Rage (2009)

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A most curious film.

An unseen blogger named Michelangelo, spends a week interviewing various people involved in a fashion house in anticipation of the big show of the season. Using his cell phone to capture the interviews which are shot against blue screen, Michelangelo is never heard but each character does several monologues as the week progresses and two models are murdered. The interviews are installed on Michelangelo's blog.

The cast is:

Simon Abkarian as the fashion designer, Merlin; Patrick J. Adams as the intern, Dwight Angel; Riz Ahmed as the pizza delivery guy, Vijay; Bob Balaban as Mr. White, who is a consultant to the fashion industry; Adriana Barraza as the dresser, Anita de Los Angeles; Steve Buscemi as the photographer, Frank; Jakob Cedergren as Otto, who handles publicity for the fashion house; Lily Cole as the young model, Lettuce Leaf; Judi Dench as Mona Carvell, the fashion critic; Eddie Izzard as the investor, Tiny Diamonds; Jude Law as the transgendered model, Minx; John Leguizamo as Mr. Diamond's bodyguard, Jed; David Oyelowo as Homer, the police detective; Dianne Wiest as Miss Roth who is a manager in the design house.

Written and directed by Sally Potter.

Run time: 1 hour, 38 minutes

Not rated my MPAA.

My personal rating: C

Into the Storm (2009)

"In war: Resolution.
In defeat: Defiance.
In victory: Magnanimity.
In peace: Goodwill."
~Winston Churchill

Despite Winston Churchill's (Brendan Gleeson) shrewd leadership and inspiring rhetoric, he faced a challenge to his position as Prime Minister at in the early days of WWII. Fortunately he won re-election and continued to lead England and the world to the end of the brutal war only to lose in the challenge after the war.

Janet McTeer portrays Clementine Churchill. Others appearing include Len Carious as President Roosevelt, Iain Glen as King Edward VI, Patrick Melanide as Major General Bernard Montgomery, and James D'Arcy as Jack Colville.

This film is a sequel to The Gathering Storm.

Gleeson won an Emmy for his portrayal; McTeer and Carious were nominated.

Directed by Thaddeus O'Sullivan.

Run time: 1 hour, 38 minutes

Rated TV-PG.

My personal rating: B

Funny People (2009)

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George Simmons (Adam Sandler), a successful stand-up comedian and comic actor, is decked when he is diagnosed with a terminal illness. He's really pretty alone in the world and still mooning over his ex-girlfriend Lauta (Leslie Mann) who is now married to Clarke (Eric Bana).

He hires Ira Wright (Seth Rogan), an aspiring comedian, to write jokes for him and be his companion.

Also appearing are Jonah Hill and Jason Schwartzman as Ira's roomies who are also comedians; Aubrey Plaza as Ira's former girlfriend Daisy; Maude and Iris Apatow as Luara and Clarke's daughters; Torsten Voges as the doctor.

Also appearing in cameo roles are Paul Reiser, James Taylor, Andy Dick, Charles Fleischer, Carol Leifer, George Wallace, Norm MacDonald, Sarah Silverman, Bud Friedman, Eminem, Ray Romano.

Some of this film was funny but not nearly as precious as the writer/director and cast thought. Perhaps if it was edited down by an hour it would have heen more palatable to me.

Written and directed by Judd Apatow.

Run time: 2 hours, 25 minutes

Rated R.

My personal rating: C

The Open Road (2009)

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”That’s the deal. He commits to something and then the idea of commitment totally freaks him out.”

Minor league baseball player and aspiring writer Carlton Garrett (Justin Timberlake) is the son of a baseball legend, Kyle Garrett (Jeff Bridges). Carlton's mother Katherine (Mary Steenburgen) is quite ill in a Houston hospital with a heart defect but she steadfastly refuses to have surgery until she can see her ex-husband, Kyle. Carlton has tried to contact his father before to no avail so he sets off with his gal pal Lucy (Kate Mara) to fly to a baseball fan-con to find his dad.

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Kyle is quite cool toward Carlton and when he learns the reason Carlton has hunted him down Kyle agrees to travel to Houston. But at the airport, Kyle is unable to board the plane because he claims he "lost" his ID. To Carlton this symbolizes yet another rejection but he does manage to persuade Kyle to fly back to Houston with the young couple. To Kyle's dismay, the trio ends up setting off in a rental car. But enroute, Kyle manages to do whatever he can to get out of the trip..
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Meanwhile, the relationship between Carlton and Lucy is revealed. They're best friends. They actually love each other but Carlton is afraid to commit -- obviously a result of his sense of abandonment by his own father.
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Can the dysfunctional father-son relationship be healed? Can the young couple find a way to move on with their relationship?.
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Also appearing in small roles are Harry Dean Stanton as Katherine's father; Ted Danson as Carlton's coach; and Lyle Lovett as a bartender..
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Written and directed by Michael Meredith.
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Run time: 1 hour, 30 minutes.
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Rated PG-13.
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My personal rating: B

Nothing Like the Holidays (2008)

The Rodriguez family is coming together for Christmas. Bodega owner Edy (Alfred Molina) and his wife Anna (Elizabeth Peña) are eager to see their three children back in their Chicago home.

Young Jesse (Freddy Rodríguez) is just returning from a tour of duty in Iraq and release from the Army. He's grappling with his guilt about the death of his best Army buddy in an attack upon both of them by the insurgents. He's also struggling with the fact that he still loves his former girlfried Marissa (Melonie Diaz) even though she is now happily married.

Son Mauricio (John Leguizamo) arrives with his Jewish wife Sarah (Debra Messing), a successful NYC career couple. Sarah feels the family pressure to get pregnant and Mauricio is eager to start a family.

Sister Roxanna (Vanessa Ferlito), an actress from LA, is trying to decide whether or not to continue acting. Her roles have been small and she can't seem to break through.

Mother Anna breaks the news to the family that she is leaving Edy because she is sure he has been having an affair. Meanwhile, Edy has his own secret that he's not ready to share with the family.

Also appearing are Luis Guzmán as Edy's nephew and Jay Hernandez as Jesse's best friend.

While this film is typically billed as a comedy, it is really a very tender drama about a loving family's dynamic. Rich in Puerto Rican culture and traditions. I'd like to see a sequel to this one as I came to care very much for these characters.

Directed by Alfredo De Villa.

Run time: 1 hour, 38 minutes

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements including some sexual dialogue, and brief drug references.

My personal rating: B

The Brothers Bloom (2008)

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"See, you've reached an unethical conclusion. You think you want out, but you don't. One last con. "

The quirky little tale of Stephen (Mark Ruffalo) and his brother Bloom (Adrien Brody), two life-long con men who decide to retire from the biz. But Stephen urges Bloom to join him in one last “big one” –- swindling money from heiress Penelope (Rachel Weisz). The only problem is, Bloom begins to fall in love with the wealthy young woman and appears to be torn in his allegiance.

The romp takes place all over the globe: Japan, Mexico, Prague, New Jersey.

Also appearing are Rinko Kikuchi as the beautiful but mysterious demolition expert Boom Boom; Robbie Coltrane as the curator; and Maximilian Schell as the evil Devil Dog.

Written and directed by Rian Johnson.

Run time: 1 hour, 53 minutes

Rated PG-13 for violence, some sensuality and brief strong language.

