KEEPING MUM (2005)

TITLE
Keeping Mum

STARRING
Maggie Smith, Rowan Atkinson, Kristen Scott Thomas, Patrick Swayze, Tamsin Egerton, Toby Parkes

WHAT THE BOX DOESN'T TELL YOU
Maggie Smith has never been so clever as a well-intentioned murdering housekeeper with a sordid history. Her story and her need to rid the world of undesirables unravel accordingly as she works to bring a disintegrated family, with whom she shares a special bond, back together. A well-rounded cast and gratifying ending make for a good way to spend a couple hours. For a British film, there are some universal laughs and off-beat performances which hit the mark!

WHY I WOULD RENT IT AGAIN
Rowan Atkinson is really quite entertaining when not playing some ridiculous character like Mr. Bean. A straight performance is much more fetching, as is Kristen Scott Thomas, who hasn't looked this good or pulled off Emma Thompson-like acting in forever. I immediately had my doubts when seeing the cast - most are known to world audiences as distinctly British talents and aside from Maggie don't generally represent the cream of the so-called crop. However, the film has its charms and the talent, like the writing are among them. Look for the most awkward love scene I've seen in years and the best way of outing of someone hiding under your bed - ever.

WILL MY GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND LIKE IT?
Yeah sure.

SPECIAL FEATURES
Yes, and no.

Save This Page to del.icio.us

THE EX (2007)

TITLE
The Ex

STARRING
Zach Braff, Amanda Peet, Jason Bateman, Charles Grodin, Mia Farrow, Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, Donal Logue, Fred Armisen

WHAT THE BOX DOESN'T TELL YOU
One of the better films any of these actors, (except Jason Bateman) have done in the past few years. There are a few facts to face: Bateman's character is despicable, and as fate would have it is also the predictable Gen Y hero's (Braff) new boss. Though it makes for clever entertainment, it is not necessarily enjoyable. I likened it to watching Bridget Jones's Diary for the first time where you cringe with pains of embarrassment and sympathy for the character's undoing. Amanda Peet as Braff's wife is a less anxious or aggravating version of herself and is a very much the glue that holds the film together. Unlike other movies, which would have her fall in a deep state of like with her old beau (Bateman) she's clearly devoted to her family. While Braff is being driven slowly insane by his boss, his father-in-law, and and the State of Ohio, she prevails unhappily at home, but nevertheless committed to sanity and helping her husband transition from their more enviable life in New York. Look for Charles Grondin, Donal Logue, and Saturday Night Live's Fred Armisen and Amy Poehler to lighten some otherwise unfunny scenes.

WHY I WOULD RENT IT AGAIN
Clearly, my expectations for Bateman were not met in this movie. I think it's either the kind of movie you like or don't, but that verdict might be hard to render after only one viewing. I loved the interplay between Peet and Braff, throughout the movie because without much resistance to the idea at all, I could easily envision them as a couple. Not sure where they pulled Mia Farrow from, but she's seen better days - am I alone in thinking she should stick to activism and give up the silver screen. She's actually much more intelligent that Hollywood has ever given her credit for.

WILL MY GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND LIKE IT?
Depends. My husband didn't care for this film at all and I enjoyed at least 70% of it, which means I would watch it again. Some people will be offended. Others will just be looking for a real low-brow humor and this is more middle of the road, it doesn't take many chances.

SPECIAL FEATURES
Previews we all over the place and many of them were old.

Save This Page to del.icio.us

VACANCY (2007)

TITLE
Vacancy

STARRING
Kate Beckinsale, Luke Wilson, Frank Whaley, Ethan Embry, Scott G. Anderson, David Doty, Mark Casella

WHAT THE BOX DOESN'T TELL YOU
There's a plot and some unconventional ways of doing in the bad guys. Of course the big names do survive, which shouldn't so much be considered a spoiler, as inevitable. The long and the short is that two weary disconnected travelers stumble upon a seemingly helpful mechanic at a garage on a desolate stretch of California highway only to find that his fix doesn't work. They are forced to hike back to the garage and nearby motel. Naturally, and rather predictably, it is the middle of the night and no service is available, so the couple decides to spend the night at the creepy motel which has some unadvertised shortcomings, like a supply of snuff films shot in the room in which you stay and trap doors which allow killers to break in and cause your eventual demise.

