Potiche (1:43) 2010

Catherine Deneuve, my favorite actress, stars as Suzanne Pujols, a trophy housewife. Set in 1977, Suzanne's husband manages an umbrella factory in France, a factory which was owned and operated by her late father. Suzanne's husband is not an attentive husband and does cheat on her. He is also having union problems and is struggling with picketing and strikes. Robert is sent to the hospital and Suzanne, along with her two adult children, take over the daily operations of the factory. Within a short period of time, Suzanne ends the union problems and turns the financial picture around. Of course, when Robert returns he wants to regain control of the factory. Suzanne realizing that she has done a good job with the company fights Robert for the control of the factory. As much as I like Catherine Deneuve, I wasn't crazy about this comedy. The film is very true to the fashions and styles of the 1970s as well as the struggles of women to enter the business world as heads of companies. My reaction to this movie was that it seemed outdated. This may have have to do with Potiche is based on a play. If you are a fan of Deneuve, it certainly is worth a rental.

Two Rivers (0:57) 2007

Two Rivers is a documentary about the reconciliation between the white residents of Twisp, a small upscale Washington town and the Methow and Colville Native Americans. The Schmekels realized that Twisp was not a melting pot and started to research the reasons that there weren't any Native Americans living in the community. The Schmekels reached out and invited several tribal leaders to begin a conversation to learn and understand how this came about. The documentary spends some time explaining about the history of the Methow Valley including the settlement by pioneers and the removal of Native Americans to reservations. After a year of living room conversations, more and more participants became involved. These conversations led to an annual reconciliation Powwow between the Twisp residents and the Methow tribe, This is one of the best documentaries I have watched concerning Native American history and today's efforts to right the injustices done to the Native American population. This is a must see documentary which is inspiring, touching and hopeful. It brings forth the message of the power of one to bring about change.

Horrible Bosses (1:37) 2011

Three friends commiserate about their horrible bosses and fantasize about killing them. After a night of drinking, they start to act on their fantasy by giving five thousand dollars to a murder consultant played by Jamie Foxx. During a night of reconnaissance, Nick (Jason Bateman) witness his boss shoot and kill his friend's boss. Nick is filmed by a traffic camera fleeing the scene and is stopped and question by the police. This is a raunchy comedy, full of crude language. It doesn't have the laughs that The Hang Up has and really two really shouldn't be compared. Horrible Bosses is mildly entertaining, it has its moments. My suggestion is for viewers to wait until it comes out on DVD.

Skin (1:47) 2008

Skin is a fantastic movie based on the true life story of Sandra Laing, an Afrikaner living in apartheid South Africa. Sandra's parents are shopkeepers in rural South Africa and have a son, who looks white, and Sandra, who was born with black features. The Laings are a loving family but the family starts to fall apart when Sandra goes off to an all white boarding school. After she is sent home, Sandra is reclassified as "colored" by the government, a decision that her parents fight in court. Sandra realizing that she doesn't fit in the white world, she falls in love with a black man. Petrus and Sandra run off to Swaziland and have children together. Sandra's father will not accept Sandra or her children and Sandra is estranged from her family. The wonderful movie was filmed in South Africa and the scenery is gorgeous, the soundtrack adds to the film. Skin has been nominated and won many international awards and these awards were greatly deserved. My suggestion is that viewers take time to watch the bonus features after the movie and see the real Sandra Laing interview. This is a film that deserves to be high on the queue.

Captain America (2:01) 2011

Steve Rogers is a scrawny young man who is intent on joining the Army during World War II. All his attempts - five to be exact - to enlist are met with a 4F standing. A scientist overhears his determination and takes into a squad for scientific purposes. Steve eventually turns into the superhero, Captain America. He is sent overseas to perform for the troops but goes AWOL to save a squadron caught behind enemy lines. After a successful operation which brings the men back, his Colonel (Tommy Lee Jones) uses Captain America to fight a mad Nazi, Colonel Schmidt, who has plans to take over the world. This is a fun summer movie. It has a retro look with a believable explanation of Captain America's start as a superhero. The movie is action packed, with some good one liners especially from Jones. It is a little on the long side and I thought that revelation of what Schmidt looks like was a little over the top. All and all, it is a enjoyable, high energy movie and a good escape from the summer heat.

Rango (1:47) 2011

Rango is a chameleon who has a wonderful Walter Mitty type imagination. One day, Rango finds himself in the Wild West town of Dirt and soon becomes the town's new sheriff. The town's biggest problem is there is no water as it has been diverted. Rango needs to find the outlaws who stole the water. There is good news and the bad news with this animation. The good news is that this is a colorful animation, the wide variety of animals are all vibrant and the scenery shows all the colors of the desert. The bad news is I really don't think this is an animation that would hold most children's attention. There is an overall environmental message but the plot and all the Western references are more for adults. If you rent Rango for a family movie night, I suggest you have a backup plan.