My personal rating: B

Rope! (1948)

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"We've killed for the sake of danger. And for the sake of killing. We're alive. Truly and wonderfully alive."
Inspired by the Leopold and Loeb murder case, this thriller originally was on stage as Rope's End and director Alfred Hitchcock opted to film it as a play with continuous 10-minutes takes. Many consider this film one of the very best films centering on homosexuality, a brave topic for this era in film.

Prep school teacher and housemaster Rupert Cadell (Jimmy Stewart) taught Nietzsche's Superman and two of his students-- Philip Morgan (Farley Granger) and Brandon Shaw (John Dell)--took the lesson well. On a whim, they strangled their friend David Kentley (Dick Hogan) just to see what it felt like. They then hid his body in a chest in their NYC apartment. Brandon is sadisticly cavalier after the fact while Philip is wrenched with guilt.

There's the game of risk involved, too, as the men are hosting a party that evening and there's that body in the chest in the middle of the room. Guests include Kentley's father, Henry (Sir Cedric Hardwicke) and aunt, Mrs. Atwater (Constance Collier), his girlfriend, Janet Walker (Joan Chandler), his former best friend, Kenneth Lawrence (Douglas Dick), and Professor Cadell. Along with the busybody housekeeper Mrs. Wilson (Edith Evanson), they are oblivious to the evil in the room.

The bonus material included with this DVD gives wonderful insights into the production.

Hitchcock was notorious for always having some tiny role in each of his films. In Rope, he appears simply as a pedestrian walking with a woman on the street in the opening sequence. This was Hitchcock's first Technicolor production. The film's treatment was done by Hume Cronyn.

Run time: 1 hour, 21 minutes

Rated PG.

My personal rating: B+

Who Is Cletis Tout? (2001)

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This is one where note taking will only help the viewing. Oh, wait! Forget the notes. The tale is so convoluted that even notes won’t help. But it’s still kind of a fun, though sometimes tedious, romp.

Critical Jim (Tim Allen) is a movie-loving hit man. When he demands money at gunpoint from Cletis Tout (Christian Slater) –- who is really Trevor Finch, maybe, who assumed Tout’s name after escaping from prison –- he is regaled with a story instead.

The faux Tout tells of a wily jewel thief named Micah (Richard Dreyfuss) who faux Tout met in prison and from whom faux Tout learned about a diamond stash. The faux Tout and Micah escaped together. Add to the mixture Micah’s daughter daughter Tess (Portia De Rossi), who either hates Finch or loves him, depending on various stages of the story.

Also appearing are Billy Connolly and RuPaul.

Written and directed by Chris Ver Wiel.

Run time: 1 hour, 32 minutes

Rated R for language, some violence and sexuality.

My personal rating: C

Lymelife (2008)

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Suburban life. A marriage in crisis. Teenagers coming of age. The ravages of Lyme disease. The loss of the American dream all set on Long Island more than 30 years ago.

Mickey (Alec Baldwin) and Brenda (Jill Hennessy) Bartlett are barely staying afloat in a sinking marriage. Their teenage son, Scott (Rory Culkin), is experiencing the first flutter of love and sex with the neighbor girl, Adrianna Bragg (Emma Roberts) whose father, Charlie (Timothy Hutton) has gone off his nut with Lyme disease.

Others in the cast include Cynthia Nixon as Charlie's wife and Kieren Culkin as Scott's kid brother.

Written by brothers Derick and Steven Martini; directed by Derick Martini.

Run time: 1 hour, 35 minutes

Rated R for language, some sexual content, violence and drug use.

My personal rating: C+

All Roads Lead Home (2008)

."All she sees, in all living things is the potential. God, why would anyone want her to see it any other way."

Young Belle Lawlor (Vivien Cardone) lost her mother in a car accident and her father Cody (Jason London) struggles to raise her alone. Cody works as an animal control officer and comes in regular contact with vet Lillian Cole (Vanessa Branch) and soon a tentative romance blossoms. Belle, however, frequently gets into trouble in town so Cody sends her to spend time on the ranch with her maternal grandfather Hock Banyon (Peter Coyote) who finds it difficult to be around Belle for the child reminds him so much of his lost daughter.

How this family deals with their grief and finds resolution to their relationship problems all centers on animals.

Others appearing are Peter Boyle (in his final role), Patton Oswalt, Evan Parke, and a couple of friends of mine from here in Kansas City, Walter Coppage and the late Peter Fopeano.

This movie was filmed here in the Kansas City area, mostly on rolling ranch land in Lee’s Summit but there are also several views of downtown KC.

Directed by Dennis Fallon.

Run time: 1 hour, 48 minutes

Rated PG for thematic material and brief language.

My personal rating: B

The Other Man (2008)

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"I prefer hotels and heaven."
Lisa (Laura Linney) all but reveals to her husband Peter (Liam Neeson) that she is having an affair. The next day she vanishes. Peter puts together puzzle pieces and finds Lisa’s lover, Ralph (Antonio Banderas).

Ralph doesn’t know who Peter is but Peter is playing a cat and mouse game with Ralph to quell his own despair.

Also appearing is Romola Garai as Lisa and Peter’s daughter.

Directed by Richard Eyre.

Run time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Rated R for nudity and sexuality.

My personal rating: C

The Memory Keeper's Daughter (2008)

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"She's bright and happy...which is not what you predicted."
Dr. David Henry (Dermot Mulroney) is haunted by images of his mother's pain through the short life of her little girl who had a birth defect. When a blizzard prevents him from getting his pregnant wife Norah (Gretchen Mol) to the hospital, David and his nurse Caroline (Emily Watson) prepare to delivery the baby in his office at home.

A fine healthy baby boy is born but then a baby girl with Down Syndrome is born. Wanting to spare Norah the pain his mother had, he asks Caroline, without Norah's knowledge, to take the baby to a nearby facility for babies who are retarded. He is certain the child will not live long.

Caroline takes the baby but cannot part with little Phoebe so she raises the child herself as David and Norah raise baby Paul.

But 20-some years later, the whole story is revealed.

Also appearing are Krystal Hope Nausbaum as the young adult Phoebe; Hugh Thompson as Caroline's boyfriend; and Jamie Spilchuk as the young adult Paul.

Directed by Mick Jackson. This movie was made for television.

Not rated by MPAA.

My personal rating: C+

It Runs In the Family (1994)

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"That's what life is...a tie. a lousy tie."

A sequel to the ever popular A Christmas Story, this tale finds young Ralphie (Kieran Culkin) pitted against his new nemesis in dueling spinning tops and taking strides toward coming of age by being included in night fishing trips with his Dad (Charles Grodin) and his Dad's buddies. Meanwhile, Mom (Mary Steenbergen) experiences frustration at "dish night" at the local movie theater and Dad continues his battles with the neighboring Bumpus clan.

Also appearing are Christian Culkin as Ralphie's little brother Randy; Tedde Moore as Ralphie's mother; and Dick O'Neill as the shopkeeper.

The original title of this film was My Summer Vacation and if it had a general theater release, it was certainly limited. Critics generally reviewed it as lackluster and contrived, but I felt it was a decent little film, albeit not as good as the original A Christmas Story.

Directed by Bob Clark with screenplay by the inimitable Jean Shepherd, who also wrote the original novels and narrates this story.

