it is a cookie-cutter comedy, not a complicated Oscar-worthy plot with twists and turns.  Not all the jokes work, and not everything that deserves a laugh actually earns a laugh.  All the stereotypical prison jokes are present, including the overplayed card of prison rape and homosexuality.  So, if you're looking for something novel and ground-breaking, this isn't the film for you.  Regardless, it is a fun movie to watch with a good friend on a night when there is nothing else to do.  If you want a silly movie, this is your pick.

REVIEW DATE: 03/04/07

Theatre Release: 11/03/06
DVD Release: 03/06/07

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BECAUSE I'm extremely familiar with Sacha Baron Cohen's HBO work, Da Ali G Show, as well as a big fan of it, Borat was a must see for me.  After I heard all the buzz regarding how offensive and eerily insightful this artist's mocumentary was, I was even more eager to see what all the hype was about.  I'm glad to report this movie lived up to all its potential.  Underneath the sophomoric, vulgar, and offensive content is a telling story about the mentality and mindset of various Americans the character Borat Sagdiyev (Cohen) encounters.  Through seemingly immature and gratuitously provocative gags, set-ups, and pranks, the Kazakhstan native travels across the United States from New York City to Los Angeles in order to report on America and bring the greatness of the country to his own homeland.  However, while in America, his reporting turns into a search for the woman of his dreams, Pamela Anderson.  On his drive across the country the character interacts with and learns from Americans, all the while teaching them about his home country's bigotry, misogynistic heritage,  and anti-Semitism.  (The inside joke is that Sacha Baron Cohen is a Jew.)  The unsuspecting hosts who have no idea Borat is an actor fall prey to his antics and reveal much about their own hypocritical bigotry, racism, anti-homosexualism, anti-Semitism, and outright idiocy.  The brilliance of this film is that only four people (on camera) are in on the joke, while everyone else is merely a victim.  Though the laughs may be deemed "cheap," they are funny, but the shining light is the reflection of Borat's own views throughout the American society.  Don't get me wrong, though, there are plenty of laughs just for the sake of laughs.  This movie is *NOT* for everyone.  It more than earns the 'R' rating.

REVIEW DATE: 02/20/07

Theatre Release: 11/10/06
DVD Release: 02/27/07

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WHILE Will Ferrell continues to conscientiously and purposefully hone his craft with regard to brilliant innovations and collaborations in films such as Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, and soon to be released, Blades of Glory, it's nice to see him find his way as a straight actor in films such as Stranger Than Fiction.  However, he is still find his way.  Though 'Harold Crick' is a likeable character with subtle charming qualities, Ferrell was not quite strong enough to completely carry this film as it should be.  The writing was strong as was the cast, but underneath that icing was the good stuff: the story and plot.  In an era of copycat films and themes, spanning back most notably in my personal recollection to Tombstone and Wyatt Earp, but seen most recently between The Illusionist and The Prestige, it's nice to see films such as Little Miss Sunshine and Stranger than Fiction.  'Crick' finds himself and his life being narrated by the voice of an author, which is obviously a voice only he can hear.  Set up the first part of the film with the comedic antics of coping with such a revelation and psychotic power, add the twist of being foretold by the narrator he is going to die, he must now figure out how, when, where, why, and at the hands of whom his fate is sealed.  I appreciate the strength of the female characters in this film, but especially the neurosis of Emma Thompson's character, the author and narrator, 'Kay Eiffel.'  She, in an odd and strange way, is much more interesting than not only her critically acclaimed, yet mundane, characters, but most every other character in the film.  I'm sure there is much going on behind that great curtain, oh Wonderful Wizard of Oz!

REVIEW DATE: 02/16/07

Theatre Release: 11/17/06
DVD Release: 02/20/07

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FOR fans of Christopher Guest and company, For Your Consideration is a long overdue masterpiece.  This is Spinal Tap and Waiting for Guffman are two of the most innovatively brilliant comedic films ever printed, and Best in Show was a delightful work with many memorable moments and superb characters.  I was a little concerned for the direction in which Guest was taking the crew, especially after watching A Mighty Wind, which was almost too real and too legitimate for its own good.  However, the lot of them are redeemed with this stellar performance on par with, if not better than, Best in Show.  The set is Hollywood and all the cliché's accompanying it.  A film within a film, a precious, melodramatic film ten years behind the controversial buzz of homosexuality, but it has an interesting spin: a Jewish sailor abandons ship in the WWII era in order to go home to the south (Georgia, possibly?) for Purim, a Jewish holiday, in order to visit his dying mother who has yet to be reconciled to her lesbian daughter after twelve years of silence between them.  All the while, "Oscar Buzz" frenzies and builds around the film..  All the original cast is in the film, and there are some delightful additions and cameos.  You don't want to miss a beat of this film.  I had to rewind it a few times in order to hear what was said while I was laughing too loudly to hear it in the first place.  Of course, any comedic film drenched in so much Judaism has potential to be an instant classic.