WHY I WOULD RENT IT AGAIN
I like scary movies. This movie is scary and not horrific, but i just don't buy Luke Wilson in this kind of a role.

WILL MY GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND LIKE IT?
If they like suspense and not so much horror this should be for them.

SPECIAL FEATURES
Ehhhh, you're not missing much if you skip them.

Save This Page to del.icio.us

EVERYTHING'S GONE GREEN (2006)

TITLE
Everything's Gone Green

STARRING
Paul Costanzo, Steph Song, JR Bourne, Aidan Devine, Susan Hogan, Tom Butler

WHAT THE BOX DOESN'T TELL YOU
Ok, so this rental isn't laced with the who's who of Hollywood, but it is a gem nonetheless. With well-developed characters whose quirks are as laughable as they are endearing and a very choice filming location, Everything's Gone Green sets itself apart from other modern comedies. The story centers on Ryan (Costanzo) who before the film is through has become and adept writer for a lottery magazine and an even better launderer as a result of his job and connection to the unsavory Bryce (Bourne) who's girlfriend (Song) is just everything Ryan has ever hoped for. When Ryan's best bud (Devine) pairs up with his parents Hogan and Butler) to raise marijuana and his brother's land development schemes sour, more goes awry than imagined possible.

WHY I WOULD RENT IT AGAIN
Excellent characters and a unique, yet decent premise. For a film that clearly never intended to have a following, it doesn't feel cheap or low-budget. I liken this movie to Scorched for the same oddities and potential laugh factor. Unlike Scorched, Everything's Gone Green does it with a smaller budget and a less recognizable cast.

WILL MY GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND LIKE IT?
Yes.

SPECIAL FEATURES
None.

Save This Page to del.icio.us

AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE COLON MOVIE FILM FOR THEATERS (2007)

TITLE
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters

STARRING
Meatwad, Carl, Master Shake, Frylock, Cybernetic Ghost, Bruce Campbell, Fred Armisen, Chris Kattan

WHAT THE BOX DOESN'T TELL YOU
They are not teenagers.
They do not live in the ocean, or any aquatic environment.
They do not go on special missions or save lives.
Aqua Teens are awesome for their lewd and somewhat upsetting humor, but turn a blind eye to that. The story makes quite a few departures, but it is essentially about a piece of exercise equipment, the Isanoflex, which is invented in the slight future, though existing in the present, that irreparably impacts life on earth as we know it. Meatwad, Master Shake and Frylock are all that stands in the way of the Isanoflex's total world domination.

WHY I WOULD RENT IT AGAIN
Well, we own it, so, that is kind of a no-brainer. Here is my top five favorite things about the movie:
1. Cybernetic Ghost from Christmas Past from the Future has a huge part and he is literally my favorite ATHF character from the regular series. He has the best regular episode and his talents are not to be discounted for advancing the plot - he simply says what we are all thinking.
2. Dr. Weird is actually connected to the Aqua Teens.
3. The retro intro to the film with the characters singing and dancing and then, in an 80's death metal-style epic song, relaying the severity of selling the film on eBay or kicking the chair in front of you. This part is not to be missed! If you skip the first five minutes of the movie - I will not talk to you about this movie.
4. Meatwad - you have to love him.
5. A buff Carl is still just as gross as your average everyday Carl - go figure!

WILL MY GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND LIKE IT?
Nooooo, this is strictly for fans of ATHF, adult swim, and adult cartoons. Ironically, we have The Simpsons to thank for opening the floodgates to adult-themed cartoons and probably South Park for advancing the genre. Still, nobody does it better or odder than ATHF.

SPECIAL FEATURES
Yes, many and the best are the deleted scenes and the music videos.