Run time: 1 hour, 25 minutes

Rated: PG

My personal rating: B-

Beautiful Girls (1996)

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”If I'm not mistaken, you've come back here to the house of loneliness and tears, to Daddy Downer and Brother Bummer, to come to some sort of decision about life, a life decision if you will.”
Big city musician Willy Conway (Timothy Hutton) is at a crossroad in his life. Can he continue to live as a musician or should he take a regular job? Should he move forward to commit to his long-time girlfriend Tracy (Annabeth Gish). He takes a bus back to his small hometown for his 10-year high school reunion and for time to ponder his future.

Willy joins up with his old chums who still live in town and are all working in lower level jobs. Tommy (Matt Dillon) has a girlfriend, Sharon (Mira Sorvino), but he still carries a torch for his high school sweetheart Darien (Lauren Holly), who is married and had a child. She also continues to carry a torch for Tommy. Paul (Michael Rapaport) is obsessed with pin-up models and insanely jealous that his ex-girlfriend, Jan (Martha Plimpton) has taken up with a 40-year-old butcher. Mo (Noah Emmerich) is married and has two children but sort of longs for the independence his friends have.

The new neighbor’s next to Willy’s dad’s house have a 13-year-old daughter, Marty (Natalie Portman), who calls herself an “old soul” and gives Willy a lot to think about.

Also appearing are Richard Bright as Willy’s recently widowed father; David Arquette as Willy’s younger brother Bobby who still lives in the family home; Uma Thurman as Stinky’s visiting cousin who curls the toes of the guys; Rosie O’Donnell as the bossy friend who shames the single guys; Pruitt Taylor Vince and Max Perlich as other friends, Stinky and Kev; and Sam Robards as Darien’s husband.

Directed by Ted Demme.

Run time: 1 hour, 52 minutes

Rated R for strong language and nude pin-ups.

My personal rating: B

The Merry Gentleman (2008)

Kate Frazier (Kelly Macdonald) can no longer stand the abuse her husband Michael (Bobby Cannavale) dishes out so she escapes to a new life in Chicago and tells no one where she is. One evening as she leaves work she sees a man about to jump from the roof ledge of a building across the street. She screams and he jumps back onto the roof and disappears. The police come but the potential jumper is gone.

Officer Dave Murcheson (Tom Bastounes) contacts her because the man she saw was probably the one who shot and killed someone by firing into a building from the rooftop. Dave questions Kate a few times but he really doesn't need more information from her. He's interested in Kate romantically and eventually asks her out but he's awkward and she's still healing from the psychological and physical damage her husband had done to her.

Frank Logan (Michael Keaton, who also directed) is a depressed tailor -- who also happens to be a hitman. He helps Kate get her Christmas tree into her apartment and she's intrigued. The see each other a few times and when he collapses on her doorstep from pneumonia, she gets him to the hospital and visits him over Christmas. They slowly begin building a relationship.

A quiet, gentle, curious film, perhaps a tad too quiet and a bit self-absorbed, but there were some warm and tender scenes, too.

Run time: 1 hour, 50 minutes

Rated R for language and some violence.

My personal rating: B-

Jagged Edge (1985)

"I need to see your face."

When newspaper publisher Jack Forrester (Jeff Bridges) is accused of murdering his heiress wife, attorney Teddy Barnes (Glenn Close), defends him even though she hasn't handled a criminal case in years. As she works the case, Teddy begins to fall for Jack.

Peter Coyote plays the prosecutor Krasny; Guy Boyd as Teddy's ex-husband Matthew; John Dehner as Judge arrigan; Leigh Taylor-Young as the late Mrs. Forester's best friend Virginia Howell; and Robert Loggia as Teddy's friend, a former cop who does some private investigation on the case.

Taut courtroom mystery with a powerful ending.

Directed by Richard Marquand.

Run time: 1 hour, 48 minutes

Rated R.

My personal rating: B

Billy Bathgate (1991)

"What do you think the odds are I’ll beat this rap?"

Billy Bathgate (Loren Dean) is an ambitious young man. He's drawn to money, power, and glamour and falls in with gangster Dutch Schultz (Dustin Hoffman) and his gang of thugs during Schultz's rise and eventual fall and finds himself struggling with issues of trust, brutal death, and survival.

The all-star cast includes Bruce Willis as Schultz's main man Bo who betrays Schultz; Nicole Kidman as Mrs. Preston who was first Bo's girlfriend and then Schultz's; Steven Hill, Steve Buscemi, Kevin Corrigan, and Billy Maye as some of Schultz's goonies and henchmen; Stanley Tucci as gangster Lucky Luciano; and Frances Conroy as Billy's mother.

Directed by Robert Benton from a screenplay by Tom Stoppard based on a book by E.L Doctorow.

Run time: 1 hour, 46 minutes

Rated R for gangster violence, nudity and language.

My personal rating: B

High Crimes (2002)

"You have no idea what it's like to see somebody you love killed right in front of you."

High profile San Francisco lawyer Claire Kubik (Ashley Judd) finds her world shattered when her beloved husband Ron (James Caviezel) is arrested and charged with the murder of Latin American vilages when he served as a Marine 12 years prior. He'd been living a lie with a false name and history ever since.

Claire persuades lawyer and former member of JAG Corp Charles Grimes (Morgan Freeman) to help with the case.

Eyewitnesses have died or disappeared mysteriously and the whole case seems to be a set-up.

Adam Scott appears as the young military lawyer first assigned to the case; Amanda Peet plays Claire's sister Jackie; and Bruce Davison appears as Brig. Gen. Bill Marks.

Directed by Carl Franklin.

Run time: 1 hour, 55 minutes

Rated PG-13 for violence, sexual content and language.

My personal rating: B

The Valet (2006)

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Billionaire Pierre Levasseur (Daniel Auteuil) is having an affair with young supermodel Elena (Alice Taglioni) but must gain time to arrange a divorce from his wife (Kristin Scott Thomas) that might cost him a big hunk of his fortune.

Meanwhile, a simple parking valet François Pignon (Gad Elmaleh) loves Émilie (Virginie Ledoyen) who is deep in debt due to opening a bookshop. She also doesn’t feel that François is her ideal mate.

To keep the paparazzi and his wife’s attorney off his trail, Levasseur pays his mistress and the valet to pretend to be a cohabitating couple for a month.

Within days, the bookshop owner and the billionaire are jealous, the supermodel enjoys life with a nice guy, and the valet finds status and self-confidence. And when Levasseur’s wife discovers the truth, she sets out to play head games.

Subtitled.

Written and directed by Francis Veber.

Run time: 1 hour, 25 minutes

Rated PG-13 for sexual content and language.

My personal rating: B-

Dreamer (2005)

Inspired by a true story
”You're taking your kid and your horse to the Breeder's Cup tomorrow. 'Cause that's the dream of every real horseman.”
Ben Crane (Kurt Russell) has a Kentucky horse farm. Only problem is, he has no horses. He works as a trainer for horse businessman Everett Palmer (David Morse) who oversees the horses of Prince Sadir (Oded Fehr).

One day, Ben doesn’t feel a mare is quite up to a race but Palmer insists she runs. Half way through the race the mare’s cannon bone snaps. When Palmer orders the mare be put down, Ben fights back and is fired. He hauls the mare back to his farm intending to save her and make her a brood mare.

Soñador, the mare, becomes the love of Ben’s daughter’s life. Young Cale (Dakota Fanning) and serves as a way of mending the strained relationsip between Ben and Cale and the fractured relationship between Ben and his father (Kris Kristofferson).

Also appearing are Elisabeth Shue as Ben’s wife; Freddy Rodríguez and Luis Guzmán as the barnmen; Ken Howard as a fellow horseman; and Holmes Osborne as the vet.