REVIEW DATE: 01/06/07

Theatre Release: 09/01/06
DVD Release: 12/19/06

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MIKE Judge, the creator of the cult classic Office Space and legendary animated series Beavis and Butthead and King of the Hill, has solidified himself as a major mover and shaker in the shaping and reflecting of our post-modern culture.  Expecting another profoundly shocking addition to the Judge repertoire, I found myself mildly entertained, somewhat amused, but mostly under-whelmed.  Two people, Private Joe Bowers (Luke Wilson) and Rita (Maya Rudolph), agree to be the United State's Army's guinea pigs and undergo an experimentation in cryogenics.  Agreeing to be frozen for one year, the two awaken some hundreds of years later to a devolutionary society that has lost all ingenuity, drive, imagination, creativity, and, en toto, all intelligence.  It is an interesting foresight of our modern society in relation to the dumbing down of our culture, and it has some fine satirical political polemical statements made throughout it, but it is far from ground-breaking and need not be elevated to the top of one's favorite works.

REVIEW DATE: 03/19/06

Theatre Release: 03/18/05
DVD Release: 10/25/05

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THIS movie is truly the most difficult movie in which to place in a single category, if it is not entirely impossible.  Woody Allen's latest picturesque portrayal of the complexity of human life in a simplistic form, Melinda and Melinda, is truly two genres and two stories in one film.  Of course, one may engage in a philosophically artistic debate whether or not the two stories are or are not actually different, or if they are indeed the same story in a surreal manner, but that is beyond the scope of this review.  The story begins with two authors, one of tragedies and the other of comedies, eating dinner with friends and receiving skeletal information about a woman and a short series of events.  Each of the two authors then proceed to formulate both comedic and tragic tales from the same elements.  Melinda (Radha Mitchell) is the same women portraying two different lives shaped by two different extenuating romantic circumstances; one a romantic-comedy and another a dramatic tragedy.  In the romantic-comedy, Melinda unexpectedly finds love with a spot-on Woody Allen character (possibly even caricature!), Hobie (Will Ferrell, Anchorman), yet the overbearing tones of cynicism usually played by Allen are replaced by Ferrell with more childishness innocence.  However, the likeness is uncanny.  In the other story, Melinda, who is wrapped up in a life of torment, regret, depression, and suicidal tendencies throws her heart mercilessly at the feet of a man who, seemingly like all other men in her life, regards her heart with little esteem and plunges her life further into a hell on earth.  Allen should be applauded for his creative bravery and integrity by embarking on such a feat, but the philosophical quandary noted above was not intriguing enough to stimulate and engage the audience as profoundly as most likely hoped for.  Nevertheless, this film is an interesting addition to Allen's repertoire and is worth seeing for any Allen fan or those who are interested in his cinematic style.  This isn't his best work, nor the best representation of his timing, writing, directing, and depiction of the human psyche, but it is well worth watchingI found the casting quite interesting, especially the characters of Melinda, Hobie, Eillis (Chiwetel Ejiofor, Four Brothers), Lee (Jonny Lee Miller, Mindhunters), Laurel (Chloe Sevigny) and even a brief appearance by Steve Carell (Anchorman).

