Category: movies

Man of the Year (2006)

3 Comments

Lots of people get their political news from comedians these days, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Bill Maher, Saturday Night Live.  I happen to be a Stewart fan myself.  What if a glitch in the voting system gave Jon Stewart the presidency?  Would chaos ensue or would it be much-needed kick in the pants?  That’s just one obvious question that never gets answered in this film, but there were plenty of others.

Robin Williams plays the comedian Tom Dobbs and does a good job with the humor.  When he decides to actually hit the campaign trail he drops the jokes, sticks to issues and the movie starts to become something like a drama.  Laura Linney is an employee of the computer company handling all the voting in the country and she finds a surprising glitch in the system.  She alerts the CEO who promptly ignores her.  Dobbs is elected Linney’s character is drugged and fired so she has no credibility and the film then turns into more of a conspiracy thriller than a comedy or a drama.

The movie was a bust for me.  Some parts were good but the stupidity of Linney’s character was hard to watch.  And once Williams wasn’t cracking jokes he became about as interesting as last week’s newspaper.

The movie did halfheartedly attempt to tackle some real issues.  The most compelling part of the movie for me was Jeff Goldblum’s speech about the people thinking their vote counted was more important than their vote really being counted.  It didn’t matter if the right guy got the job.

“Perception of legitimacy is more important than legitimacy itself. That’s the greater truth.”

No matter where you come down on this it still generates good discussion.  Once Williams gets the nomination he and Linney both have to make a choice on whether he should keep quiet and accept the honor of being the president of the United States.  I thought this was also an interesting dilemma and one Jason and I didn’t quite see the same way.

The humor and the thought-provoking situations had potential but the movie was too scattered to be good.

Any political movie recommendations for next week?

Ohio, Ohio, Ohio

7 Comments

I don’t know if any of you have heard but we have a presidential election coming up.  As a proud Buckeye I admit that I like the attention that comes our way every four years.  I like the fact that we do not always elect politicians from the same party year after year after year.  I actually take an interest in politics.  I’ve written a few posts over the years about how I think everyone should vote and if possible, work the polls (given the state of unemployment it pays well for a day or so of work), and try to make an informed decision.

Don’t worry I’m not going to endorse a candidate (but I do see that Roseanne Bar has made it onto the ballot in a state or two ;)) but I am going to take the next 6 Fridays and review 6 political movies.  There are 2 (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, 1939 and State of the Union, 1948) that are on my Top 100 list and they will be re-runs for me.  Otherwise I’d like them to be new-to-me movies.

If you have a fun political movie that you’d like to recommend, I’d love to hear about it, but there are a few requests-US politics only, no bashing of one political party (it’s okay of both parties are victims) and, honestly, the funnier the better.  In the past few years I’ve seen Swing Vote (2008) and The Ides of March (2011), both of which I liked but am not interested in seeing again.  Other than that I am open to recommendations.  I have The Candidate (1972) with Robert Redford and The Contender (2000) on my radar.  Any thoughts?

At the library yesterday I picked up Man of the Year (2006) with Robin Williams and am halfway through.  Check back tomorrow to see what I think.

Movie Talk – Is Meryl Streep as good as the critics tell me she is?

19 Comments

In the last two weeks I’ve watched two of Streep’s latest movies –It’s Complicated (2009) and Hope Springs (2012).  Both are romantic comedies (although I’m using the word comedy in connection to Hope Springs very lightly).  I’ve never considered her a favorite and I’ve never quite understood what all the fuss was about.  Am I in the minority here?

I think my favorite movie of hers is Silkwood. I loved her as Karen, a plant worker bucking the system.  I also liked her in The Devil Wears Prada and It’s Complicated.  I’ve seen some of her classics, like Sophie’s Choice and The Deer Hunter, and they were fine.  She’s also had a few clunkers like She-Devil and Hope Springs (IMO).  Maybe I just haven’t seen her in her best roles.  She’s been nominated for 17 Oscars so maybe longevity is part of her appeal.

So, do you consider Meryl Streep the best actress working today?  What is your favorite Streep movie? 

Friday Movie Talk – Are some books just too long to be good movies?

16 Comments

I love last week’s discussion about Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher.  There is an overwhelming dislike for this casting and I’m happy to be validated on at least one of my choices for a recast.  Several of you thought Hugh Jackman could pull it off and two of you were on board with Shemar Moore.  Any other suggestions for the perfect Jack Reacher?

