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Reviews
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: The Elysian Kingdom (2022)
So magical
What a great episode. Ignore the haters - this Star Trek was written for a different generation and stands on its own. This wasn't a typical Star Trek episode, but it served the purpose of giving us closure on one storyline while learning more about the doctor. I'm really enjoying this show.
The Morning Show (2019)
Pretty bad
I wanted to like this show. I wanted to love this show. But so far it's just bad. The characters just stand around talking but nothing keeps them together. You kind of feel bad for Alex, but then you realize they've literally stolen this entire idea from the Today show. Maybe the space show will be better. This one is not worth the investment.
White Oleander (2002)
An excellent book translates beautifully to the screen
I could watch this movie from end to end over and over again. Just as I could read Janet Fitch's book cover to cover and then start it over again. I'm torn between whose performance is better -- Alison Lohman or Michelle Pfeiffer. I think I've decided after several viewings from the time it came out on video in 2003 until now that Pfeiffer's performance is stronger. I can see so much of my own mother in her haunting portrayal of a perfect mother who could turn evil in a second and did by killing her lover. The movie itself focuses on Lohman as she transitions from foster home to foster home after Pfeiffer is sentenced to 35 years to life in prison. The screen just eats Michelle Pfeiffer -- her long blonde hair is perfect in every scene, including the time she's in prison. The book describes her as beautiful and the role was cast well. Pfeiffer is stunning. The supporting cast is equally strong, most especially Robin Wright Penn and Renee Zellweger. Wright Penn is outstanding as a Bible-beating trailer-ish (they don't actually live in a trailer) foster mother. Astrid (Lohman) enjoys this place at first, but she and Wright Penn's boyfriend Ray (Cole Hauser; in a performance that made him a star) fall for one another.
All around well worth the time and energy in seeing it, White Oleander is and remains one of my favorite films.
7/10; 3 of 4 stars.
The Proposal (2009)
great cast translates to an enjoyable movie
I think I'm really starting to love Ryan Reynolds. Every new movie I see him in, I think he's hilarious and not to mention dashingly handsome and rock hard athletic. Sandra Bullock is another under-rated actress who appears here in quite a different role than she's played in the past. Bullock pulls off the "Satan's Mistress," as Betty White puts it early on pretty darn well. I will say that the first scenes in the movie seemed torn right out of The Devil Wears Prada. While I think Bullock in general did a good job of being pretty mean, she definitely did not come across anywhere near as scary as Meryl Streep at the beginning of The Devil Wears Prada. The movie runs at a decent pace, although the ending is a bit rushed in my opinion, and comes in at a typically good time for a romantic comedy (just over 100 minutes). The cast, I think, is really what made the movie an "8" for me and not a 6 -- everyone is SPOT-ON....Betty White as Gammi, the matriarchal grandmother who has Inuit Eskimo background and does a great dance thanking "Mother Earth." Mary Steenburgen turned in a fine performance as Drew's (Reynolds) mother -- she misses her son and blames his over-bearing father (Craig T. Nelson) who has set up a pretty substantial financial empire in Sitka (he basically owns the town). Nelson played the part well as usual. Reynolds and Bullock turned in great performances and had great on-screen chemistry.
My only disappointment was that the movie was not filmed in Alaska and was instead filmed on Boston's north shore. Alaska is a beautiful state and I felt "jipped" that they digitally added all of the mountains.
Overall 8/10, 3 of 4 stars
The Invasion (2007)
This is much better than you think...
I had the opportunity to see this on a long-haul flight from Washington to Salt Lake City on Delta's new on-demand movie service. I was actually surprised at how good this movie was. It kept me pretty well entertained for the length. I remember seeing previews for this last summer and hoping to see it since I'm a big fan of Kidman and Craig. But, alas, we missed it in theatres -- it was only out for a millisecond I suppose because of the terrible reviews. I frequent rottentomatoes.com and this movie has only 18% positive reviews which puts it in line with other semi-horror flops like The Messengers. This movie has the star-power to at least earn SOME positive reviews.
While not as fast-paced as I Am Legend, it offers the same level of creepiness. I have not seen the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers, or the remakes, but I can say this movie could stand on its own. Perhaps the reason it was so poorly received was because of these comparisons to the original.
If you're looking for an entertaining thriller with a great cast, solid writing, and an interesting premise, you'll enjoy this.
The Holiday (2006)
Worth the investment...
This past Christmas when I was home for my 72 hour visit to basically collect gifts and then fly home, my brother saw this movie without me. It shocked me, first of all, that he saw this because he would have never seen it with me and my movie buddy. It was of great significance, also, that he LIKED it.