REVIEW DATE: 03/17/06

Theatre Release: 09/15/99
DVD Release: 10/24/00

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VERY rarely does a comedy such as this sweep award shows and leave such impressions upon the historical cinematic world, but American Beauty is one of the most profound movies in any genres and deserves all the accolade it receives and more.  In 1999 this Sam Mendes (Jarhead, Road to Perdition) big screen directorial debut won Oscars for Best Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Picture (also nominated for Best Actress, Best Editing, and Best Original Score), which should say something regarding the caliber of this piece of art.  And while it is classified here (and other places) as a comedy, one must realize the best, most powerful comedies are rooted and founded in drama, which surrounds this film from beginning to end and makes it a bit more difficult to classify.  However, the blatant comedic overtones win out over all other genre classification possibilities.  American Beauty is the story of a year in the life of Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey, The Usual Suspects), his wife, Carolyn (Annette Bening), his daughter, Jane (Thora Birch), and all those intimately and significantly impacting their lives whether for better of for worse (including one another).  Narrated in the first person of Lester, the audience is invited into the suburbian world in which the fabric of the marital and parental garments of the Burnham's is being pulled apart thread by thread in the midst of Lester's midlife crisis, Carolyn's infidelity and indifference, and Jane's adolescent confusion and depression.  Through these three characters, their desires, their developments, and their relationships, the audience receives a front row view of a complex satire of the state of existence in today's world.  Their intertwining lives with Ricky Fitts (Wes Bentley), Angela Hayes (Mena Suvari), Frank Fitts (Chris Cooper, Jarhead, The Patriot, Capote), and Buddy Kane (Peter Gallagher) produce conflict, drama, and timeless dark humor.  Each of them strives for redemption from the crappy life in which they find themselves and provide a heck of a ride for us to enjoy.

REVIEW DATE: 03/14/06

Theatre Release: 07/09/04
DVD Release: 12/28/04

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WHEN contemplating the explanation of the various rating scales, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy fits the precise mold of the film you will talk about with all your friends, namely poking, prodding, and reminding each other (some of us better than others!) of the hilariously stupid moments and sequences from start to finish.  I first saw this film in the theatre soon after its opening, and I was surprised, even reflecting upon this very thought at the time of watching the movie, how much I was laughing from one scene to the next.  The same is just as true for me, today, as it was over a year ago.  Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell, Melinda and Melinda) is a 70's anchorman in San Diego when the female anchorwoman barrier had to yet to be broken in a major city, let alone on network.  Burgundy is surrounded by fellow small-minded local television news personalities, Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd), Brick Tamland (Steve Carell, Melinda and Melinda), and Champ Kind (David Koechner, Waiting), in this comedic diatribe using the rise of women in the work place, specifically one anchorwoman, Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate), as the offbeat conflict through which to move and peddle cheap and expensive laughs.  The chauvinistic, male-dominated world of anchormen is turned upside down as Burgundy and his cohorts can do little or nothing to slow down the progression of the equality of the sexes.  While the male characters in this film are dumb (some literally retarded), this is a smart film full of original, somewhat clean, sophisticated, and brilliantly timed comedy.  Burgundy is Ferrell unleashed and off medication.  And though the main cast is amazingly strong, the ever-more-common cameos of men such as Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn (Wedding Crashers, Thumbsucker), Luke Wilson, Jack Black (King Kong), and Tim Robbins (?!?!) provide more opportunities to fill your pants with urine.  I cannot fathom how a mind can create these characters, this story, these jokes, and be so brave as to run ahead at full speed without any restraints.  It may have been a gamble, but it was a huge payoff.

REVIEW DATE: 03/13/06

Theatre Release: 12/22/00
DVD Release: 06/12/01

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RARELY is a comedy so original in premise while adapting one of the oldest extant written stories in all of history, namely Homer's epic "The Odyssey."  Ironically, the originality and innovative creativity is in its use of parodying and borrowing from such an old tale.  From all accounts--casting, acting, costumes, set designs, locations, camera angles, music, props, writing, directing, soundtrack, imagery, extras, dialogue, timing, etc.--O Brother, Where Art Thou? is the crown of glory of the progressive body of work of Joel and Ethan Coen.  From Raising Arizona, to Miller's Crossing, to Barton Fink, to The Hudsucker Proxy, to Fargo, to The Big Lebowski, the creative collaboration of the cast and crew came into its own with this possibly greatest film within the Coen brother repertoire.  Three unlikely partners, Ulysses Everett McGill (George Clooney), Pete (John Turtorro), and Delmar O'Donnell (Tim Blake Nelson, Minority Report) forge a relationship in order escape from a rural Mississippi chain-gain in the 1930's and embark upon a journey across the south to find 1.2 million dollars that is bound to be lost forever at the bottom of soon-to-be-created lake.  As is proverbially true in most instances, this story is more about the journey than the destination.  Along the way these dynamic and all too human walking and breathing tragedies with whom one cannot help be be enamored, by whom one cannot help but be repelled, for whom one will necessarily cheer, and to whom one reluctantly and begrudgingly relates, come across the most interesting fictional characters and scenarios ever to grace the big screen.  A blind traveling prophet, three seductive sirens, a brutish Cyclops (John Goodman), a soul-selling musician (Chris Thomas King), and the devil himself (Daniel von Bargen) are but some of the intriguing persons who make their acquaintance with these three unlikely triumphant heroes.  From the charm of Clooney, to the bitterness of Turtorro, to the sweetness of Nelson, (and the sheer stupidity of all of them!) you will be engrossed and enchanted from beginning to end.

