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"The Prestige"

Released 2006; Reviewed May 25, 2008.

THE PRESTIGE was along the lines of THE ILLUSIONIST, though nowhere near as well-done. One issue I had with this portrayal of rival magicians is that there seemed to be no continuity of the passage of time. I couldn't tell when a significant amount of time had passed, or when I was watching a flashback of a flashback--a very jumbled concept of time was presented. In addition, the storyline was predictable: each turn of vengeance produced an even stronger turn from the rival, until both spiraled down together into a pit of blackness and evil. The end was a slight surprise, but not strong enough to turn the movie on its head like THE SIXTH SENSE did. All in all, the movie gave off a gritty negativity that I am not keen to revisit, or to recommend.

"Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby"

Released 2006; Reviewed May 2, 2008.

This was one of those entertaining and almost empty movies, with one redeeming theme: do something for the love of doing it, and everything else will work itself out. Many of us do things because others expect us to, when if those other people weren't around, we wouldn't touch the activity with a 29 and a half foot pole. That's how you know you are doing something for others: if you were alone on the planet, would you still be doing it? Yeah, I know it's simplistic, but this *was* a comedy...

"The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou"

Released 2004; Reviewed May 2, 2008.

I'm still not sure what this movie was all about. This is one of those films where you say that, and then you think surely no one would go to such greath lengths to make a movie about nothing, so it must be that you just don't understand the weightier thematic elements presented. Okay, I admit it: I don't know what this move was all about. It wasn't funny, it wasn't sad, it wasn't thoughtful, it wasn't sexy. So why was it made?

"THX 1138"

Released 1971; Reviewed May 2, 2008.

Finally, a movie that treads a new footpath in my mind. The dialogue was minimal, and the action was almost nonsensical until about halfway through the movie, when the pieces fell into place. The director did a fine job of withholding prejudices so that the viewer can draw his own conclusions according to his own belief system or worldview. Like so many U2 songs, this movie can be interpreted in a variety of ways depending on where you are standing. Truth is multidimensional and many times seemingly contradictory. But back to the movie: the one indisputible element was the triumphant ending. I loved this movie.

"Equilibrium"

Released 2002; Reviewed May 2, 2008.

Christian Bale stars in this futuristic story about one man's triumphant rebellion against the powers that be. In this Orwellian society, the general population is required to take drugs several times a day that inhibit emotions, and are prohibited from collecting any works of art, pieces of beauty or interest, or clothing of color, in an effort to avoid the types of visuals that might stimulate one's emotions. Interesting concept but kind of ridiculous, really. But the movie presented some novel ideas, and overflowed with fast-paced scenes and great workout music.

"Caddyshack"

Released 1980; Reviewed April 16, 2008.

For an old movie, this was pretty funny. I'm not really sure why Chevy Chase's character was even included--I don't think he contributed much to the plot or the situational comedy. But he's comedic as always. Rodney Dangerfield stole the show, though. I actually had to write down some of his one-liners, they were so hilarious. Bill Murray had the best scene of the movie when he explained how he will receive total consciousness on his deathbed: "So I got that going for me." And who could forget that cute little gopher?? The way he coughed smoke at the end and then started swaying his hips...

"Lady in the Water"

Released 2006; Reviewed April 16, 2008.

Another triumph for M. Night Shyamalan! This movie was beautiful. I'm not 100% sure exactly what the point was, but I think I got the gist. The film ranks now among my favorites, especially because the "creepiness" factor, so prevalent in The Sixth Sense, Signs, and The Village, was here omitted, leaving the beauty of the story unmarred. Very touching.

"U23D"

Reviewed February 18, 2008.

This was a U2 concert in 3-D at the IMAX Theatre. It was awesome! Several times, I actually tried to reach out and touch Bono, he seemed so close. While watching the show, I realized that Bono is very important to me, as he has accompanied me through my teenage years, my tumultuous 20s, my travels in Central America, and my married life so far. He is one of my anchors, my heroes; I know that when he dies, a part of me will die as well. Bono: here's wishing you a long, long life!

By the way, for those of you interested in Charity (in all its guises), check out Product Red and One.

"V for Vendetta"

Released 2005; Reviewed February 18, 2008.

This movie could have been so much more inspiring if it had been laid in a foundation of truth. Instead, it was a commingling of truth and deceit, and as such, one is tempted to throw the baby out with the bathwater. I think the better movie of a similar message is Joan of Arc. One interesting note about V, however, is that his character was most definitely modeled after an Intuitive Introvert.

"Little Miss Sunshine"

Released 2006; Reviewed February 18, 2008.

I think Greg Kinnear has made an excellent living out of choosing great scripts. This one is no exception. The characters are quirky but believable, and the settings are rich with the nuances of everyday middle-class poverty. All of the actors performed well to the very end, and that ending was poignant and hilarious at the same time. Great movie.

"Catch and Release"

Released 2006; Reviewed December 15, 2007.

This movie was okay. The plot grappled with some heavy themes while still trying to keep it light, so I didn't find it too convincing. I thought Kevin Smith was amazing, though.

"While You Were Sleeping"

Released 1995; Reviewed December 15, 2007.