Over the past week Jason and I have watched War & Peace – all 209 minutes of it.  I had planned to do a book vs. movie post about it, but even just thinking about comparing the two gave me a headache.  War and Peace by Tolstoy is a powerhouse of a book.  It takes time, reflection, some notes, and a great deal of concentration.  It’s a worthwhile endeavor and one best tackled with a friend (thanks Molly!).  The movie starring Audrey Hepburn and Henry Fonda is fine, but surely a watered down version of the novel. It was good, but not a powerhouse by any means.  Jason hasn’t read the book but he still enjoyed the movie, especially the war parts 🙂

What I’m wondering is if some books are just too long and involved to make good movies.  I checked out Pillars of the Earth the miniseries from the library and am thinking that a miniseries has a better chance of being faithful to at least the spirit of the book.   As much as I love the Outlander series by Gabaldon I can see it failing as a movie.  Same for Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts.

Any other books that are just too long or complex to make a good movie?

Tom Cruise is Jack Reacher?

39 Comments

I don’t think so!  I hate to send more negative energy Tom’s way this week, but when I saw the stills from the upcoming Jack Reacher movie I had a visceral reaction and it wasn’t good.  Jack Reacher (of Lee Child’s awesome series) is a 6’5″ vigilante killing machine.  His size and mere look are imposing.  Tom Cruise is many things, but that he ain’t.  Lee Child has said this about the choice, “Reacher’s size in the books is a metaphor for an unstoppable force, which Cruise portrays in his own way.”  Um, okay, but I don’t believe you.

Have you read the series?  How do you feel about Tom as Reacher?  If the studio wanted a big name attached they could have gone with these two perfect choices, both over 6’2″ and highly watchable…

 or

Who do you think would be the perfect Jack Reacher?

Best Fathers in Film

19 Comments

It’s the weekend to celebrate fathers so I thought I’d share my favorite dads on the big screen and hope you’ll share yours in the comments (or write your own post and I’ll link it to this one).  And yes, I did cheat with #6, but it’s my list so you’ll have to live with it 🙂

#1 Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird)  I don’t think too many people will disagree that this widower was evrything a father should be.  He loved his children and wanted to instill good values.  He didn’t just tell his kids how to be a good human being, he showed them in everything he did.  He wasn’t perfect, but as close as you can get.

#2 George Banks (Father of the Bride)  I have a soft spot for poor George.  He’s trying to come to terms with his little girl all grown up and ready to marry and his love for her is so obvious.  Every girl wants a dad who loves her so much.

#3 Daniel (Crash) Who didn’t fall in love with this dad who played a game with his daughter at night to make her feel safe in a city that wasn’t.  His devotion to her was tear worthy.

#4 Chris Gardner (Pursuit of Happyness) You don’t need a home or money to have the most important thing in life, the love of a parent struggling to do right.

#5 Richard Hoover (Little Miss Sunshine) Putting his daughter’s dream first, no matter the circumstances or motivations, makes this dad an easy pick.

#6 Leon (The Professional) Okay, so this assassin wasn’t really Mathilda’s dad, but he was better than her dad.  He was willing to protect her life with his own.

#7 Daniel (Love Actually) A stepdad becomes sole provider when his wife dies and his grace and humor win the boy, and us, over.

#8 Furious Styles (Boyz ‘N the Hood) Furious is trying to keep his son on the straight and narrow in a neighborhood that can be anything but.  I loved his devotion to raising his son, and any other boy, well.

So tell me, who are your favorite movie dads?

Fave Film #67 – Speed

6 Comments

Speed1994

Cast-Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock, Dennis Hopper, Jeff Daniels.

LA SWAT officers, Jack and Harry are called to a downtown highrise when a bomber calls in a ransom demand, holding an elevator full of hostages.  When they are able to thwart him, the bomber disappears, presumed dead.  It’s hard to keep a good villain dead in an action movie and the bomber shows up again, only this time he’s holding a bus hostage and Jack is the only one who can save them.  Well, and Annie, as long as she keeps the bus going over 50 miles per hour.

Why I love it – I’ll start with two of the leads, both of which I love.  Keanu has never been better as the tough and buff hero.  If I were in a hostage situation I’d love Jack/Keanu to save me.  And then kiss me at the end like he did Annie/Sandy.  And Sandra was perfection in the role of Annie.  She drove that bus over that large gap in the overpass like a professional bus racer.  She was rattled but never lost her sparkle.  They both had excellent chemistry.  Dennis Hopper was a great villain with just enough angst and crazy to make it work.  Jeff Daniels was perfect as the long suffering partner trying to impart his years of wisdom to the instinctual driven Jack.  Their friendship was a real bright spot for me.

In many action movies like this there are parts (usually extended car chases or fist fights) that leave me bored and my mind wandering, but this movie never had a dull moment.  From the excitement of the elevator dropping in the first scene to the careening subway at the end this was non-stop excitement.   Perfectly paced and just enough special effects to make it fun.

Yes, as with most thrillers like this, you have to leave your common sense at the play button, but if you do you’re in for a treat.