Written and directed by James Gatins in his debut.

Run time: 1 hour, 46 minutes

Rated PG.

My personal rating: B+

Inventing the Abbotts (1997)

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Narrator: "The end of my innocence began in 1957. It is remarkable to me now just how little I knew then about the people around me. It took me years to figure out exactly what the truth was, especially given my brother's knack at inventing himself."
When two brothers (Joaquin Phoenix, Billy Crudup) from the wrong side of the track court three aristocratic sisters (Jennifer Connelly, Liv Tyler, Joanna Going) in the 1950s, fireworks fly.

The boys' mother is played by Kathy Baker and Will Patton appears as the girls' father. Shawn Hatosy also has a small role.

Directed by Pat O'Connor.

Run time: 1 hour, 52 minutes

Rated R for sexuality and language.

My personal rating: B-

25th Hour (2002)

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"You had it all, and you threw it away, you dumb ####!"

Brooklyn boy Monty Brogan (Edward Norton) is heading to prison for dealing heroin. He'll be locked up for at least seven years. The last 24 hours of his free life is spent with his girl friend Naturelle Riveria (Rosario Dawson), his two best friends, high school teacher Jakob Elinsky (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and bond trader Frank Slaughtery (Barry Pepper), his father James (Brian Cox), and his friend Kostya Novotny (Tony Siragusa).

Monty and others take a hard look at their lives as the twenty-fifth hour approaches.

Also appearing is Anna Paquin as Mary D'Annunzio.

Shows the rough, raw and racist reality many live daily. Intense.

Directed by Spike Lee.

Run time: 2 hours, 15 minutes

Rated R for strong language and some violence.

My personal rating: B

A Kiss Before Dying (1991)

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When Jonathan “Jay” Corliss (Matt Dillon) finds out his rich girlfriend Dorothy (Sean Young) is pregnant. He’d planned to use her to get to her wealthy daddy’s (Max von Sydow) money without the entanglement of a child. Jay murders Dorothy but makes it look like a suicide.

Soon Jay is wooing Dorothy’s identical twin sister Ellen (also played by Sean Young) even though Ellen is sure her sister was murdered and is actively trying to find out who Dorothy’s secret boyfriend was.

Diane Ladd plays Jay’s mother and James Russo as Dan Corelli, the cop and later private investigator who worked the case.

A thriller without a thrill. I didn’t care about any of these characters.

From a novel by Ira Levin. Screenplay and directed by James Dearden.

Run time: 1 hour, 36 minutes

Rated R.

My personal rating: C

Funny Bones (1995)

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"Why do all the best things in life belong to the past?" Comedian Tommy Fawkes (Oliver Platt) has a hard act to follow. His father, George (Jerry Lewis), is a zany comic beloved by all. At Tommy's debut in Las Vegas, he fails miserable and disappears. He's gone off to Blackpool, England, where he spent summers as a child, in search of funny material and a parter for comedy routines.

What he finds is his father's former comedy partners, the Parker brothers, and a whole bag of family secrets that suddenly frees him from the muck of being the son of a celebrity.

Also appearing are Lee Evans as a tragic young comic, Jack Parker; Leslie Caron as Jack's devoted mother; George Carl and Freddie Davies as Bruno and Thomas Parker; Richard Griffiths as the manager of the seaside resort; and Oliver Reed.

A strange, at times surrealistic, little film that often reminded me of some of the Coen brother's work.

Written and directed by Peter Chelsom.

Run time: 2 hours, 8 minutes

Rated R for some language and a scene of tragic violence.

My personal rating: B

Monk: 7:3 (TV Series)

Season 7
Episodes 9-12
Disc 3

My personal rating: B

Another Woman (1988)

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"I wondered of a memory is something you had or something you lost."
Marion Post (Gena Rowlands), director of undergraduate studies in philosophy at a women’s college, is on leave writing a book. Her husband Ken (Ian Holm) is an accomplished cardiologist.

Because of construction next to her home, Marion rented an office downtown to do her work. On the first day, she discovers that she can hear every word spoken in the psychiatrist’s office next door.

Over time Marion becomes enmeshed in the story one of the psychiatrist’s patients tells. The patient, Hope (Mia Farrow), a pregnant woman, is in deep despair and considering suicide. Pondering the young woman’s plight causes Marion to examine her own life.

Betty Buckley as Ken’s first wife Kathy; Blythe Danner and Philip Bosco as Marion and Ken’s friends Lydia and Sam; Sandy Dennis as Marion’s childhood friend Claire and Jacques Levy as her husband Jack; Gene Hackman as Larry who Marion had been tempted to have an affair with years before; John Houseman as Marion’s father as an old man; Martha Plimpton as Ken’s teenage daughter Laura; David Ogden Stiers as Marion’s father when he was young; Harris Yulin as Marion’s brother Paul and Frances Conroy as his wife Lynn.

Thought provoking. Terrific music. Subtle NYC background.

Written and directed by Woody Allen.

Run time: 1 hour, 21 minutes

Rated PG.

My personal rating: B

The Boys and Girl from County Clare (2005)

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"Ready, one, two..."
Growing up in County Clare, Jimmy and John Joe McMahon grew up learning ceili music. Now, forty years later, Jimmy (Colm Meany) lives in Liverpool and leads a ceili band. Brother John Joe (Bernard Hill) still lives on the family homestead in Ireland and also leads a ceili band.

With the big Ceili Championship at hand each brother attempts to sabotage the arrival of the other at the competition. But the bad blood between the brothers only intensifies when both arrive late -- but just in time to register.

John Joe's piano player Maisie (Charlotte Bradley) is the love of the old bachelor's life but she's very upset that Jimmy has come back to County Clare. Meanwhile, John Joe's angelic top fiddler Anne (Andrea Corr) and Jimmy's piper Teddy (Shaun Edwards) fall in love.

Also appearing is Patrick Bergin as the third McMahon brother, Padjo.

Terrific Celtic music all over the place.

Directed by John Irvin.

Run time: 1 hour, 34 minutes

Rated R for nudity, scenes of sexuality, and language.

My personal rating: B+

Such a Long Journey (2000)

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Twelve centuries ago, the Persian Empire was conquered by Arabs. When forced to choose between Islam and death, a small group of Persians fled to India, taking with them their ancient religion of the prophet Zarathustra. These Parsis peoples prospered and became leaders in Bombay under British rule.

This film, set in 1971 when India and Pakistan continued their conflict and Bangladesh became a focal point, follows the story of one devout Parsi –- Gustad Noble (Roshan Seth).

Gustad joyously sings his way through life as he deals with the day to day living and supporting his family as a bank clerk. He is asked by a dear friend (Naseeruddin Shah), a freedom fighter, to help transfer a parcel needed to battle the Pakistanis.

Also appearing are Soni Razda as Gustad’s wife Dilnavaz; Vrajesh Hirjee as his son Sohrab; Sam Dastor as Gustad’s office mate; Ranjit Chowdhry as the pavement artist; and Kurush Deboo as the mentally challenged neighbor Tehmul.

Based on the novel by Rohinton Mistry. Directed by Sturla Gunnarsson.