A Christmas tradition for nearly 10 years now, this is one of my Alltime Favorite Movies. If you need a little help getting into the Christmas spirit, this film will put a smile on your face and a glow in your heart. And it's funny, too.

"The Illusionist"

Released 2006; Reviewed December 15, 2007.

Plot was awesome, main character was not. Edward Norton weighed down an otherwise superb cast, and his lackluster performance was the only flaw in this movie. You know who would have been perfect as Eisenheim the Illusionist??
Liam Neeson. O well.

"One Night with the King"

Released 2006; Reviewed November 28, 2007.

I never saw this in the theatres, but wanted to see Luke Goss play a king. I think he did well, though trying to act with Omar Sharif standing beside you has to be a nightmare. The story was sweet and well-told, being based on the biblical account of Esther. Here is an interesting interview with Luke Goss about the movie; one thing I did not know what that this movie was the second time since Lawrence of Arabia that Omar Sharif and Peter O'Toole have appeared together in the same film.

"I.Q."

Released 1994; Reviewed October 7, 2007.

I am a romantic comedy junkie, but this movie was a disaster. Not romantic, and not funny. Meg Ryan is a lot like Ben Stiller: a one-trick pony. Walter Matthau did well, though, as Albert Einstein.

"Double Jeopardy"

Released 1999; Reviewed October 7, 2007.

A mildly entertaining, mildly suspenseful movie. Ashley Judd is both talented and beautiful, so I don't regret seeing this film. My main criticism of the plot is that there were too many years packed into too little playing time and so the whole movie felt a bit rushed, with only the barest efforts put forth towards developing relationships. Not a movie I would want to see again.

"Away From Her"

Released 2006; Reviewed September 18, 2007.

I watched this movie on the flight back from Hawaii, and yes, I cried in public. The story was so sweet and sorrowful, as it details a couple's painful transition into assisted living for the wife, who has Alzheimer's. I must say this is one of the best love stories I have seen in years. There was also a part of me that related in a very personal way: I watched my grandmother succumb to Alzheimer's, and watched as I (and more painfully, my mother) quietly slipped from her memory entirely, while her body lingered behind for several more years... Anyway, a movie I would heartily recommend.

"Feast of July"

Released 1995; Reviewed September 3, 2007.

I meant to watch this movie in July, but time got away from me and now it is finally September, my favorite month. The movie is heralded as being "one of the best films of the year" and I believe it has the ingredients of greatness, truly, but I don't think it was quite cooked right.

The camera follows Bella, a young woman who was jilted before the wedding day even arrived, who had her lover's baby stillborn, and who begins to make a new life for herself in a new town. After a lot of filler scenes, she finally becomes engaged to a young man who is prone to emotional extremes (may be bipolar) and who, upon being taunted by the original lover, flies into a jealous rage and kills the man. He then turns himself in and is hanged, and Bella leaves town pregnant with his child, and looking like her story will be repeated elsewhere.

You can see how this plot line could make a wonderful movie, but the magic is missing somewhere. The heroine, Bella, barely says 10 words throughout the 2-hour film, sort of in the tradition of "Girl with a Pearl Earring". But what differentiates the two movies, what makes one a blockbuster and the other obscure, is that the audience never makes that crucial identification with Bella, never cultivates true empathy and relationship with her, never truly roots for her success. And the reason for that is that one never quite knows where she stands: is she a sympathetic character? we don't know because she doesn't speak and she doesn't give anything away in either her expression or her choices or her journal, nothing. She has a poker face. At times through the movie I would think, "maybe she's an evil little witch", so I would withhold my sympathies for her, thinking the movie was leading towards revealing her as such. And before I knew it, the end was there and I'm still not sure what to think of her.

"Becoming Jane"

Released 2007; Reviewed August 16, 2007

This is the story of how Jane Austen embarked on her career as a novelist. The movie starts like a trite and simplistic child's melody, but don't be discouraged! It soon grows into a beautiful and complex symphony of ideas and emotions, with a moment of sweet, sweet sweetness. The ending is Bittersweet, but so also is the very Essence of Life. Is it not, dear friend?

We want what we do not have, and when we finally get it, our desire fades. What, then, is the cure for these bitter traces? To try to avoid the thing we want most, so as to go on wanting it forever, our minds constantly fingering those brief memories, which time and conscience are apt to bathe in the false light of perfection? No, this method only serves to increase our frustration and self-absorption. Perhaps instead we can choose to stamp out the heart's urgings at the merest whisper of desire, and thus remain immune to that telltale taste of bitterness. Yet there is some flaw in this method as well: it precludes sweetness. Surely numbness is not what God intended for us!

I believe there is no cure for bittersweetness. The only thing we can do is relish its taste. We cannot have sweet without bitter, and bitter isn't bad really, just different. Bitter means selfless, bitter means sacrifice, bitter means faith and hope--all elements of true character. No, there is no solution, no way around it, no shortcut. I guess we just continue to LIVE: riding each wave as it comes, thanking God for the sunshine, and thanking God for the rain.

And like most readers, I do prefer dialogue to soliloquy...