Check out the rest of my 100 favorite movies

Fave Film #17 – Under the Tuscan Sun

17 Comments

Under the Tuscan Sun2003

Cast- Diane Lane, Sandra Oh, Lindsay Duncan

Frances finds out her husband is cheating and to cheer her up her two friends offer her a 10 day vacation in Tuscany traveling with a gay bus tour.  Frances goes and falls in love with the house Bramosole which she impulsively buys and plans to restore, leaving her life in San Fransisco behind.  She throws herself into the renovation, making friends as a way to heal her broken heart.

Why I love it – This is a story one woman’s heartbreak and the strength that led her to healing.  I love Diane Lane, she can do little wrong in my eyes and this is one of my favorites.  She shows Frances’s emotions in a way that we can all recognize.  She was mad, hurt, sad, funny, endearing, and full of life.

Who hasn’t imagined (even just for a second) leaving everything behind to start over somewhere new?  And what better place to do this but in Italy?  I love the boldness of her decision, egged on by the exuberant Catherine who encouraged her growth at every turn.  It was the eagerness to live the life she always imagined that had me rooting for her happy ending.

I saw this after it first came out and liked it, but after our 2008 trip to Italy I saw it again and fell in love.  I don’t know if it was the beauty of the movie that took me back to the beauty of the country or if it was the few years of perspective that enabled me to see her choices as beautiful.  Either way, the scenery is breathtaking.

Loved the cast surrounding Diane.  Sandra Oh was perfect as her best friend and I loved Lindsay Duncan as Catherine and Vincent Riotta as the ever faithful Martini.  This was a true adventure story full of possibility.

I would normally show a clip of the movie, but instead here are pictures from our trip that I posted back in 2008.  Venice Florence Rome Parking in Rome (by far my most viewed older post) And if for some reason you want to scroll through my Italy posts as I was here you can do it here.  Since my blog was only a few months old I used it as a way to keep all of my family and friends up to date with our daily schedule.  It’s actually funny to go back and read it now (at least for me :))

Fave Movie #5- Planes, Trains, & Automobiles

8 Comments

Planes, Trains and Automobiles1987

Cast- Steve Martin, John Candy

Written & Directed by John Hughes

Ad exec Neal is anxious to get home to his family for Thanksgiving, but luck is not his side.  He loses his cab to get him to the airport on time and then his flight is delayed and he is stuck in coach next to annoyingly cheerful shower ring salesman, Del.  Once the plane is diverted the unlikely pair is thrown together on a quest to get Del home for the holidays.

Why I Love It- Steve Martin and John Candy are at their finest in this comedy.  Steve Martin’s formal and snobby Neal and John Candy’s loveable buffoon, Del, played off each other perfectly and I wish they’d done more movies together. They can both make me laugh with just a look and in this one there was lots of laughing.

I loved all of the bad stuff that happened to them.  Is that wrong?  Watching them foiled at every turn provided fun for all.  If not for the hysterical f’n car rental scene this would be a great family film.  For me it was this scene and everything after that was laugh out loud funny.  Seriously, this burned out car is my favorite car ever.  There are more one-liners from this movie than I can list, but IMBD has listed a few.  One of my favorites from the car…

Del (Candy) to Neal: “Was that seat hot or what? I feel like a  Whopper. Turn me over, I’m done on this side! I’m afraid to look at my  ass—there’ll be grill marks.

While this film was laugh out loud funny it was also heartwarming a perfect movie to watch at Thanksgiving.  It will remind you to be thankful and to appreciate all that you have, especially if you have a friend like Del.  Why not invite him over for dinner?

John Hughes is responsible for some of my favorite films and this one at the top of the list.

The most swearing in two minutes of film, maybe?  Turn your volume down 🙂

The rest of my 100 favorite movies here.

Veteran’s Day Movies

5 Comments

Thanks to all of the veterans out there, including my husband, dad, and father-in-law, for serving and protecting your country.  In honor of Veteran’s Day here are some of the best movies about the veteran experience that I’ve seen.

Bar none my favorite is The Best Years of Our Lives (1946).  This film about three vets returning home from WWII won many Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director, and Honorary Oscar. “Russell, an amateur actor who really did lose both of his hands in the war, earned an honorary Oscar for ”bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans,” then beat the competition to win the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, making him the only performer to win two Academy Awards for the same performance.”  Do yourself a favor and watch this one if you haven’t already.  It will stay with you.

Born on the Fourth of July (1989) is another film that stayed with me.  Based on the true story of Ron Kovic as he returned home after losing his legs in Vietnam, this one was hard to watch.  Tom Cruise turned in a great performance that earned him an Oscar nod.

Although I don’t necessarily think of Legends of the Fall (1994) as a post-war movie, it is.  Three brothers go off to war and only two come home.  How each handles it is the beauty and sadness of the story.

I wasn’t in love with The Manchurian Candidate (1962) about Korean War vets being brainwashed by Communists, when I saw it, but I would like to see the remake.

Do you have a favorite film featruring veterans?