REVIEW DATE: 02/28/06

Theatre Release: 11/23/05
DVD Release: 02/28/06

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CLOSE... but no cigar.  I cannot think of a more winsome combination of dark, robust, adult humor than the cynicism of John Cusak (as portrayed in Grosse Pointe Blank), the understated crassness of Billy Bob Thorton (as portrayed in The Badder Santa), and the jovial jackass mentality of Oliver Platt.  And combine those three talented players with writer/director Harold Ramis (Analyze This, Groundhog Day, Ghostbusters, Stripes, Caddyshack, Meatballs, and Animal House) and one would hope for a blockbusting hit surpassing all expectations!  Yet, The Ice Harvest either simply misses the comedic opportunities with bad timing, or they were lucky to produce what little comedy afforded by the script and direction.  What is intriguing is the general storyline and plot, but even the character development was weak all around (except for that of John Cusak).  It is a simple story that really needed something extra in order for it to stand out from other films.  Two men, Charlie Arglist (John Cusak) and Vic Cavanaugh (Billy Bob Thornton), rob an infamous mobster, Bill Guerrard (Randy Quaid), of two million dollars and proceed to escape Wichita Falls, Kansas with their lives and their newly acquired money.  And, of course, the obligatory sinister, conniving hot-chick, Renata (Connie Nielsen, Gladiator), is a predictable added twist.  There aren't any unusual plot twists, nor any surprises, nor any profound humor one might expect to find in such a scenario.  It is predictable, but has some glimmering moments of hope.  There are a few laughs, and the interaction of the characters will keep one watching, but my rating of 3.5 Dynamites is gracious.  I think it needed more Billy Bob Thornton cut loose and running wild.

REVIEW DATE: 02/25/06

Theatre Release: 02/15/02
DVD Release: 08/13/02

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MANY who read this review, see the rating, and consequently watch this film may be hard pressed to trust me with other movie ratings.  But Broken Lizard's screenplay and film, Super Troopers, is one hilariously idiotic, childish, moronic comedy.  In a seemingly strung along scenario of comedy sketches weaved through the tapestry of a highway patrolman situation one will find plenty of jokes and predicaments along the way.  The setting is northern Vermont.  The highway patrol department and the local police department are competing in order to escape the budget cuts; each trying to one-up the other by impressing those officials who might persuade the cuts one way or another.  Throughout this journey of self-preservation, you come across hilariously placed practical jokes and absurd scenes.  These men also wrote and starred in Club Dread and Puddle Cruisers, neither of which are as funny as Super Troopers.  Club Dread is a fun rental, but Puddle Cruisers is a waste of time even for most die hard Broken Lizard fans such as myself.  I highly recommend this movie for a guys night out while sitting around the television late at night.  Be sure you have permission to be rowdy and react with roars of contagious collective laughter.  These guys are funny, creative, witty, imaginative, and will surely become a comedic force with which to reckon as they grow in the production of their genre.

REVIEW DATE: 02/25/06

Theatre Release: 10/28/05
DVD Release: 02/21/06

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IF you like dark, offbeat comedies following the psychological development of a shell of a man, then you will love The Weather Man.  David Spritz (Nicolas Cage) is the star weather man for a local network affiliate in Chicago.  His ex-wife hates him.  His children are a mess.  His father (Michael Caine) is an unsympathetic ass.  And people throw things at him on the street, such as milk shakes, sodas, and hot apple pies because of a general lack of respect for his character portrayed on television as the local weather man.  Spritz is a confused man in the midst of a mid-life crisis, a lost identity, and an inability to relate with anyone on a sincere emotional level.  The laughs come from painful and odd circumstances, but they do so without harming or making fun of any of the people, even though they come from dark and disturbing circumstances.  The movie follows David Spritz as he learns how to cope with his position in life and those people in their personal positions.  He strives to make amends for his past, make reparations with his father, children, and wife, and strives to find himself in the midst of turmoil.  Along the journey the movie finds humor in the midst of the pain of reality.  This film is a real accomplishment and Nicolas Cage, once again, proves he is a master of his trade.