Save This Page to del.icio.us

THE LOOKOUT (2007)

TITLE
The Lookout

STARRING
Jeff Daniels, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Isla Fisher, Bruce McGill, Carla Gugino, Matthew Goode

WHAT THE BOX DOESN'T TELL YOU
With an unremarkable and somewhat unknown cast, writer/director Scott Frank tells the story of a young man (Gordon-Levitt) whose life is shattered after a tragic vehicular accident for which he is to blame. In an attempt to rejoin society, he is paired with some helpful friends (Daniels and Gugino) and selects some of his own less savory influences (Fisher and Goode) ultimately resulting in him acting as the lookout for a bank robbery that could put more than his job in peril. While a little on the simplistic side in terms of story, there's some decent performances, especially from Daniels and a decent pace that is sooo often overlooked in the dramatic genre.

WHY I WOULD RENT IT AGAIN
I was pleased to see the kid from Third Rock from the Sun actually turn out a performance of note and I expect good things from Daniels whose career was erroneously marked by that cinematic tragedy, Dumb and Dumber. This is a movie about redemption and that is always a good theme, especially when trying to approach from an imperfect angle - none of the characters are sophisticated, except in their misgivings and flaws.

WILL MY GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND LIKE IT?
Sure.

SPECIAL FEATURES
Very skippable.

Save This Page to del.icio.us

DISTURBIA (2007)

TITLE
Disturbia

STARRING
Carrie-Anne Moss, Shia LaBeouf, Sarah Roemer, David Morse, Aaron Yoo, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Viola Davis

WHAT THE BOX DOESN'T TELL YOU
We quickly find ourselves amidst the early 2007 films being released on DVD and it gives us the opportunity to catch all those January - March releases that just were not worth our $8.00+ to sit in a theatre, invariably by those who are not our peers (young or old), left their cell phone on or just simply should not be allowed to ruin our movie experience by being out in public. You know those people and those people know who they are - but I digress. Anyway, Disturbia was on that list for me for a variety of reasons: it stars a kid my sister-in law's age, being tethered shouldn't be made to appear a cool alternative to real punishment, I feared its predictability, and Carrie-Anne Moss outside the Matrix - seriously who's going to watch that? However, I was pleasantly surprised. Both genuine originality, legitimate plot progression and some solid performances came through to make Disturbia my "who could've figured favorite" of the summer. The premise is simple, a teen (LaBeouf) confined to his home and the immediate surroundings for knocking his Spanish teacher out cold takes refuge in watching his neighbors go about their less restricted lives.

WHY I WOULD RENT IT AGAIN
Completely enjoyable; this movie came out of nowhere and though it is aimed at those a tad younger than I, there are some real moments of anxiety that thrillers have lacked for awhile. References to pop culture mainstays such as PS3 and i-pods are well-placed product promotions - I kid you not, they are getting so good at this stuff we won't be able to watch movies with brand name knick-knacks in the background. LaBeouf was great, not sure about him starring in the fourth installment of the Indiana Jones franchise, but I'm told he's more Andy Melonokis than Zac Efron. As always, Morse is a total pro and I would have just moved rather than spend five minutes talking to him. In another day and time, he would have gotten some incredible roles that just didn't come his way in this lifetime.

WILL MY GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND LIKE IT?
Yes.

SPECIAL FEATURES
Ok, I'd watch the movie, but I am not going to invest time in special features for a movie like this, it isn't an M. Night Shyamalan. Disturbia offers your run of the mill special features.

Save This Page to del.icio.us

THE DARWIN AWARDS (2006)

TITLE
The Darwin Awards

STARRING
Winona Ryder, Joseph Fiennes, Lukas Haas, Tim Blake Nelson, Juliette Lewis, David Arquette, Wilmer Valderrama

WHAT THE BOX DOESN'T TELL YOU
Possibly the cleverest premise for a movie plot I've seen in years, if not the most unique. There are loads of celebrities in this movie which typically confuses the story and performances for being something above average when in fact you are just projecting your expectations on the acting talent, but in fact, the Darwin Awards is written and directed so cohesively by Finn Taylor, there isn't much left to fall through the cracks. A hopeful city detective (Fiennes) takes his forensic expertise to the street with a sarcastic detached insurance agent (Ryder) in tow trying to prevent and better understand those people whose accidents absurdity earn them a less than prestigious honor entitled the "Darwin Award" that callously suggests the human gene pool is better off now that the awardee has been removed from it.

