My January 2007 Viewings

Includes my personal ratings.
Recommended DVDs in bold.

Yours, Mine and Ours 01/26/07 (C+)
Rent 01/23/07
Click 01/22/07
City by the Sea 01/19/07 (B)
The Thing About My Folks 01/18/07
The Night Listener 01/11/07 (B)
The Devil Wears Prada 01/11/07 (B)
Domino 01/07/07 (B)
The Perez Family 01/08/07 (B)
Undertaking Betty 01/05/07 (A-)
Oscar 01/02/07 (C)
Without a Paddle 01/02/07

City By the Sea (2003)

Dark and Compelling

Vincent LaMarca (Robert De Niro), a veteran NYC homicide detective, wrestles with his own demons. Though he doesn't expose it to others -- not even his girlfriend Michelle (Frances McDormand) to whom he can't truly commit -- he's saddened that he abandoned his young son after a particularly bitter divorce.

His ex-wife (Patti LuPone) despises him and turned the boy against Vincent so it was pretty difficult to keep a relationship with the child as he grew up.

When a drug dealer's body washes ashore in NYC, Vince and his partner Reg (George Dzundza) follow the evidence to Long Beach, Long Island, where the man was murdered. Being in Long Beach brings back all sorts of memories for Vince as that's where he grew up and got his first start as a cop. Long Beach has deteriorated badly since Vince was there and is now a haven for druggies and crime.

The investigation leads to Vince's son, Joey (James Franco), an addict who lives in the deterioration of Long Beach and who now must be found by the cops. Of course, Vince is taken off the case but media gets wind of the fact that Vince's own father had been executed for the kidnapping and murder of a child on Long Beach when Vince was a child.

Things get even more complicated when Vince's partner is killed while trying to capture Joey.

Can Vince somehow save Joey from suicide-by-cops or redeem something of a relationship with his only child?

De Niro gives the right degree of pensiveness and contemplation to his role as a troubled yet earnest man. McDormand is perfect as the woman who loves him but has never heard the truth about why he is such a complex and private man.

Directed by Michael Caton-Jones.

Rated R for language, drug use and some violence.

The Night Listener (2007)

Is he real or is he not?

Adapted from Armistead Maupin's book, this tale is based on an experience Maupin says actually happened to him.

Late night radio show host Gabriel Noone (Robin Williams) finds his relationship falling apart just as he begins a long distance phone and mail relationship with a teen, Pete Boland (Rory Culkin), who purportedly was abused and is in the last stages of AIDS. Noone's borderline lover (Bobby Cannavale) plants the seeds of doubt about whether the boy's tale is true or not which leads Noone on a significant trip to find out the truth.

Toni Collette plays the disturbed blind woman who is who adopted Pete and Sandra Oh plays Noone's confidant.

Robin Williams is outstanding!

Director: Patrick Stettner.

Rated R for language and some disquieting sexual content.

The Perez Family (1995)

Absence Makes the Heart Grow . . .

Life for Cubans changed dramatically in the 1960s when Castro imprisoned many for little or no reason and many others escaped in dangerous boat trips to Florida.

Juan Raúl Perez (Alfred Molina) is one of those imprisoned while his wife Carmella Perez (Anjelica Huston) escapes with their young daughter. For 20 years, Juan and Carmella think of nothing but being reunited in Florida.

At last, on the last boatload of prisoners released by Fidel Castro, Perez is on his way. Upon arrival and processing through immigration and heading to the encampment, Perez is thought to be the husband of Dorita "Dottie" Evita Perez (Marisa Tomei), an effervescent hooker with a heart of gold. When Dottie finds out that families can find American sponsors and gain release from the encampment, she persuades Juan to play the game.

Along the way, they gather a "son" and an eccentric old "father" to add to the family. However Juan remains dedicated to finding his Carmella as Carmella hopes Juan was on that last boat from Cuba.

Will Juan and Carmella be reunited? What happens to Dottie?

This is an unusual and warm romantic comedy that still makes me smile.

Mira Nair directs and Chazz Palminteri costars.

Rated R for some sexuality and language.

Undertaking Betty (2006)

Fred & Ginger In Wales

Betty (Brenda Blethyn) doesn't yet know that her husband (Robert Pugh) is a philanderer with a bimbo girlfriend (Naomi Watts) when Boris (Alfred Molina), a Welsh mortician who abandoned a career as a dancer, decides he can no longer live without Betty, his true love since they were children.

Boris and Betty work out an exquisite plan to stage her death so they can secret away together to a tropical island to be with each other forever. But is the new American glitz and glamour mortician (Christopher Walken) going to throw a monkey wrench in their plan?

This is a tender little film in so many ways but with huge laughs and grins. Walken is a riot!

Just a delight to watch this one, folks. Directed by Nick Hurran.

Rated PG-13 for sexual content/humor.

In the UK, this film is called Plotz With a View.

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viewed Jan-2007