REVIEW DATE: 02/10/06

DVD Release: 09/27/05

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A brave comedic attempt of a mocumentary.  Yet, Mail Order Wife (produced by the director of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Bourne Identity, and Swingers) doesn't quite reach its full potential.  The premise is simple.  A lonely, unattractive man, Adrian, from Queens, NY agrees to allow his life with a mail order bride, Lichi, to be documented on film by Andrew.  However, it is Andrew who ends up falling in love with Lichi and protects her from the abuses of Adrian.  Lichi runs away from Adrian's home while Adrian is at work, divorces Adrian, then marries Andrew.  But the marriage between Andrew and Lichi is as rocky as the marriage between Adrian and Lichi.  It isn't until the two men join forces with a common goal--reaching Lichi--that the real humor and conflict comes into play, but it is too little, too late.  This film had great potential, but it didn't get into gear until too much time had passed.  It is an enjoyable movie, and the rough acting style of the characters is extremely realistic.  At first I wasn't sure if this was a genuine documentary or a comedic mocumentary.  Such realism in mocumentaries must be precise in order to gain the audience.  If it is too sincere, such as A Mighty Wind, it misses the target audience of those who enjoyed Waiting for Guffman.  There is a farcical necessity to such thematic films and this one doesn't quite capture it.

REVIEW DATE: 02/10/06

Theatre Release: 06/17/05
DVD Release: 10/11/05

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MIRANDA July (writer/director/star) struck gold with this little ditty.  It won awards at Sundance, Cannes, and numerous other places.  In short, Me and You and Everyone We Know is about everyday people trying to relate to one another; adults and children; boys and girls; men and women.  The story is an ensemble with lives intertwining in the "village" and "community," but it focuses upon a divorced man, Richard Swersey (John Hawkes), his two boys, and an odd but lovely struggling artist, Christine Jesperson (Miranda July), with whom Swersey inevitably falls in love.  The film follows the lives of these four people in different and identical paths, as well as those in the community around them.  It is a presentation of original, stilted, and shocking humor and great acting on all accounts, but the movie is stolen by the youngest son, Robby Swersey (Brandon Ratcliff).  The supporting cast is as interesting as are the dynamics of the various relationships.  July tells a wonderful story of relationships in today's chaotic and modern world.  This film is a delightful little gem, but, like all similar comedies, sometimes the artistry of the filmmaker tilts the whole feel of the movie toward a more dramatic theme.  It isn't a slapstick, but a real treasure.

REVIEW DATE: 02/07/06

Theatre Release: 10/07/05
DVD Release: 02/07/06

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FOR some reason, Ryan Reynolds has some sort of comedic hold over me.  However, it wasn't enough for me to thoroughly enjoy Waiting...; neither was the supporting cast whom I usually enjoy on screen (Luis Guzman, Justin Long, and David Koechner).  While there are some funny moments, the overall, over exaggerated crassness relies too much on being crass for the sake of being crass, rather than genuine humor which can flow from a crass context.  And some of the running comedic themes had potential, but the movie never really got in gear.  The character, Monty (Reynolds, Just Friends), is a one-dimensional immature, ever-cool demigod because he is witty, good looking, and a professional slacker (which the movie even conscientiously points out) who cares about nothing but sex and women.  The chefs are the stale, crude, rude, vengeful one-dimensional characters whose wrath is poisoning the food with objects that would make even the most potent sinner blush.  And the manager, Dan (David Koechner, Anchorman) is a stereotypical buffoon and the female waitresses are simply eye-candy used for rare conversation backboards.  This movie is a day-in-the-life of wait staff as they come to grips with who they are and where they are in life; showing the underbelly of the most vile of restaurants.  It is very crude and is overrun with homophobic jokes.  But, occasionally, you'll laugh.