Run time: 1 hour, 53 minutes

Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

My personal rating: B

Class (1983)

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Sophomoric
Jonathan (Andrew McCarthy), a naive country boy, earns a scholarship to a classy prep school. His roommate, the handsome prankster Franklin “Skip” Burroughs IV (Rob Lowe), decides that Jonathan needs to learn his virginity so he sends Jonathan to Chicago, where Jonathan meets Ellen (Jacqueline Bisset), a beautiful mature woman. They begin a passionate affair but when Ellen discovers Jonathan is only 17 years old, she disappears.

Skip invites Jonathan to spend Christmas break with his family and Jonathan discovers that Ellen is Skip’s mother.

Others in the cast include Cliff Robertson as Skip’s father; Stuart Margolin as Balaban who is investigating possible cheating on the SAT; John Cusack, Alan Ruck, Virginia Madsen, Deborah Thalberg, Anna Maria Horsford, and Joan Cusack as Skip and Jonathan’s friends; Lolita Davidovich as a wasted girl; and Dick Cusack as the chaplain.

Directed by Lewis John Carlino.

Run time: 1 hour, 38 minutes

Rated R.

My personal rating: C+, but fun to see the debut roles of several young actors who continue in the industry today

Don't Come Knocking (2005)

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"Where is Howard? Who is Howard? He's long gone, he's long gone." Howard Spence (Sam Shepard) is a washed up cowboy actor who probably has been given his last chance to shape up and fly right in a film. But he blows it. Big time. He disappears from the set. The director (George Kennedy) is instructed to continue shooting around Howard's scenes. The film's bonding company sends Sutter (Tim Roth) to locate Howard, drag him back to the set, and make him complete his contractural agreement.

Howard has wandered off with purpose, first to see his mother (Eva Marie Saint) who he's not been in contact with for many, many years, then to locate his old girlfriend (Jessica Lange), and then to find his son Earl (Gabriel Mann). Along the way he connects with a young woman named Sky (Sarah Polley) who is trying to decide what to do with her mother's ashes.

Also appearing in the cast in small roles are James Roday, Julia Sweeney, Tim Matheson, James Gammon, and Fairuza Balk.

All star cast but pretty much a wasted effort. Story was a missed opportunity. I didn't care enough about the characters to make this store work for me. But the music was interesting.

Story by Sam Shepard and Wim Wenders; screenplay by Sam Shepard; directed by Wim Wenders.

Run time: 2 hours, 2 minutes

Rated R for language and brief nudity.

My personal rating: C

All the Pretty Horses (2000)

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"I guess country lasts forever. People ain’t but for a little while."
All John Grady Cole (Matt Damon) ever wanted to do was ranch on his grandfather’s land in west Texas. But his father had signed over the future of the land to his ex in the divorce so when the grandfather died, John’s mother sold the land leaving John quite devastated.

John sets off with his friend Lacey Rawlins (Henry Thomas) set off for Mexico. Early in the journey, they hook up with young Jimmy Blevins (Lucas Black), a runaway who ends up going his own way.

ucas BlackJohn and Lacey find work on one of the last great ranches in Mexico, the 27,000 acres owned by Hector de la Rocha y Villareal (Rubén Blades). John wants to prove their worth by breaking 16 wild mustangs in four days –- a task accomplished with all the ranch hands and their families looking on and which impressed Hector. John is given the job of working with Hector on the program to breed fine Mustang mares to the new Thoroughbred stallion Hector has just purchased.

In the process, a romance blossoms between John and Hector’s daughter Alejandra (Penélope Cruz) but Hector’s sister Doña Alfonsa (Miriam Colón) does not approve. Alejandra is sent to live with her mother and John and Lacey are arrested and sent back to a little town north of the ranch. When the are thrown in the jail there, they find young Jimmy who is charged with three murders and apparently he’d implicated John and Lacey.

Also appearing are Sam Shepard as the lawyer who explains to John how the sale of the grandfather’s land can’t be blocked; Bruce Dern as the judge.

Beautiful cinematography in a beautiful land. Heartfelt music including Marty Stuart’s touching “Far Away.” And love those horses!

Based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy. Directed by Billy Bob Thornton.

Run time: 1 hour, 54 minutes

Rated PG-13 for violence and some sexuality.

My personal rating: B+

Chrystal (2004)

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Involved in a high speed chase, Joe (Billy Bob Thornton) loses control of his car and wrecks. In the process, his young son is killed and his wife Chrystal (Lisa Blount) is permanently disabled.

After serving 20 years in prison, Joe returns to the Ozarks to try to make amends with Chrystal.

Also appearing are Grace Zabriskie as Chrystal's mother Gladys; Kathryn Howell as Miss Mabel the spiritualist; Walt Goggins as Joe's slimy cousin Larry; Harry Lennix and Johnny Galecki as Kalid and Barry who came from Chicago to record the regional music; Colin Fickes and Max Kasch as Hog and Shorty, a couple of teenagers; James Intveld as Charlie the cop; Harry Dean Stanton as Pa Da; and Ray McKinnon (who also wrote and directed) as Snake who carries an old vendetta against Joe.

Some fine bluegrass pickin' and singin'.

Run time: 1 hour, 46 minutes

Rated R for sexuality, nudity, drug content, violence and language.

My personal rating: B-

Solas (1999)

Alone

Maria (Ana Fernández), a Spanish woman in her thirties, walks through life without passion or love. She'd left her parents home in a small village and now lives in the big city and works as a housekeeper, but she has trouble pulling her life together largely because of the after effects of her father's (Paco De Osca) drinking and brutality when she was young. Maria also lacks respect for her mother (María Galiana) for staying in the relationship.

When her father needs heart surgery in the city, Maria's mother comes to stay with Maria in her small apartment in a rough part of town. Maria displays bitterness toward her mother but in time, she finally begins to see her mother as fine, helpful, and caring woman. In turn, her mother gets a glimpse of what a good relationship with a man could be like when she befriends the elderly and lonely Vecino (Carlos Álvarez-Nóvoa) who lives downstairs from Maria.

Meanwhile, Maria is facing a big dilema heself -- an unwanted pregnancy and a boyfriend who she realizes is shockingly like her uncaring father.

Also appearing is Antonio Pérez Dechent as the doctor.

A very touching film about the need for loving relationships, this film garnered numerous top awards internationally.

Written and directed by Benito Zambrano. This was Zambrano's debut as both a scriptwriter and director.

Subtitled.

Run time: 1 hour, 41 minutes

Rated R for language and sexual content.

My personal rating: B

State of Play (2009)

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When the mistress and top research aide of Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) dies on the train tracks, he recruits his old college chum, Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe), an investigative reporter for the Washington Globe, to get the facts on what may have been a murder while protecting Collins’ name and career. With the assistance of Della Frye (Rachel McAdams), a Globe blogger, McAffrey delves into a complex scandal that stretches from the bed to the boardroom to beyond.

Also appearing are Helen Mirren as the Globe’s editor, Cameron Lynne; Robin Wright Penn as Collins wife, Anne; Jason Bateman as the slimy PR agent, Dominic Foy; Jeff Daniels as Congressional Majority Whip George Fergus; Harry Lennix as Detective Bell; Josh Mostel and Michael Weston as Globe reporters who run down leads; and Viola Davis as Dr. Judith Franklin.

Based on a BBC television series.

Directed by Kevin Macdonald.

Run time: 2 hours, 8 minutes

Rated R.

