Saturday, April 26, 2008

Movie Review: Charlie Wilson's War (2007)


Starring: Tom Hanks, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julia Roberts
Director: Mike Nichols
Genre: Drama
Rating: R

This is based on the true story of Congressman Charlie Wilson. He along with the help of his friends were able to get the Russians out of Afghanistan and eventually lead to the downfall of the big Soviet power. Tom Hanks plays Wilson and Julia Roberts plays the money generator and Philip Seymour Hoffman plays the rogue CIA agent. This motley crew became an unstoppable force.

Charlie Wilson's War is a good movie with great characters. Hoffman as Gust, the CIA agent, was hysterical. He deserved his Oscar nomination. Hanks was believable as the eccentric and determined Congressman. I did think though that Julia Roberts as Joanne Herring, the rich woman from Texas who ran fund-raisers for Wilson, seemed out of place. She looked odd in the role and didn't pull the role off for me. Other than that, the movie moved very cohesively.

For any fan of these stars and of U.S. history. You'll learn something.

"It's just been my experience that when people with money and too much free time get involved in politics, pretty soon, I forget who it is I'm supposed to be shooting at."


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Movie Review: Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (2007)





Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Natalie Portman, Justin Bateman
Director: Zach Helm
Genre: Family
Rating: G

I gave this movie a try because I'm a fan of Dustin Hoffman, Natalie Portman and Jason Bateman. You get a magic movie store run by Dustin Hoffman who plays Mr. Magorium who also is an avid shoe wearer. Natalie Portman as the loyal employee of the store and Justin Bateman at the mutant, I mean accountant, who tries to make heads or tails of the finances of the store.

It is a decent G rated movie. A good cast who seemed to have fun with their roles. A movie about believing and using your imagination to achieve the impossible. Well, having a magic store helps too.

It should be liked by kids as it is funny as well as having a good story. The cast plays it off well and most will find it as a entertaining movie.

"The hot dog/bun ratio, why for the love of mustard are there never enough buns?"


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Friday, April 25, 2008

Movie Review: Lars and the Real Girl (2007)



Starring: Ryan Gosling, Patricia Clarkson
Director: Craig Gillespie
Genre: Comedy
Rating: PG-13

Ryan Gosling plays Lars, who is one odd little character. He lives in his own little world in a large garage owned by his brother. His mind comes up with an idea to get him into the world of the "normal". Order a life-size girl doll on the internet and poof you got yourself a girlfriend. Hilarity and strange looks follow Lars afterwards.

I thought the plot of Lars and the Real Girl was very interesting, but that it could have been a little more polished. I felt that I needed more of a background of Lars and his family to make the movie more cohesive. There seemed to be too many gaps in the timeline. I really like Gosling in the title role, but I think the town people come off sillier than they are supposed to be. I wanted to like this movie so much, but even with its uniqueness it just didn’t completely appeal to me.

If you want a unique movie with a sometimes humorous plot this would be a good pick.

"The cheese inspectors beat the crap out of us."


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Sunday, April 20, 2008

Movie Review: The Darjeeling Limited (2007)





Starring: Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Wes Anderson
Genre: Comedy
Rating: R

Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody and Jason Schwartzman star as brothers on a journey to the Himalayas to find their mother who left the family to become a nun. Most of their travels are on the train Darjeeling Limited. Wilson’s character Francis tries to be the leader of the bunch which doesn’t always go over well. Brody’s character Peter has a wife who is 7 and a half months pregnant and she doesn’t know he on this trip. Schwartzman’s character Jack is an odd writer who looks for some companionship on the trip.

The Darjeeling Limited is quirky and unique and at times you feel that some scenes are inside jokes. The three actors play their parts to a tee. I think that Wes Anderson did a great job of directing this movie. He showed the comedy and even tragedy in scenes without overplaying or underplaying the other. I also like the idea of the camera mounted on the train to show the landscape of India as the end credits go by. Anderson also wrote and directed The Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. I liked this movie much more than the others. If you liked those movies, you'll like this one.

These three need to make a sequel or at least another movie together. These characters are too interesting to leave after just one movie. This film also includes a cameo by Bill Murray.

"Is that one of Alice's pots?"