Terri (1:41) 2011

Terri is an overweight teenager who lives with his Uncle James and acts as his uncle's caretaker. Terri attends his local high school wearing pajamas, is the target of a school bully and isolated from his peers.
His assistant principal, Mr. Fitzgerald, has a standing Monday morning appointment to meet with Terri. He tells Terri that he has a good heart and he just wants to help. Their relationship has its ups and downs especially when Terri learns that Fitzgerald tells all the students he has a standing appointment with the same thing. Along the way, Terri establishes a relationship with Chad, a skinny boy with multiple problems and Heather, a cute blond. Terri, a big hit at this year's Sundance, is a mixed bag. Terri is an innocent, very likable young man who is doing the best he knows how. It is very clear that he is slipping between the cracks at school but does have one person who wants to make a difference. Sometimes the film is a little far fetched, it is hard to believe that Terri would be allowed to wear pajamas to school. At other times, Terri is very realistically heartbreaking and warm.

The Race (1:34) 2009

This is a wonderful example of a wholesome family movie set in poor rural Northern Ireland. Mary is the eleven year old daughter of a third generation farmer played by Colm Meaney. The family is beset with problems including a marriage that is falling apart and the farm facing bankruptcy. Mary and her friend Tom have a common interest, they both love racing. They both have go-carts and spend time racing. They are also bonded together by the fact that the other students bully them especially Mary who they say smells like pigs. One day, one of the sons of a wealthy land developer announces there will be a four and a half mile go cart race. Mary decides to enter the race and goes home to work on her cart. She encounters several problems, her father will not help her and the cart crashes on a run. Fortunately, Mary's father does have a change of heart but is it in time? I really enjoyed this movie, it deals with some heavy duty themes but keeps the focus on Mary pursuing her dream. The scenery in rural Antrim is beautiful and the soundtrack adds to the film. This is a gem of an Irish family movie, I highly recommend it.

Project Nim (1:33) 2011

Project Nim is a wonderfully engaging documentary about the chimpanzee who was taught sign language. The film intertwines interviews of the scientists and caretakers in present day with footage of Nim as a two week old baby as it tells Nim's life story. Nim's  story hits on all the human emotions - sadness, happiness, joy, loneliness and frustration. Nim is lent to a New York professor from an Oklahoma Primate Center as an experiment in a chimp's ability to communicate with humans through signing in the early 1970s. Nim lives with a family and is treated as a human child. Later, Nim is eventually sent to live in a county estate with his teachers/caretakers. The chimp learns an ever increasing amount of signs while learning other skills like smoking a joint with his teachers. When Nim reaches the age of five and attacks one of his teachers, he is sent back to the Primate Center. I highly recomment this documentary as it tells the behind the scenes story of Nim.

Glorious 39 (2:19) 2009

Glorious 39 is a period piece set in England before the war. Anne, an actress, is the adopted daughter of a wealthy titled foreign minister who believes should not enter the war with Germany. A family friend, Hector, is a member of Parliament who takes a stand that England must stop Hitler. Hector is soon discovered dead of an apparent suicide. As Anne is greeted with the news of Hector's death, she comes across recordings of secret government meetings. Anne has good reason to believe that Hector's death was a murder due to his political stance. Anne shares the record of meeting with the actor she is filming with. And take a guess what happens to him. He turns up dead. This is a film that is a mystery and a thriller set in the absolutely beautiful English countryside. I found the movie to be lengthy but it did keep me interested.
The cast, which included well known actors, were all very good.  For those historians of the War World II era, this is a well done film.

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (1:53) 2010

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives is a Thai film which received both high critic praise and nominations for various awards. I have eagerly awaited this movie and viewed it yesterday and had to spend some time thinking about the movie. Uncle Boonmee is experiencing kidney failure and is dying. One night at dinner, his deceased wife of nineteen sits down at the dinner table and joins in the conversation. A little while later, Uncle Boonmee's son who left the village five years after his mother's death, also comes to the table. He has transformed into a wolf man type appearance. Boonmee decides to take a walk through the jungle and return to the cave in which he is born. I really don't know what to make of this movie as it is so culturally different from anything I have experienced. At the same time, there is something intriguing about this very quiet movie about life in rural Thailand.

