THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB (2007)

TITLE
The Jane Austen Book Club

STARRING
Maria Bello, Amy Brenneman, Emily Blunt, Kathy Baker, Maggie Grace, Jimmy Smits, Keven Zigers, Marc Blucas

THIS MOVIE IS LIKE
Possession, Now and Then, The Importance of Being Earnest

WOULD YOU SUGGEST IT TO A FRIEND
Yes. One of the best ensemble pieces I've seen in recent years.

I was not looking forward to renting this film as much as I love Jane Austen. Nearly everybody has done Austen over the years, but the premise of a book club around the works of Austen, whose membership exemplifies various characters in her novels was a little different take. I'm happy to report it works in this film. The women of the film are more delightful than the characters Austen creates. Men of Austen's work exceed those in this film, but then again this isn't a movie about men. Though men might find it an easy escape.

The film lacks chaos - a good thing, but creates some real sentimental moments and is never overplayed. I especially enjoyed the variety of protagonist/antagonist confusion.

ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE (2007)

TITLE
Elizabeth: The Golden Age

STARRING
Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Clive Owen, Samantha Morton, Abbie Cornish

THIS MOVIE IS LIKE
Elizabeth

WOULD YOU SUGGEST IT TO A FRIEND
Sure, but if you are expecting something like the Elizabeth (1997), you might be a bit disappointed.

This installment in the series follows the rise of Britain as a world power and the unfortunate incidents leading up to a brief military battle at sea with Spain. Some of the more powerful events include further exposure of the Queen's (Blanchett) brilliance in leadership, the allegiance she inspires from her adviser (Rush) and the failed relationship between her and Sir Walter Raleigh (Owen) as well as the vesting moral dilemma concerning her cousin, Mary Queen of Scot's (Morton) treason.

Overall, there were scenes that could have been cut without impacting the quality of this film. Writing was ok, acting was more or less ok, but nowhere near the masterpiece of the first film.

KING OF CALIFORNIA (2007)

TITLE
King of California

STARRING
Michael Douglas, Evan Rachel Wood

THIS MOVIE IS LIKE
Fight Club, I Am Sam, Girl Interrupted, The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood

WOULD YOU SUGGEST IT TO A FRIEND
Yes, very highly in fact. This is in ways the single largest sleeper of 2007, and a shame it was overlooked for Oscar considerations. Classically themed around the relationship between a bipolar semi-absent father (Douglas) and his dutiful daughter (Wood), the two embark on a journey to find dubloons legend said were lost in the California coast they call home. The journey is less about finding the gold and more about finding a way to reconcile their feelings towards each other in the process of discovering a new variation of the father/daughter bond.

An incredible script, well-woven into lively characters, and a level of consumerism that can only be distinctly American.