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Saturday, April 12, 2008

Movie Review: Little Miss Sunshine (2006)




Starring: Steve Carell, Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Abigail Breslin
Director: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris
Genre: Comedy
Rating: R


A highly dysfunctional family goes out to California to help the seven year old daughter compete in the Little Miss Sunshine pageant. Her parents, brother, grandfather, uncle and she all pile into a VW bus and try to make it to the pageant on time. There are some funny and serious moments along the way. The trip forces them to coexist unlike they have had to before. They don’t get along, but they are doing all of this to fulfill the little girl’s dreams.

Little Miss Sunshine did live up to all of its hype. I like this movie more every time I see it. I especially like Steve Carrell having to play this depressed but at times the most positive character in the bunch. It seems that every character clashes with every other's personality, which definitely causes for an interesting journey. I thought Alan Arkin did a good job and had a good role, but an Oscar win; I didn't see that coming. It also won for Best Original Screenplay. Great cast with Steve Carell, Greg Kinnear, Alan Arkin, Toni Collette and rounded out with Abigail Breslin as the little girl.

Definitely a fun movie to show a family who sticks together even though they are as different as can be imagined.

“Oh my God, I'm getting pulled over. Everyone, just... pretend to be normal.”



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Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Movie Review: Sideways (2004)



Starring: Paul Giamatti, Thomas Hayden Church, Virginia Madsen, Sandra Oh
Director: Alexander Payne
Genre: Comedy
Rating: R

Two friends go out on a road trip to the California wine country looking for a last getaway before one of the two gets married. Paul Giamatti plays the failed writer/wine connoisseur and Thomas Hayden Church plays the actor who is trying to sow his wild oats one last time before getting hitched. Along the way they meet up with two women they develop feeling for. The women are played by Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh. Things start to get complicated but more interesting and entertaining for the viewer.

Sideways really surprised me. It was written by Alexander Payne who wrote About Schmidt. I really didn’t care for that movie so I had no real expectations for me liking Sideways. I don’t know if we are supposed to like these characters, but I sure did. All of them have faults that made them so relatable. Of course some things are extreme, but it just adds to the quirkiness and the true comedy of the movie. There is one scene of not-so-nice male nudity. Yikes! But don't let that prevent you from seeing this gem. Look for the part in the movie where the two guys are leaving a gas station and the gas price is around $1.70. Ah, the good old days of only a few years ago.

Great performances throughout and this film won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. I would recommend for any wine fan or anyone who can use a corkscrew without hurting themselves.

"And the more I drank, the more I liked what it made me think about."


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Saturday, April 5, 2008

Movie Review: Sweeney Todd (2007)


Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman
Director: Tim Burton
Genre: Drama
Rating: R

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp are together again and this time they are taking on the popular Broadway musical of the same name. Depp plays the deranged barber who is out for revenge against those who took away his family. Mrs. Burton a.k.a. Helena Bonham Carter plays the barber's new love interest. On his way to his path of revenge they concoct a twisted and gruesome money making venture.

Sweeney Todd is well designed and the singing is entertaining from all involved. Burton definitely doesn't hold back on some of the close shaves. Watch your step because the blood does flow in this one. The carnage works in unison with the dark London background that hangs over the entire film. The movie does get a boost from Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) who plays a rival. He is an odd little character who throws some comedy in the fold.

This is definitely for the Burton-Depp fans out there. I'm usually not one for musicals, but this kept my interest and was intriguing to me.

"At last! My arm is complete again!"


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Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Movie Review: 300 (2007)




Starring: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, Dominic West
Director: Zack Snyder
Genre: Action
Rating: R


So that's what blood splattering sounds like. Wow, a lot of graphic (computer graphics that is) violence in this one. Gerard Butler plays Leonidas who leads his 300 Spartans against the enormous army of the Persians despite the oracles (groovy psychics) telling him it is a lost cause. A story that has been told for centuries and an event that changed history forever.

300 is a story of never retreating and never giving up. It is full of intense battle scenes and a lot of blood going every which way. They may have gone a little overboard with the CGI. Believe me when I say there must have been a lot of green scenes used in this one. That said, that doesn’t really take away from the fighting sequences or the other scenes in the movie. You are definitely rooting on the Spartans throughout the movie and are impressed with their fighting tactics.

For those who like great battle sequences. The movie will also instill the fact that you aren't doing enough situps.

"You see, old friend? I brought more soldiers than you did."


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