Goodnight for Justice (1:28) 2011

Luke Perry is Goodnight, a circuit Judge, in the post Civil War Western Territories. Goodnight returns to the town where his parents were shot by an outlaw when he was a young boy. Goodnight has two purposes - he wants to bring justice to the territory and he wants to bring the outlaw who killed his parents to justice. Along the way, Goodnight meets several attractive women, one being the widow of a local doctor. Goodnight has good reason to believe that she is the daughter of the outlaw who killed his parents. Will Goodnight find the man who killed his parents and is the outlaw the father of the woman he is attracted? This is a made for television movie. It is likable western which could turn out easily to have sequels.

Broken Hill (1:42) 2009

I absolutely love this movie!!!!!!!! Tommy, the teenage son of an Outback sheep rancher, has a dream to be a musical composer. His aspiration is to attend a conservatory in Sidney but his father, played by Timothy Hutton, a third generation rancher discourages Tommy from his plans. Tommy is attracted to an American teenager, Kat, and with other students gets into trouble with the law. Tommy and Kat, who plays the piano, are given twenty hours of community service. Tommy chooses to volunteer at the local prison and start a band and chorus. The prisoners practice with Tommy and Kat for a local competition in Broken Hill. The band travels to the competition but a prisoner escapes ruining Tommy's dream. There is one remaining competition in Sidney. Will the prisoners and Tommy be allowed to perform in Sydney? This movie is filmed in Australia and the desert scenery is fantastic especially the sunset scenes. The music uses both traditional and native instruments.The story moves along as Tommy battles with his father while trying to win over Kat. I've watched the ending scene close to a half a dozen times. Move this to the top of your queue.

Homeland (1:28) 2005

Homeland is a documentary about the battles of four Native American nations against large corporations. The corporations are involved in oil drilling in Alaska on land that will disrupt caribou breeding grounds, a paper producing plant discharging water filled with dioxins in the Penobscot River in Maine, uranium mining in a Navajo Reservation and drilling for natural gas near a Cheyenne Reservation in Montana. All four of the Indian Nations are battling to keep their lands in the pristine conditions in which their ancestors kept the land. The four nations are all economically depressed but are united in stopping the destruction of the environment. This documentary is a cautionary tale for all of us, once land and water are polluted, it is polluted for all of us. This is a documentary that we should all see.

Beginners (1:44) 2011

Oliver (Ewan McGregor) is struggling with the death of his father, Hal (Christoper Plummer). After Oliver's mom dies, Hal comes out of the closet and lives an openly gay lifestyle at the age of 75. Oliver was not close to his dad growing up as his father was busily working at his profession as the director of an art museum. He sensed that a distance separated his mother and father but did not know the true reason until after his mother's death. Oliver has had four relationships with women and none of them lasted more than three years. After his dad's death, Oliver meets Anna, an actress who has relationship issues herself. In a series of flashbacks, Oliver relives his relationship with his dad after a diagnosis of his father's stage four lung cancer. As his father's illness progresses, Oliver and Hal become closer. After his father's death, Oliver needs to deal with his relationship with Anna. Will Oliver give himself permission to allow himself to have a permanent relationship with Anna? I went to this movie for two reasons, the trailer and a positive review. I absolutely disliked this movie for the first half hour. As the movie begins to show more and more of the relationship between Oliver and his ailing father, the more and more I began to really liked the movie. There were scenes of Oliver with his dying father and scenes showing Oliver cleaning up after his father's death that were extremely real. I recommend this film with the caution that the first half hour is somewhat dodgy.

Beautiful Kate (1:30) 2009

Ned Kendall returns to his rural Australian family farm on the request of his dying father who have not seen each other in twenty years. Ned brings his latest girlfriend, Toni, who is half his age. His father, Bruce, is being taken care of by Ned's younger sister, Sally. The father and son have had a tumultuous past as Ned sees his father as a harsh, brutish man. After Toni takes off after a disagreement with Ned and Sally leaves for a few days, Ned needs to take care of his father. This prompts Ned to come to terms with the family secrets of the past which includes the death of his twin sister in a car accident. His older brother, the driver in the fatal accident, commited suicide. There are deeper and darker secrets that Ned,  a writer by profession, must come to terms. Beautiful Kate has the wonderful scenery of  a desolate Australia and a finely assemble cast. This is a dark movie, reminiscence of  a Tennessee Williams play. Rachel Ward, a first time director, unfolds this story in a manner in which the continues to engage the viewer. Although this movie deals with a social taboo, it is well done and is recommended.

