The Intouchables (1:52) 2012

A record breaking box office hit in France, The Intouchables is a story of a paralyzed very wealthy, educated  man and his poor attendant, a man with a prison record.  Driss applies for the job taking care of Philippe, knowing that he has no chance of employment. He interviews so he can have a signed record which he needs to apply for benefits. Much to his surprise, he is given a two month trial. Philippe and Driss are as different as night and day yet over time they form a relationship and a strong bond. Driss is easy going, fun and street wise. Philippe, trapped by his body, enjoys Driss flirting with the staff, speeding around the streets trying to evade being ticketed by police. Driss enjoys the good life, lavish living quarters, good food but is still tried to his old neighborhood where is aunt and many cousins reside. This foreign film, with English subtitles, will most likely be nominted for a Best Foregin Film. Although a tad long at the end, it will be an nomination which is well deserved.

Premium Rush (1:30) 2012

Premium Rush is a mixed bag. The strengths of the bike messenger themed movie is the action. Joesph Gordon-Levitt weaves through the traffic jammed streets of the Big Apple on a single gear bike with no brakes. He is  charming, reckless former trick bicycle rider and law school graduate. He hasn't taken the bar exam because he doesn't want to wear a suit and sit in an office.  Wilee picks up a package containing a ticket worth a lot of money which he needs to deliver to Chinatown. A police detective, with a gambling problem, plans to intercept the ticket to pay of his debt. Wilee, his girlfriend, and his rival, race through the streets, avoiding police to make the delivery before the seven o'clock deadline. Full of action, neat camera angles and lots of bikes crashing into cars keeps the movie going at a good pace. The story is told in a nonlinear way so the audience understands why key events have taken place. Is the dialogue great? No. Are the main characters likable? Yes. Is the villain despicable? Yes. I believe that Premium Rush will be a hit with the high school and college crowd. And for the rest of us, it will be an afternoon spent in a summer escape action film and for those of us going back to school, it a good way to end our vacations.

Sparkle (1:56) 2010

Sparkle is Whitney Houston's final performance on screen as she passes the torch to Jordin Sparks and Carmen Ejogo, her on screen daughters. In the film, Houston almost made it big but never signed a record contract. Her three daughters are very talented especially Sister. Sparkle is a backup singer but is a prolific songwriter. The third sister has her sights on being a doctor, which in 1968 Detroit, will be no easy feat. The trio meet Stix, a manager, who beleives the sisters will make it big. They perform one musical number after a another while keeping their performances a secret from their mother. The script is predictable, Sister meets a local comedian and lives with him. Satin has a drug problem and Sister soon follows down the same road. Sparkle has not received great reviews but the music and the costumes of Motown age keeps the movie afloat. Watching Whitney Houston belt out a song in a church scene was worth the price of admission. The film has its shortcomings but Houston and Sparks make up for them.

Hope Springs (1:40) 2012

A movie with a very real dialogue, at times funny, sometimes touching, and sometimes very emotional. Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones have been married for thirty-one years and have grown apart. Kay (Streep) is very unhappy and puts it on the line - four thousand dollars worth. She signs the couple for a week long intensive marriage counseling with Dr. Feld (Steve Carrell). Every morning, the couple meets with Feld to discuss, or not discuss in Arnold's case, their feelings. As in real life, the couple moves forward, then takes a couple of steps backwards. Arnold finally has to come to terms with the essential question - does he want his marriage to continur or end. This is a wonderful movie, Carrell may be given a nod for best supporting actor for his low key performance. Streep says it all with her facial expressions and Jones is a curmudgeon, sometimes lovable and sometimes not. Hope Springs is one of the best movies of the year, I highly recommend it.

The Watch (1:40) 2012

Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill are members of a local neighborhood watch. They are not on the watch for criminal activity but alien activity. Yes, aliens have ovetaken an Ohio Costco and have killed a night security guard. The Watch is not a horror movie nor even a comedy. It is a mishmosh of crude humor, cheesy dialogue and stereotypical characters. Now having said all that, I thought the movie got better as it went along and was able to hold my attention. It was my hope that The Watch was going to be as good as last year's alien comedy hit, Paul but fell incredibly short. The Watch won't be in the theaters very long, my suggestion is to wait and see it some night when you come across it when channel surfing.

All Hail the Beat (0:03) 2012

All Hail the Beat is a documentary about the Roland TR -808 drum machine which is used by musicians and DJs all over the world. The interesting fact is the 808 has not been made since 1984 and most musicians have never seen one!

Bionic Eye (0:03) 2012

Bionic Eye is part of the Focus Forward Short Films. This documentary discusses the possible use of an bionic eye which will allow those suffering from retinitis pigmentosa to see again. This technology works by having a small chip to read light and send it to the optic nerve. Let's hope the work of these Boston doctors is successful.