REVIEW DATE: 02/07/06

Theatre Release: 10/07/05
DVD Release: 01/31/06

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SHIRLEY MacLaine, Cameron Diaz, and Toni Collette (The Sixth Sense) happily surprised me with this great little movie.  It is simple.  Two rivaling sisters--one the pretty, jobless; dumb blonde, the other a successful, less-attractive, grew-up-chubby lawyer--learn to love one another through a grandmother who was forcefully estranged by the son-in-law after the mother dies while the children were but babies.  In Her Shoes is a remarkably wonderful and subtle comedy.  All three actresses provide strong characters who develop at a realistic pace and under natural consequences.  This movie is about love lost and love gained.  It is about strength in the midst of weakness.  It is about forgiveness and growth.  None of the characters, whether stereotypical boyfriends or cookie-pattern old folks in a retirement home, are over the top or distracting.  The focus stays on the underlying premise of family bonds.  One beautiful moment was when Maggie (Diaz), who can read at the fifth grade level and refuses to do so in public, faces her fear of embarrassment and insecurity by reading to a blind man in a retirement facility.  When looking at the closed book (which is out of the shot), her face is dark, but when she relents and opens the book in order to read it, the glow from the pages lights up her face.  It was wonderful symbolism (as is the man's blindness).  The film is not overwhelmed with such nuances, succumbing to patronizing sappiness, but adds just enough to be poignant.  It's a good film.

REVIEW DATE: 02/05/06

Theatre Release: 08/03/05
DVD Release: 01/17/06

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"GOD loves you just the way you are, but he loves you too much to let you stay that way," so says Amy Adams (Ashley), who simply stole the show in Junebug.  Alessandro Nivola (George) brings his new wife, Embeth Davidtz (Madeline), a European art-gallery owner in Chicago, to meet his family in North Carolina.  'Madeline' is thrust into this small-town, southern world and is quickly confronted with a cultural clash.  Thought small-town, southern life is depicted faithfully, it is not depicted one-dimensionally or in a belittling manner.  One immediately falls in love with 'Ashley' in her comedic relief, but we find a great complexity and depth revealed throughout the film.  Benjamin McKenzie (Johnny), who stars in the ridiculous show The OC, shows he is a talented actor in a quiet simmer and frustration with his position in life.  'George's' whole family is one thing from the outside, as symbolized by the mother and commented on by the father, but, on the inside, there is many more layers.  People may seem simple, but their lives are not.  This movie has some nudity and sexually explicit scenes, as well as some language, but it is worth the watch.  It is a refreshing, unique, simple film.  I was torn between categorizing this film in either 'Drama' or 'Comedy,' but I decided upon 'Comedy' for reasons you'll have to see.

REVIEW DATE: 02/01/06

Theatre Release: 09/16/05
DVD Release: 01/24/06

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ALL people are addicted to something.  This is the theme of the witty and dramatic novel-adaptation, Thumbsucker.  Though Lou Pucci (Justin Cobb) is the capable and adequate star of the film, I believe it is carried by the ensemble cast of Tilda Swinton (Chronicles of Narnia), Vincent D'Onofrio (Law & Order: CI, The Salton Sea, Men in Black), and Vince Vaughn (The Wedding Crashers).  This film is an interesting commentary on society as people switch from one addiction to another; never finding contentment.  Keanu Reeves (Matrix Trilogy) is one of the worst actors in Hollywood, but his character is quite an interesting insight of the twenty-first century man.  He switches from one philosophy and worldview (his particular addiction) to another, constantly reforming himself, his surroundings, and his answers and interpretation of life and its events.  'Justin Cobb' is a character that epitomizes one's searching for "me-ness," and we watch the movie unfold until he finds out who "me" is.  This movie is an interesting work, and one I would recommend to others.

REVIEW DATE: 01/22/06

Theatre Release: 11/11/05
DVD Release: 01/10/06

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THIS particular noir, comedic-satirical commentary on suburban life is quite a bit more palatable than others in this genre.  I first noticed the lead actor, Jamie Bell, in the small indie film, Undertow, which is superb.  Once again this rising star displays a talent few others posses.  The Chumscrubber is an original tale examining the relationships of people who live in a seemingly perfect world, even though the relationships are more based upon misunderstanding and not getting one another more than a symbiotic give-and-take healthy relationship.  There is a lot of symbolism in this film which requires one to play close attention to the details.  The complexity of the satire and symbolism is shrouded in brilliant actors and talent: Jamie Bell (King Kong), Ralph Fiennes (The Constant Gardener, The English Patient, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), Glen Close, Carrie Anne Moss (Matrix Trilogy), Rita Wilson, John Heard, etc.  This film does not hit on all eight cylinders, but it is an interesting escape and confrontation of reality.  The artistic quality of the film definitely has a message about our reality.  For those who can tolerate such a genre, and who truly enjoy trying to interpret the artistic endeavors as a commentary on contemporary life, this is a fun film and an interesting way in which to do it.  Others might miss the dark, black comedy, as well as the point illustrated by the film.  The movie's goal is not to provide any answers, but to merely expose the complexities of our culture and relationship.  Examine life through the eyes of "the chumscrubber."