WHY I WOULD RENT IT AGAIN
Well, like I said, its clever and that in and of itself is a rarity. Ryder looks and acts her best since maybe Little Women; it is a true pleasure not to have to endure her acting opposite a lunatic like Angelina Jolie in Girl Interrupted or suffer, as we did, through a complete lack of chemistry with Adam Sandler in Mr. Deeds.

WILL MY GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND LIKE IT?
Yes, it's your basic comedy with they typical ups and downs.

SPECIAL FEATURES
Interesting commentary.

Save This Page to del.icio.us

AFTER THE WEDDING (2006)

TITLE
After the Wedding

STARRING
Mads Mikkelsen, Rolf Lassgard, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Stine Fischer Christensen, Christian Tafdrup

WHAT THE BOX DOESN'T TELL YOU
All of the actors except maybe one will mean nothing to you and be completely unfamiliar, but this is easily the most earnest and classically dramatic film I've seen all year. If you are looking for something intelligent whose characters are real and imperfect this is the film for you. Less is more in the way of a review for this film, but I can capture the plot by saying that the Mads Mikkelsen travels to his homeland of Denmark to meet with a possible funder for his altruistic school in Bombay. What he gets is far more than bargained for, which is all that I can say. There are some subtitles and though it is current there are some distinctly foreign elements. All the same Susanne Bier has written and directed a true gem.

WHY I WOULD RENT IT AGAIN
Incredible emotion, excellent presentation, heartfelt motives - you don't get this honest that often. The single most enjoyable strength of this film is that it doesn't have some insufferable young actress overacting or a typically American dad-type whose devotedness we doubt simply from experience or preconceived notions of the family. Instead, the slate is wiped clean and a story is able to develop, carry you to their moment in time, then work you through a very imaginable situation. I loved that I couldn't predict where this film would go from the close of the first scene. I would watch this movie again and recommend it to all of my loyal readers able to tolerate films from abroad.

WILL MY GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND LIKE IT?
Possibly, hopefully, this is a deep film.

SPECIAL FEATURES
Below average on the extras.

Save This Page to del.icio.us

ZODIAC (2007)

TITLE
Zodiac

STARRING
Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Edwards, Robert Downey Jr., Chloë Sevigny, Marvin Cox, John Carroll Lynch

WHAT THE BOX DOESN'T TELL YOU
Watching a movie you know the end to in advance, no matter how horrific or uninspiring that end may be, is just kind of a pointless venture. Then again, what is there left to discover out there? However in this case we are speaking of common knowledge, like 7 out of 10 people know the Titanic sinks with only a handful of survivors. Much like the film Titanic, Zodiac has all the momentum and character development it can squeeze into a scene, but as you near the end, and you know the Zodiac killer has never been apprehended, you're more than a little overcome apathy. This is obviously a movie about the Zodiac killer and those journalists and detectives who were involved in the pursuit of catching the Bay-area menace.

WHY I WOULD RENT IT AGAIN
No, I would not rent this movie again and here's why: B-O-R-I-N-G. In general, all you need to say is Robert Downey Jr. and I am more than willing to give the filck a chance. Then you toss in my favorite gay cowboy who looks a little too much like his sister (Gyllenhaal) and the best angst ridden Gen X actor (Ruffalo) to hit the big screen and I'm there, but this film's draw begins and ends with the actors. There's moments of suspense, though by in large they are a fluke and fail to elicit any real emotion. Lapses in good judgement we hope were a sign of different times, but could just as well have been evidence of bad writing.

WILL MY GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND LIKE IT?
Ehhh it's a crapshoot. Lots of eye candy for the ladies but no real draw for men.

SPECIAL FEATURES
Blah!