My personal rating: B

My August 2009 Viewings

Good Bye Solo (2008), B-, 8/31/09
Winchell (1998), B, 8/30/09
Purpose (2002), B-, 8/29/09
The Golden Boys (2007), B, 8/28/09
Shall We Dance? (2006), B, 8/27/09
Country (1984), B+, 8/26/09
Sunshine Cleaning (2009), B+, 8/25/09
Bobby (2006), B+, 8/24/09
Gray Gardens (2009), B, 8/23/09
When Do We Eat? (2005), B, 8/22/09
Smilla’s Sense of Snow (1997), C+, 8/21/09
Do the Right Thing (1989), B, 8/20/09
Liam (2001), B+, 8/19/09
Factory Girl (2006), B, 8/18/09
The Mysteries of Pittsburgh (2008), B-, 8/17/09
Rosenstrasse (2003), B+, 8/16/09
I Love You, Man (2009), F, 8/15/09
The Big White (2005), B-, 8/14/09
Things To Do (2008), B, 8/13/09
11:14 (2005), B+, 8/12/09
Hush (1998), B, 8/11/09
Incendiary (2008), B, 8/10/09
10th & Wolf (2006), C+, 8/9/09
The Edge of Love (2008), B+, 8/8/09
Garbo Speaks (1984), B, 8/7/09
Obsessed (2009), B, 8/6/09
The Ice Storm (1997), C, 8/5/09
Merchant of Venice (2004), A, 8/4/09
The Soloist (2008), A, 8/3/09
Shattered Glass (2003), B+, 8/2/09
Fragments (2008), B, 8/1/09

Good Bye Solo (2008)

."Who told you that you could get into my life?"
Elderly William (Red West) rides with a Senegalese taxi driver in Winston-Salem, NC, and ends up hiring the driver, Solo (Souleymane Sy Savane), for a longer trip than originally planned. But William is depressed and Solo suspects the old gent is going to off himself. They stike up a most unlikely friendship.

Others appearing are Diana Franco Galindo as Solo’s young stepdaughter Alex; and Carmen Leyva as Solo’s Mexican wife Quiera.

Written and directed by Ramin Bahrani.

Run time: 1 hour, 31 minutes

Rated R.

My personal rating: B-

Winchell (1998)

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"The man who is hated by everyone knows who his friends are. And the man who is loved by everyone has more enemies than most."
American’s insatiable appetite for scandal and dirt isn’t a new thing. From the 1930s into 1970s, columnist/radio personality Walter Winchell (Stanley Tucci) dished more dirt than nearly any other gossip monger. With the aid of his sidekick/ghostwriter Herman Klurfeld (Paul Giamatti), they got the scoops the country craved.

Based on Klurfeld’s book Walter Winchell: His Life and Times, the story begins with a brief view of Winchell as a child who loved the newspaper reports of his own nearly fatal accident, his efforts to promote gossip during his time in the Army, and the beginnings of his scurrilous efforts to affect a story.

But he spoke loudly about more than celebrity stews. Winchell stood up to his publisher, William Randolph Hearst (Kevin Tighe) by refusing to cease writing and talking about the scourge of Hitler in the ‘30s; faced up to the McCarthy Red Hunt; and generally fought for the common man all his life.

Also appearing are Glenne Headly as Winchell’s mistress Dallas Wayne; Megan Mullally as Winchell’s wife June; Xander Berkeley as Winchell’s editor; Christopher Plummer as FDR; Paula Cale as Klurfeld’s wife; Jason Huber as Winchell’s nemesis Ed Sullivan; Paul Mazursky (who also directed) as Winchell’s father; and Victoria Platt as Josephine Baker.

Wonderful music of the era.

Run time: 1 hour, 48 minutes

Rated R for language and one strong sexual scene.

My personal rating: B

Purpose (2002)

.Love and money in the internet age
John Elias (John Light) has a brilliant new concept for the internet in the booming late 1990s. He’s a bright college student and he’s scared but determined to make this work, even though he really knows nothing about business. His realistic father (Peter Coyote), a successful business man, discourages Peter because he feels the young man isn’t ready for this. His college professor Ben Fisher (Paul Reiser) gives him some encouragement.

John’s seed capital comes from the crazy, crusty old cowboy Tom Walker (Hal Holbrook) with a weird sense of humor.

He hires a college friend, the arrogant, amoral, and cunning Robert Jennings (Jeffrey Donovan), as the business side due to Jenning’s father’s connections. John is quickly led down the path of celebrating big before the release of product and all the speed bumps, ditches, and unexpected curves of business –- brilliant concept or not. He nearly gets used to and complacent with the “high life” until he’s shaken into the reality his father warned him about.

Also appearing are Mia Farrow as Anna Simmons, their Chairman of the Board; Shaun Majumder and Archie Kao as Victor and Kiko, John’s old friends and code-writing partners; Megan Dodds as John’s girlfriend Lisa who doesn’t like the path she sees ahead; Concetta Tomei as John’s doting mother.

Written and directed by Alan Lazar, who also wrote the score.

Run time: 1 hour, 36 minutes

Rated R.

My personal rating: B-

The Golden Boys (2007)

."Well, seems to be a strong running for ‘vivacious brunettes,’ and over here, ‘blonds of tender and romantic dispositions’. Which one of these types are you suffering for? "
Set in 1905 Cape Cod, three crusty old retired sea captains –- Jeremiah “Jerry” Burgess (Rip Torn), Perez Ryder (Bruce Dern) and Zebulon Hedge (David Carradine) –- need a housekeeper and decided that one of them must sacrifice his bachelorhood in order to take on a mail order bride through The Nuptial Chime, the journal of matrimony. But when the potential bride, the lovely and sweet Martha Snow (Muriel Hemingway) arrives from Nantucket, each man develops strong feelings.

Others in the cast include Charles Durning as the righteous John Bartlett; Jason Alan Smith as Ralph Hazeltine, the new cable station engineer; Angelica Torn as the town gossip Melissa Busteed; John Savage as the barkeeper Web Saunders; with a special appearance by Julie Harris as the melodeon player.

An off-beat romantic comedy.

Written and directed by Daniel Adams.

Run time: 1 hour, 37 minutes

Rated PG.

My personal rating: B

Shall We Dance? (2006)

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“Sway me now.”
Beguiled by a face he sees in a window from his commuter train seat every evening, John Clark (Richard Gere) decides to get off the El one evening and go explore Miss Mitzi’s (Anita Gillette) Dance Studio where the lovely Paulina (Jennifer Lopez) often stares out in sad contemplation of what might have been.

Clark is a lawyer and by all standards, he lives “a good life,” but something is missing and he’s not been able to find anything that brings true happiness to his life other than his family. His wife
Beverly (Susan Sarandon) has a full life with her career, taking care of two teenagers, and lots of volunteer work.

With his fascination of Paulina, Clark decides to take ballroom dancing lessons and meets up with fellow students Link (Stanley Tucci), Chic (Bobby Cannavale), and big Vern (Omar Miller) plus another instructor, Bobbie (Lisa Ann Walter), and he finds himself in dance.

Beverly, sensing his newfound joy in life, is suspicious and hires a private investigator, Devine (Richard Jenkins), and his assistant, Scott (Nick Cannon), because she fears Clark is having an affair.

Directed by Peter Chelton.

Run time: 1 hour, 59 minutes

Rated PG-13.

My personal rating: B

Country (1984)

. “We’re caught in the middle of something we can’t control.”

An exploration of the farm crisis in America focuses on the Ivy family of Blackhawk County, Iowa.

