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 My reaction to this movie was that it seemed outdated.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.