Save This Page to del.icio.us

300 (2006)

TITLE
300

STARRING
Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, Dominic West, David Wenham, Vincent Regan, Rodrigo Santoro, Stephen McHattie

WHAT THE BOX DOESN'T TELL YOU
The actual Battle of Thermopylae this isn't. The box advertises imagery it doesn't deliver and the story of an epic battle that still has historians verifying events and numbers. Most of pageantry and storytelling depicted in this film happens not on the battlefield, but back in Sparta while the Queen and loyalists attempt to inspire the council to send forth Sparta's army totalling well over 10,000 men.

WHY I WOULD RENT IT AGAIN
All of you who said 300 was the movie not to miss of 2006, the most brilliant film you'd ever seen, etc. must now take that back. Not only do I not concur, I cannot find something extraordinary about it, except how absolutely gorgeous Lena Headey was as Queen Gorgo. Filmed mostly in front of blue screen I expected some truly epic scenery and as promised, "graphic battle sequences." Well, I was mainly and very disappointingly cheated out of both. I guess there are just things you cannot fake and though the images are crisper, they are hardly impressive. Also, let us not talk of learning our history lessons from film. I would not own or go out of my way to rewatch this film.

WILL MY GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND LIKE IT?
Expected this to be a dude film, you know who the dudes are, but it was not. I'm thinking this is for Gladiator fans who favor variations of the truth and people speaking English in a way that it sounds accurate but would not have been because the Spartans did not speak English.

SPECIAL FEATURES
Loads (90 minutes) if you buy the DVD. The version available through Blockbuster offers less.

Save This Page to del.icio.us

HOT FUZZ (2007)

TITLE
Hot Fuzz

STARRING
Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Bill Nighy, Timothy Dalton, Jim Broadbent, Martin Freeman, Tim Barlow

WHAT THE BOX DOESN'T TELL YOU
The antics of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead) just won't stop, which is generally a very good thing because not in many years has a same sex comedy team had so much chemistry to share onscreen. As a transplanted Met cop in the seemingly quiet rural village of Sanford, Pegg immerses himself in the inconvenient similarities between deaths ruled accidental and what would normally be considered murder. Of course this close examination is neither appreciated by his colleagues, including Jim Broadbent or the village's finest elders, led by Timothy Dalton. In fact, it would appear his only ally in his search for truth is a dud of a copper, but pop culture idiot savant played by Frost.

WHY I WOULD RENT IT AGAIN
While Shaun of the Dead knocked me square off my feet with its cleverness and universal, albeit somewhat British flare for comedy, Hot Fuzz falls short by comparison. Although the same genius writing team is in place, there were some elements that Shaun had which Fuzz simply does not, including an offbeat love story, a wealth of talented acting talent largely hidden to the world, and some genuinely great timing. While you might think there is never a bad time to release a funny film about police officers, Shaun was released after a relative slew of seriously deadly films on the subject of zombies. The time was ripe to throw something at folks that brought tension down and raised laughter through the roof. Hot Fuzz does do something so undeniably right by keeping Frost and Pegg's friendship on the front burner. There might not have been room for a love story with this one because their pairing results in without doubt the best scenes of the movie. Fuzz has more explosions, advanced cinematography and a much bigger budget, though it feels much more British than its predecessor - while earlier that was compliment for Shaun, it is less a compliment for Fuzz.

I'd gladly watch Fuzz again, a recommend it to fans of this blog, but I would urge you to lower your expectations.

WILL MY GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND LIKE IT?
Sure.

SPECIAL FEATURES
A smattering of predictable special features very common to comedies.

Save This Page to del.icio.us

PERFUME (2006)

TITLE
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer

STARRING
Ben Wishaw, Rachel Hurd-Wood, Dustin Hoffman, Alan Rickman

WHAT THE BOX DOESN'T TELL YOU
Based on a wildly popular NY times bestseller by the same name, this film is among the most bizarre on your local video shelves. Released in a sleeper-sort of fashion, Perfume is the fictitious story of an unfortunate young man Jean-Baptiste Grenouille (Wishaw) whose lot in life leaves much to be desired, that is until he meets Giuseppe Baldini (Hoffman) and is shepherded in to learning how to make perfumes. Though much of his talent is natural due to an heightened olfactory sense, Grenouille later travels France to discover the a unique scent of known to exist only in legend. His travels take him to a small municipality which manufactures a variety of essential oils and whose leadership includes Richis (Rickman). An early experience in Grenouille's life has vested him with an obsession of learning how to keep scent. A grotesque truth is revealed in explicit detail as Grenouille pursues the collection of scents derived from once-living specimens, including that of Richis daughter Laura (Hurd-Wood).