Jewell and Gil Ivy (Jessica Lange, Sam Shepard) have worked the corn and livestock farm where her family has lived for generations. Her father Otis (Wilford Brimley) and their teenage son Carlisle (Levi L. Knebel) work hard with Jewell and Gil to make a place for them and the Ivy’s two young daughters.

But the FHA is now calling in the loans and demanding full payment within 30 days. It’s seriously affecting the Ivys, who owe nearly $100K, and many of their friends.

Also in the cast are Jim Haynie, Sandra Seacat, and Jim Ostercamp as the neighbors, the Brewers; Matt Clark as the heartsick local FHA officer; and Alex Harvey as the hardened bureaucrat.

Directed by Richard Pearce.

Run time: 1 hour, 50 minutes

Rated PG.

My personal rating: B

Sunshine Cleaning (2009)

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“We come into people’s lives when they have experienced something sad and profound… In some small way, we help.”
Rose Lorkowski (Amy Adams) busts her butt as a housekeeper in Albuquerque to support herself and her young son Oscar (Jason Spevack) and put herself through real estate school. Oscar has a penchant for getting into trouble at school and Rose needs to get him into a private school.

Rose’s married boyfriend Mac (Steve Zahn) is a cop who suggests that Rose earns some real money by running a biohazard cleaning business -- basically, cleaning up crime scenes and sites where suicides happened and where dead bodies laid for some time before being found.

Her sister Norah (Emily Blunt) can’t hold a job so Rose convinces Norah to join her in her new business –- Sunshine Cleaning.

Their dad Joe (Alan Arkin), an entrepreneurial salesman, takes Oscar off on his sales route as Rose and Norah head off to their first job –- the site of a homicide by gun. With no training and no awareness of the procedures that must be followed, the woman launch into cleaning the house.

Their next job introduces them to the reality of stench, maggots, flies, body fluids, and all the other nasty stuff. Winston (Clifton Collins, Jr.), who runs the cleaning supply business, gives Rose and Norah biohazard manuals and shows them the supplies they need.

In the process of cleaning up the debris of death, Rose and Norah also clean up their own lives and begin living anew.

Others in the cast include Paul Dooley as their family friend Sherm who sells them an Econoline van; Amy Redford as Mac’s wife Heather; Mary Lynn Rajskub as the daughter of dead woman whose house Rose and Norah cleaned.

Directed by Christine Jeffs.

Run time: 1 hour, 31 minutes

Rated R.

My personal rating: B+

Bobby (2006)

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“They share with us that short moment of life.”

The setting is the Ambassador Hotel in LA, June 8, 1968 –- the day Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Twenty-two lives intersect in the pantry of that hotel on that day at that time – and they are changed forever.

Written and directed, produced by Emilio Estevez, who also appears in the film along with Lawrence Fishburne as the sous chef; Freddy Rodriguez as the busboy; Anthony Hopkins and Harry Bellefonte as retired hotel workers; William H. Macy as the hotel manager; Christian Slater as the kitchen manager; Nick Cannon and Shia LaBeouf as campaign workers; Ashton Kutcher as a hippie; Martin Sheen and Helen Hunt as socialites; Elijah Wood and Lindsay Lohan as young newlyweds; Sharon Stone as the hairdresser; Demi Moore as a diva.

Music by Mark Isham. Final anthem written by Bryan Adams and sung by Aretha Franklin, Mary J. Blige, and the Harlem Boys Choir.

Run time: 1 hour, 52 minutes

Rated NR.

My personal rating: B+

Gray Gardens (2009)

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“It’s a fine line between past and present.”
Based on a documentary about the aunt and cousin of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy.

Edith Bouvier Beale (Jessica Lange), former debutante and socialite, is not a terrible stable woman. When her husband Phelan (Ken Howard) has finally had enough, he moves their post-debutante daughter Edie (Drew Barrymore) to Manhattan and then he leaves Edith alone with her likely boyfriend, George (Malcolm Gets) in their East Hampton mansion.

Edie is in hopes of a life of an actress. Edith grows odder and odder, and tries to manipulate the young woman. It doesn’t take long for Edith to get Edie back to Long Island where the mansion is a mess. From then on, Edie is pretty much sucked into the depth of mental illness with her mother after her married boyfriend (Daniel Baldwin) breaks up with her.

By the 1970s, Edith and Edie are living in squalor in a decaying house filled with cats.

Others in the cast include Jeanne Tripplethorn as Jackie Kennedy; Joshua Peace and Ben Carlson as Edie’s brothers; Justin Louis and Arye Gross as the Maysles brothers who made the documentary.

Directed by Michael Sucsy. An HBO film for which Jessica Lange won an Emmy.

Run time: 1 hour, 43 minutes

Not rated by MPAA.

My personal rating: B

When Do We Eat? (2005)

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The greatest goal of a parent is to do half the damage to your children than your parents did to you.
Ira Stuckman (Michael Lerner) is a big, gruff, loud-mouthed guy, but when he's in the presence of his father, Artur (Jack Klugman), Ira becomes that broken child again. He has to listen to his father's stories of how Artur brought young Ira to the United States after losing his beloved wife, two young sons, and a young daughter in the Holocaust.

And now, Ira and his family are preparing for the Passover Seder. His wife Peggy (Leslie Ann Warren) is, for the first time ever, preparing a kosher seder because their son Ethan (Max Greenfield) has recently become orthodox, complete with Hassidic beard. Peggy has even had a ceremonial tent erected in the back yard for the feast.

Other family members attending the Seder are Ira's oldest daughter Jennifer (Meredith Scott Lynn) who is a lesbian and brings her partner Grace (Cynda Williams) to meet the family. Nikki (Shiri Appleby) is a sex surrogate who is the apple of Ira's eye. Ira accepts her career choice while Peggy detests it openly. Zeke (Jeff D'Agostino) is the druggy college son who skips classes and is a big disappointment to both of his parent. Lionel (Adam Lamberg) is the teenage son who is autistic. Cousin-once-removed Vanessa (Mili Avetal), a celebrity publicist, also attends, and as in past years, catches the eye of the now devout Ethan. Rafi (Mark Ivanir) is the Israeli Mosha Dayan-clone who rented them the tent and who Peggy invites to stay on for the feast.

Ira, though not a practicing Jew and the owner of Christmas ornament company, feels obligated to carry out the traditions in what he calls "the fastest Seder in the world." But when Zeke slips the psychedelic ecstasy into Ira's antacid, the rights and rituals take on a whole new meaning to Ira as he sees the dinner in slow motion and psychedelic colors.

In it's own way, the traditional Passover story from the Book of Malachai complete with Ira's children playing out the roles of the legendary "four sons" -- the wise, the wicked, the simple, and the one who doesn't know how to ask.

A very funny and touching story with insights into Jewish culture and tradition, tradition! And ultimately how one family puts aside the hurt from the past to heal the family.

With some interesting bonus material that further explains the film. I found it interesting that one of the rabbis said, "Loving one's children is not using money to control them."

Written by Salvador Litvak with his wife Nina Davidovich, and directed by Litvak.

Run time: 1 hour, 40 minutes

Rated R.

My personal rating: B

Smilla’s Sense of Snow (1997)

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”The way you have a sense of God, I have a sense of snow.”
When Smilla Jasperson (Julia Ormond) discovers that a six-year-old Inuit boy, Isaiah (Cupper Miano), who lives in her apartment building in Copenhagen, fell to his death from the roof, she isn’t convinced that he fell accidentally. Despite the insistence of the police, Smilla grows more and more certain.