Secretariat (1:56) 2010

Secretariat is based on the true story the last Triple Crown winner, Secretariat and his owner Penny Chenery. I was prepared for some reason not to like this movie all that much. It is a Disney movie which often sanitizes life stories. Now for  the good news and the bad news. The bad news is Disney did sanitize the movie, Penny Chenery's family life was not as peaceful as it is portrayed in the movie. The good news is that I really enjoyed this movie. And I'm not a horse person by all means. The story picks up with the death of Penny's mother and the deteriorating health of her father. The family horse farm is in financial trouble. Secretariat is born and trained to be a racehorse. As a two year old, Secretariat is named Racehorse of the Year. As a three year old he is trained to race for the Triple Crown. Since the movie is based on true events viewers know the final outcome. But it is just as thrilling to see each of the races. This is a very good rental and is highly recommended.

Wild Target (1:38) 2009

Wild Target is a British dark comedy about a top rated assassin Victor (Bill Nighy) who hesitates to shoot Rose (Emily Blunt) a successful con artist. His indecision to shoot causes Rose and innocent bystander Tony (Rupert Grint) to leave London for the safety of Victor's countryside estate. Victor has lived with his aging mother for years and finds that he has a growing attraction for much younger Rose and takes Tony on as an apprentice. Eventually the second rated assassin uncovers the location of the trio. Will the trio survive?  This comedy is chock full of shootings and British humor. The story is predictable but likable. Victor's character changes from a fussy, prissy man to a man willing to change for the woman he adores.

Blue Crush 2 (2:00) 2011

Why is a white haired teacher watching Blue Crush 2, a teenage movie? It's hot and humid plus I always had a soft spot for Gidget. Blue Crush 2 begins with Dana, a wealthy teenager from California, takes off to South Africa. Dana's mom was a surfer from South Africa and died when Dana was five. Dana's dream is to surf all the spots in South Africa that her mom surfed with the addition of J Bay, the only great surf spot that Dana's mom didn't have a chance to get to. While in South Africa Dana makes new friends, hangs out at the beaches and surfs to her hearts content. There wasn't really much to this movie but there were great shots of surfers, waves, beaches , singing and dancing. This is a movie without drinking, smoking and sex. I think this is a fine movie for teenage girls. Surf's up.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2:34) 2011

Sam Witwicky is frustrated in his attempts to find a job after he graduated from college and btw, being recognized as a hero by the president. Just wait a minute, the bad guys, the Deceptions, are back and with plans to enslave humans so they can rebuild their home world. This movie is long on special effects and short on a reasonable plot. It is a loud movie full on car and plane crashes, explosions, buildings falling down and every other bad thing that can happen. This is a summer blockbuster with a fully packed audience clapping at the end. This is not my cup of tea but went to see the movie mostly due to memories of my son playing with Transformers when Hasboro first produced them about 25 years ago. We had Optimus Prime and all the good guys at my house, my son loved playing with them.

Mr. Popper's Penguin (1:34) 2011

Mr. Popper's Penguins stars Jim Carrey as a successful New York businessman. Mr. Popper is divorced with two children who visit with him on alternate weekends. The film begins with Tom as a young child speaking with his adventurer father on a ham radio. Fast forward to the present and Popper, as he is called by most, receives a phone call from his father's lawyer. His dad has died abroad and is sending him a package. A crate finally arrives containing a live penguin. Shortly thereafter another crate arrives with another five penguins. While waiting for the New York Zoo to pick up the penguins, Popper's young son thinks the penguins are his birthday present and make his father promise to keep the penguins. Popper turns his apartment into a refrigerated habitat for his pets as his connection to the penguins helps him reconnect with his family. This is an entertaining and charming film with Jim Carrey perfectly cast as Popper. The movie is based on the 1938 Atwater book of the same name. The film is an updated and modern version of the book which had a charm of its own. Please take your child to see the movie before or after they read the book!

The Revolution: 3. Declaring Independence

The History Channel episode focuses on the summer of 1776. Two big events happen that summer, the first being the drafting, passing and then signing the Declaration of Independence. Almost immediately following this act the British fleet, which has amassed in New York Harbor, fires on the colonist in New York as a show of force. The British troops disembark on Staten Island and then defeat Washington's army. All is not lost, with a stroke of good luck, Washington's army is able to ferry across a narrow passage of water, avoiding being crushed by the British.