WHY I WOULD RENT IT AGAIN
Aside from some disturbing imagery, the film is well constructed. A strong narrative in the beginning of the film is one of the most effective of its kind and really trapped me, even as my stomach turned during subsequent scenes. I desired to understand Grenouille's character and motivation. Unlike most films, Perfume actually fulfilled this desire and makes good on rounding out the story and character.

WILL MY GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND LIKE IT?
I would recommend with reservations this film to an adult audience who is not easily upset by imagery of a somewhat unpleasant nature. This is not a film for young people.

SPECIAL FEATURES
Yes.

Save This Page to del.icio.us

SLOW BURN (2005)

TITLE
Slow Burn

STARRING
Ray Liotta, LL Cool J, Mekhi Phifer, Jolene Blalock, Taye Diggs, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Bruce McGill

WHAT THE BOX DOESN'T TELL YOU
Hmmm it didn't tell me not to bother to rent this movie. As probably the most over-hyped rental of the year, Slow Burn fails to ignite interest among audiences by dealing poorly with your garden-type variety of topics like corruption, drugs, mystery and deception. Not only is this movie hard to remain interested in (and I am not a person who needs to be catered to in every scene), but the acting is awful. LL Cool J is unequivocally my favorite rapper turned actor, but I think all the actors in Slow Burn must share responsibility for being the least interesting people in my living room for two hours last Sunday night. I really can believe this movie was written and directed by the same guy (Wayne Beach) because neither the script, nor the film direction was the least bit savory.

WHY I WOULD RENT IT AGAIN
No. No. Nooooooooo!

WILL MY GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND LIKE IT?
Are they comatose? If so, then yes, as a variation on the standard background noise, they may enjoy it.

SPECIAL FEATURES
You know I didn't bother, if I can't write a pleasant review about a film, I will not watch extras.

Save This Page to del.icio.us

FACTORY GIRL (2006)

TITLE
Factory Girl

STARRING
Sienna Miller, Guy Pearce, Jimmy Fallon, Hayden Christensen, Mena Suvari, Shawn Hatosy, Edward Herrmann, Illeana Douglas

WHAT THE BOX DOESN'T TELL YOU
This adaptation of heiress and celebrity Edie Sedgwick's (Miller) life is easily and surprisingly one of the best films out on DVD this year. While 2006 was rich with dramas, few can match the absolutely captivating demise of Factory Girl's principle characters Sedgwick and Andy Warhol (Guy Pearce). An ever so current film commenting on lives lived in excess, talents based solely on trends, and the rather destructive nature of celebrity entourages, Factory Girl sticks to the basics - a film about the life of a person of interest. While facts are somewhat controversial, many of the films' details were backed up by family and friends through the course of filming. If half of it was true it would be enough to make you sick, but if all of it was true, it just plain makes sense a movie should be made about Sedgwick's life.

WHY I WOULD RENT IT AGAIN
The story is rich and well woven with a perfect combination of solid writing and capable acting. Although the filming of the movie was riddled with talent issues, most notably those of Miller and Christensen in a typical, "we're famous and ungrateful for it" kind of fashion, a set without issues is unheard of these days. Perhaps that kind of professionalism is scary, or maybe it just mimics the kind of drama we all through through in our own workplace environments. When was the last time you met a secretary who didn't know everything about everyone, or at least one that wanted to? Factory Girl amazed me. In what might have been a weak moment, I wasn't expecting a lot when I opened the envelope, but I certainly was entertained scene after scene.

WILL MY GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND LIKE IT?
Sure. People with conventional sensibilities will be offended by the work of Warhol depicted in the film, but then again, that was the point of Warhol's work - who by the way did not die at the end of a gun just for the record.

SPECIAL FEATURES
Not intriguing, spend time on the film.

Save This Page to del.icio.us