REVIEW DATE: 01/11/06

Theatre Release: 08/05/05
DVD Release: 01/03/06

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BROKEN Flowers is yet another notch in Bill Murray's brilliant-acting-belt.  I debated whether this review belonged in either the "Drama" or "Comedy" portion of my reviews, but eventually--as you can see--settled on placing it strictly in the "Comedy" section.  My inner-debate regarding the classification of this film should give you some clues as to the "feel" of the movie.  In short, a professional bachelor (professional detached) comes face-to-face with his loneliness at the prospect of learning about something from his past which may profoundly affect his present and future.  The movie is about longing for something when you may not even be able to define what it is you are longing for.  Murray's subtle facial acting speaks volumes of the character's emotion.  Truly, for Bill Murray, "less is more."  He proves he is a master of communicating genuine emotions with the slightest expression.  It is subtle comedy following his journey across the country to meet several women from his past.  Along the way you learn about him as he learns about himself.  This is an introspective journey in life.  And that which you learn does not necessarily let you know him better, but simply creates more mystery.  While some people may be frustrated and/or perplexed with the final turn of events, it is completely fitting.  Be careful, there is surprise frontal nudity from a female.  The subject matter is definitely for adults.  But it is a wonderful tale and journey to follow.

REVIEW DATE: 01/08/06

Theatre Release: 07/15/05
DVD Release: 01/03/06

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THE Wedding Crashers is a comedy of the ages in many regards.  But don't fool yourself: Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson (as well as the rest of the cast) EARN THE 'R' RATING.  Regardless, if you can stomach brief nudity, plenty of raunchy humor, and the pure, unadulterated wit and cynicism and pithiness of Vince Vaughn (Thumbsucker) at his BEST, and Owen Wilson, then you *MUST* see this movie.  There are some scenes that are forced and contrived, and they miss completely in any attempt of humor because of the overkill.  However, overall, it is a roller-coaster of laughs from start to finish.  The audacity of the 'crashers' and their interaction with every other character will have you in stitches.  Personally, I bought this movie to add to my collection.  Again, it earns its 'R' rating.

REVIEW DATE: 01/06/06

Theatre Release: 08/12/05
DVD Release: 12/13/05

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PRETTY Persuasion began as if in the tradition of Election (Reese Witherspoon, Matthew Broderick) and Rushmore (Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman), but quickly turned into a more deviant and less provocative film than Heathers (Wynona Rider, Christian Slater).  The opening was "innocent" enough, portraying this brilliantly bored Beverly Hills latch-key kid (Evan Rachel Wood, The Upside of Anger, Thirteen ), and her two unsuspecting pawns she called friends (a newly-arrived Arabic student and a ditzy blonde) with lines such as: "Hi.  I know all about the immigrant experience--how hard it can be.  I'm Canadian."  And, "Oh, God, Kimberly, he's a poet.  Everything that comes out of his mouth is like... an iambic pentagram." And, "[phone ringing] Hi mom!  Yeah, yeah I got your card.  It was great, um, except my name doesn't have an "e" after the "l," and my dog's name is Bobo, not Bubbles, and I... I actually turned 15.  Look, it's OK.  It's an understandable error.  I'm precocious."  However, it quickly took a turn down a plot of revenge entailing a courtroom charade and violence.  The movie's satirical comedy was witty at moments (James Woods' performance is brilliant), and the plot was genuinely entertaining, but the "justice" at the end of the movie was less than poignant.  This movie is extremely sexually provocative in a suggestive manner, though no nudity is actually shown.  The 'R' rating is well earned.  If twisted "black comedy" and racy depictions of the lifestyles of the rich and famous with no morals and scruples floats your boat, this movie is worth watching.  However, do expect extremely strong language for mere shock value (though a point is being made) and suggestive sexual acts (both heterosexual and homosexual).  It is an extremely dark comedy with a less-than-strong politically-minded agenda.