Double Happiness (1:32) 1994

Double Happiness is a movie that has been on my Netflix queue for a long time. I am a big fan of Sandra Oh and a fan of Canadian made movies. Sandra Oh plays Jade, a Chinese woman in her early twenties. She lives with her parents and her younger sister Pearl in Canada. She has a job and aspirations to be an actress. Her parents are originally from Hong Kong as is Jade. Jade is having difficulty with her parents especially her father. He has worked hard to give them a good life and has the traditional Chinese values. Jade's brother, Winston, has been disowned by the father for living a modern lifestyle. Jade meets a man, Mark, who she likes. The problem is he is not Chinese and her family would not tolerate having a Caucasian as a son-in-law. When Double Happiness came out almost twenty years ago, it received several awards. I view the movie as more of a made for television type movie because as I see it now, it appears dated. Sandra Oh is very good in portraying a young woman caught between two worlds. Adding to the cast is the younger sister Pearl who is a feisty, cute girl. This movie probably speaks to the difficulties which first and second generation immigrants must face when living in the United States.

The Revolution: 2. Rebellion to Revolution (0:45) 2006

This episode of The Revolution focuses on George Washington becoming Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. Washington faced an uphill battle in forming an army comprised of 13 state militias. Added to merging these units into one army, Washington faced a lack of ammunition, supplies, and many men who many had enlisted for just a year. A Boston bookseller, Knox, became a junior officer when he and his men brought the cannons and other weapons from Fort Ticonderoga  to Boston. This helped bring about an evacuation of British troops and Boston loyalists from the city. As this episode ends, King George is sending an greatly increased number of troops to the colonies.

The Revolution: 1. Boston, Bloody Boston

Having been born into a family of Massachusetts citizens (Lowell and Fitchburg), I have been taught a lot about the beginning of our country over the years. I have visited Boston and seen the sight of the Boston Massacre, Paul Revere's house, and the harbor where the Boston Tea Party took place. There were big surprises in the first episode Boston, Bloody Boston. I was aware that the Boston Massacre was caused by snowballs being throw at British soldiers and not really a massacre. I was aware that Paul Revere was accompanied by Thomas Dawes on his ride but did learn that they were part of a  network of messengers who were sent out in many directions. I was also unaware that Ben Franklin's only son was the Royal Governor of New Jersey and their father and son relationship was fractured beyond repair due to their positions on independence.

The History Channel Presents: The Revolution

In 2006, The History Channel debuted a thirteen episode feature on The American Revolution. Each episode was forty five minutes in length. Neflix has made the series available through it's streaming service. During the course of the next three days, I will be blogging about each episode.

Larry Crowne (1:38) 2011

Larry Crowne is a likable and cute movie. Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts are usually in high quality films so this movie going experience was a letdown.  Larry (Hanks) has been fired from his retail job because he hasn't taken any college courses. Larry decides to take classes at a local community college so he can find a better job. During his first semester, Larry takes a speech class with Mercedes Tainot (Roberts). Tainot is in an unhappy marriage and has lost her passion for teaching. During the semester, Larry meets young students in the scooter parking lot and the group accepts Larry as part of the crowd. As the semester moves on, Larry begins to make changes in his life just as Tainot is rethinking her commitment to marriage. Very predicatively, Larry and Tainot begin a relationship. I would suggest that you lower your expectations if you plan to see this movie. Also, my prediction is that Larry Crowne will move off the big screen in a short period of time.

The Waiting City (1:48) 2009

An Australian couple have arrived in Calcutta to bring their adoptive daughter home. As they wade through the red tape of international adoptions, the delay begins to wear on the coupe. Fiona is a go-getter lawyer working on cases by phone and Internet. Ben is a musician and is enjoying his stay in India as he plays along with native musicians he encounters. As soon as the couple are at the breaking point of their marriage, they meet their daughter, a very sickly child. When they go to pick her up to bring her home, Fiona and Ben find in her crib wearing an oxygen mask, as her lungs are damaged. The spend the next couple of days hoping for the best. Will Ben and Fiona rediscover themselves as a couple? Will they bring their daughter home?
I thought that this was a pretty good movie. It was filmed in India so the scenery is beautiful and we get a glimpse of the culture. We also given a peak of the poverty and crowded living conditions. All in all, while the movie has its flaws, I do recommend The Waiting City.

Lafayette: The Lost Hero (0:56) 2010

Lafayette was a French aristocrat who came to the colonies to stake his claim to fame while fighting for the idea of democracy. Although he was very young, just 20, he was a natural leader. He formed a relationship with Washington who viewed him as a son. Although he did return to France during the war, he used his connections to the court on behalf of the Americans. He eventually returned to the colonies and was engaged in the battle of Yorktown. When Lafayette returned to France, found himself in the middle of the French Revolution. He tried to broker a solution - a democratic government with a King. He ended up in prison until the revolution ended. This is a very good documentary and one where I learned a lot of new information. I highly recommend this truly well done documentary.