So when it came out on DVD, I was literally there that Tuesday morning to pick it up. I came home and watched it and wasn't disappointed. Kate Winslet as Iris is such a unique character in film-land. Iris has been in love with the wrong guy for years and only realizes it after he becomes engaged to someone else. She agrees to switch homes for Christmas with Cameron Diaz as Amanda. By the way, I want to play the home switch game -- especially if I end up at in a posh LA house with a Blockbuster video store in the TV room. Although, honestly, I would have been just as happy in Iris's pad outside London in the idyllic countryside.
Although this Nancy Myers film weighs in at over 2 hours (like her other hit Something's Gotta Give), it flies by. I will admit, though, that there are definitely some areas to trim, but the movie is at its best spending time (albeit less than Amanda's screen time) with Iris in LA with her new friends Arthur (Eli Wallach), and Miles (a lovable Jack Black). Similarly to Something's Gotta Give, Meyers packs the movie with amazing landscapes that bring the film alive. It's another in a series of movies that makes me want to move to England.
There was no disappointment for me in this movie. In fact, like some great movies of 2006, the more times I watch it, the more I love it. If you don't take my word for it, take the fact that my tax attorney anti-chic-flick brother (who is perhaps THE toughest critic of all) enjoyed it.
Just Like Heaven (2005)
Such a cute movie .... with equally cute star
When I first saw the previews for this movie it looked like a typical formulaic romantic comedy. I chose, at that point, not to see it in theatres because I considered it to be a waste of $10. So when I saw it at the video store some months ago on DVD, I was somewhat hesitant to pick it up. But, in the end I did.
The plot itself is somewhat basic: doctor is a work-a-holic, gets in an accident, returns as a spirit and stalks the "great" guy that now inhabits her apartment. The characters however are much more likable than the plot. Reese Witherspoon, as the spirit, does an amazing job of translating her character to life. I actually began to think she could really be a doctor. Mark Ruffalo is also very good as an aloof bachelor who is being stalked by Witherspoon.
The movie is at its best as the chemistry between Ruffalo and Witherspoon grows and finally culminates in the predictable ending. This movie captivated my heart and I actually bought it after renting it. It's a cute movie and I recommend it to any fan of either leading actor. You won't be disappointed. 8/10
Texasville (1990)
Decent, but not great
Having never had the patience or the time of sitting through The Last Picture Show, I picked this movie up on a whim. I had seen once several years ago with my family and remembered it as being OK. For some unknown reason, I came across it at Amazon.com and decided to order it to watch it again. The second time I watched it, I enjoyed it, but some of the nuances of the movie seemed to be lacking. I suppose if I had seen the original movie I might have had more of an idea of what some of the plot twists meant. Annie Potts is at her best here playing the wife of the main character. Cybill Shepherd's character (Jaycee) while having just suffered the loss of a child seemed even more emotionless than one would expect after sustaining such a loss. I did enjoy the location of the movie (Texas) and the craziness of small town living.
Overall the ensemble cast is decent, but the movie is somewhat long and tends to drag. There's also not much resolution at the end which disappointed me (I liked my movies to end with a nice wrap up or a decent "pull-together" at the end). If you enjoy any of the actors, it's worth watching.
6/10
The Lake House (2006)
The more I watch this, the more I love it
The more I watch "The Lake House," the more I love it. My movie buddy friend and I really wanted to see this when it came out in theaters. Due to our differing schedules, we just never ended up seeing it in theaters together, but she did see it without me. She liked it, but theorized that I wouldn't. And she was probably right, based on the reviews and based on the cheesiness of the plot and storyline, it did have "thumbs down" written all over it for me.
So, when it came out on DVD a couple of months ago, I picked it up, remembering that she liked it and thought I wouldn't. I watched it that afternoon and remembering thinking at the end, there's some element of this movie that really appeals to me. I mean, the story is somewhat confusing and if you really start to analyze it, I admit, that there are definitely some holes. But, if you look at it with less critical eyes, you will see as I do: this is an amazing film. Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves are well cast as Alex and Kate -- I completely believed they were these characters that fell in love with each other though they live in different times. This is definitely a movie that grows on you with time -- it leaves you with a 'warm, fuzzy' feeling at the end. It is satisfying, and for some reason, it leaves me feeling good inside. If you watch it with critical eyes, you will be disappointed, but if you watch it, like me, because you enjoy films, you will be pleasantly surprised. 9/10