Smilla had built a bond with Isaiah for they were both from Greenland. She knew Isaiah was afraid of heights and wouldn’t go up to the roof to play. Besides, his footprints in the snow indicated he’d run right from the roof door to the edge of the roof – not a typical pattern of a child playing.

Smilla questions Johannes Loyen (Tom Wilkinson), the head of the Institute for Arctic Medicine, who conducted the autopsy. She is not content with the answers she is getting and feels there is some sort of cover-up going on based on information she got from the morgue tech Lagermann (Jim Broadbent).

At the boy’s funeral, Smilla sees a man (Richard Harris) approaching Isaiah’s mother to give her a package that Juliane refuses. Smilla questions Juliane about this and finds that Juliane is to be given a widow’s pension from Greenland Mining due to the recent death.

Smilla visits her father, Moritz (Robert Loggia) to find out what he knew about Loyen because the two had gone to school together. She also asks her father for money telling him she has to make right for letting a child down.

Smilla wrote to the district attorney who agrees with her that something is amiss with this case. She then goes to visit Elsa Lubbing (Vanessa Redgrave), the former chief accountant for Greenland Mining who had signed the pension notification Juliane received.

With diligence and stealth, Smilla begins trying to unravel the mystery of young Isaiah’s death, and soon finds herself being assisted by the Mechanic (Gabriel Byrnes) who lives in Smilla’s building and also had a friendship with Isaiah.

Directed by Bille August.

Run time: 2 hours, 5 minutes

Rating R.

My personal rating: C+

Do the Right Thing (1989)

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The Quintessential Truth, Ruth
Summer in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn is sizzling. Blacks, Puerto Ricans, Italians, Koreans, and whites have to find a way to coexist but racism cuts all ways.

Sal Frangone (Danny Aiello) runs a pizzeria with his sons Pino (John Torturro) and Vito (Richard Edson). The young African-American Mookie (Spike Lee) is their delivery guy.

Tensions grow the temperature rises until the inevitable explosion.

Others in the cast are Samuel L. Jackson as the deejay Love Daddy; Joie Lee as Mookie’s sister Jade; Miguel Sandoval and Rick Aiello as the cops; Rosie Perez as Mookie’s baby mama; Giancarlo Esposito as Buggin’ Out; Martin Lawrence as Cee; Ossie Davis is “da mayor” of the neighborhood; Ruby Dee as Mother Sister; Roger Guenveur Smith as the developmentally disabled Smiley.

Written and directed by Spike Lee.

Run time: 2 hours

Rated R.

My personal rating: B

Liam (2001)

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"Bless me Father for I have sinned."
The Sullivans were struggling in the depression in pre-WWII Liverpool, but when the father (Ian Hart) lost his job as a laborer at the shipyard, he blames the nation’s woes on the Jews and the Irish Protestants. Emotion runs high and violence ensues.

Despite the intensity of the subject, there are some scenes of young Liam’s (Anthony Borrows) experiences in preparing for his first confession and first communion and learning about the fires of hell for eternity. Made me chuckle out loud with the memories it brought back.

Others in the cast include Claire Hackett as the mother; Megan Burns as Liam’s sister Teresa who works as a housekeeper for a Jewish family; David Hart as his brother Con who stands up to his father’s fascism; Russell Dixon as Father Ryan; Anne Reid as the school teacher Mrs. Abernathy; Julia Deakin as Aunt Aggie; Andrew Schofield as Uncle Tom.

Directed by Stephen Frears.

Run time: 1 hour, 31 minutes

Rated R.

My personal rating: B+

Factory Girl (2006)

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“She leaves only good wishes behind.”
Edie Sedgwick (Sienna Miller) came from a very prominent but deeply troubled New England family. Seeking to escape the punishing and uptight environment, moves to NYC and quickly becomes deeply enmeshed in the world of Andy Warhol’s (Guy Pearce) Factory – the studio where the artist developed his unmistakable style in the 1960s. The post-modern, deconstructionist artist surrounded himself with the most beautiful people, the quirky, outrageous people, artists, writers, musicians, dancers, models, busboys, and lots of drugs.

The ambitious starlet saw the opportunity to be noticed. Warhol, the legendary people user, saw the opportunity to live vicariously through Edie and to find art buyers from Edie’s high society background.

The film chronicles the beautiful but vulnerable young woman’s rise and tragic fall.

Also appearing are Hayden Christensen, the musician Edie falls in love with; Jack Huston as the artist Gerard Malanga; Jimmy Fallon as Edie’s college chum Chuck Wein; Armin Amiri as the artist Ondine; Tara Summers as Brigid Polk, another factory girl; Mena Suvari as Edie’s friend Richie Berlin; Shawn Hatosy as the musician’s friend Syd Pepperman; Beth Grant as the artist’s mother Julia; Edward Hermann as her trust fund banker James Townsend; Illeana Douglas as Diana Vreeland; and Don Novello as Mort Silvers.

Directed by George Hickenlooper.

Run time: 1 hour, 40 minutes

This film is not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

My personal rating: B

The Mysteries of Pittsburgh (2008)

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” I thought about my fat uncle Lenny and the job he’d strong-armed for me that would start in the fall. Which meant I had exactly three months left to live.”
After graduating cum laude with a degree in economics, Art Bechstein (Jon Foster) just wanted a mindless summer job before starting into a career as a stockbroker – what his gangster father (Nick Nolte) wants him to be. Being a clerk at Book Barn gives him that opportunity. It also affords him the opportunity to have frequent sex in the stacks and storage room with his boss, Phlox (Mena Suvari).

One evening Art hooks up with Momo (Omid Abtahi), his first year college roommate. Momo introduces Art to Jane Bellwether (Sienna Miller) and soon meets her enigmatic – well downright weird – boyfriend Cleveland (Peter Sarsgaard). Jane and Cleveland show Art the Pittsburgh he didn’t know, and in the process, romance develops and takes Art to places he didn’t know before.

Based on Michael Chabon’s 1988 book. Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber.

Run time: 1 hour, 35 minutes

Rated R.

My personal rating: B-

Rosenstrasse (2003)

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”I don’t know why religion has suddenly become so important.”
After her husband passes away, Ruth Weinstein (Jutte Lampe) begins to act strangely. Her daughter Hannah (Maria Schrader) feels this being caused by Ruth’s grief, but in reality, suppressed thoughts from World War II are surfacing and Ruth is haunted with the memories.

A mysterious woman, about Ruth’s age shows up as the family sits shiva in Ruth’s NYC apartment. This is her cousin Rachael (Carola Regnier) who urges Ruth to break the silence she has held for so many years.

After Ruth had been rescued from the holocaust as a child, she’d come alone to the United States to be raised by Rachael’s family. She’d fallen into silence about the incidents that most affected her life and now drove her to become a devout Jew.

Hannah journeys to Berlin to find 90-year-old Lena Fischer (Doris Schade) who had taken in eight-year-old Ruth (Svea Lohde). As a young Aryan woman, Lena (Katja Tiemann) stood watch at the synagogue on Rosenstrasse hoping for the release of her Jewish husband Fabian (Martin Feifel) and other Jewish spouses of Aryans who were being held by the Nazis in the temple. Young Ruth’s mother was also being detained there.

Directed by Margarethe von Trotta.

Mostly subtitled.

Run time: 2 hours, 16 minutes

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material, some violence, and brief drug content.

My personal rating: B+