Holy cow! I thought I hadn't seen many movies recently. Then I went back and looked. Oops. Time to catch up.
Ray - (2004) - Biopic of the great Ray Charles. It sheds a new and not always flattering look at a great talent. Jamie Foxx does a great job of bringing Ray to the big screen. The supporting cast is equally wonderful. In the end the biopic is a solid movie genre but just not one that blows me away. Maybe a shade below "Walk The Line" which came out the following year.
Rating - *** Worth Watching
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington -(1939) Jimmy Stewart and Frank Capra, what's not to like? A honest man gets sent to the U.S. Senate and gets chewed up by the cynical political system. It's a message that probably resonates a lot with the modern American just as it did just before the war. The downside is that the is the trademark Capra idealism and naivete that comes off as just a little dated to me. Great cast that does wonderful things with the script. Set your cynicism aside for a couple hours and enjoy the way we all think it OUGHT to be.
Rating - *** Worth Watching
Real Steel - (2011) Not a huge hit but it made its money back and then some. The plot is completely predictable. A one time champion now down on his luck, a beautiful girl and his kid from his now broken marriage. The underdogs fight because they love each other and rise above it all. Blah, blah, blah. And yes I enjoyed it. Hugh Jackman and Evangeline Lily along with kid actor Dakota Goyo have more than enough chemistry to make it a fun time to watch.
Rating - *** Worth Watching.
Who Am I This Time -(1982) One of my favorite Kurt Vonnegut stories brought to life on PBS's American Playhouse starring Christopher Walken and Susan Sarandon. Walken is the uber-shy hardware store clerk who can only express himself on stage with the local community theater. A really nice version of the story.
Rating - *** Worth Watching
Bottle Shock - (2008) Once upon a time American wines were sneered at by the the classic French wineries. Then in 1976 Napa valley wineries manage to get a blind tasting by some of the leading French experts and win. Based on the true story that shattered the myth of the unapproachable superiority of French wines. Chris Pine, Alan Rickman and Bill Pullman are wonderful in this David and Goliath story. You don't have to know much about wine to enjoy the movie. And you just might learn something along the way.
Rating - *** Worth Watching
Secret Life of Bees - (2008) Read the book and loved it. Which means I was a little worried about how it would translate to the screen. This is a wonderful adaptation that captures so much of the emotion and the other worldness of the journey of 14 year old Lily (Dakota Fanning) as she tries to find the truth about her long absent mother. She will meet three astounding sisters (Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keyes and Sophie Okenodo) who will teach her about life, family, race and what it means to be a woman. Loved it.
Rating - **** Gotta See It
The Dresser -(1983) I'll tell you right up front this movie is not for everyone. It takes you to the dark and demented underbelly of the theater in England during World War II. Tom Courtenay plays Norman the dresser, the personal assistant to a lead actor who helps them prepare before and during a performance. It is an intimate relationship under the best of circumstances. Given that the actor, known only as Sir (Albert Finney), is at the end of both his career and his sanity and Norman has unrequited feelings for Sir makes it almost unbearable. The descent into madness of the entire company as they are pulled down with Norman and Sir is hardly enjoyable. At the same time the movie is brilliantly directed (by Peter Yates) and the acting stunning make it worth watching for anyone who is willing to take the trip.
Rating - *** Worth Watching
Fame - (1980) The classic story of students at New York's High School for the Performing Arts it suffers a little from just feeling dated. The movie spawned the hit TV series and is inspiring, challenging and interesting to watch. But you're gonna laugh at the styles and the oh so earnestly '70sness of it all.
Rating - *** Worth Watching
Life is Beautiful - (1997) - A triple Oscar winner this movie will probably be remembered as much for star/writer/director Roberto Begnini's exuberant dash over the seats to accept one of his awards as for the delightful movie itself. Begnini plays Guido Orifece an Italian Jew sent to a concentration camp during the Second World War. He uses a fertile imagination and unconquerable sense of humor to protect his small son from the truth. A beautiful, heart wrenching tale of love in the midst of senseless brutality. Not short at 118 minutes but a movie you ought to see at least once in your life.
Rating - **** Gotta See It
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