Sunshine Cleaning (2008)

SYNOPSIS
A single mom and her slacker sister find an unexpected way to turn their lives around in the off-beat dramatic comedy Sunshine Cleaning. Directed by Christine Jeffs (Rain, Sylvia), this uplifting film about an average family that find the path to its dreams in an unlikely setting screened in competition at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

Sunshine Cleaning's stellar cast includes Academy Award nominee Amy Adams ( Enchanted), Oscar winner Alan Arkin ( Little Miss Sunshine), Golden Globe winner Emily Blunt ( The Devil Wears Prada), Steve Zahn ( Happy, Texas), Clifton Collins, Jr. ( Capote), Mary Lynn Rajskub ("24") and Jason Spevack ( Hollywoodland). The film is directed by Jeffs from a screenplay by Megan Holley. Producers are Glenn Williamson, Jeb Brody, and Marc Turtletaub and Peter Saraf of Big Beach Films. Editor is Heather Persons. John Toon is director of photography. Production designer is Joe Garrity and art director is Guy Barnes. Costume design is by Alix Friedberg.

Once the high school cheer leading captain who dated the quarterback, Rose Lorkowski (Amy Adams) now finds herself a thirty-something single mother working as a maid. Her sister Norah (Emily Blunt), is still living at home with their dad Joe (Alan Arkin), a sales man with a lifelong history of ill-fated get rich quick schemes.

Desperate to get her son into a better school, Rose persuades Norah to go into the crime scene clean-up business with her to make some quick cash. In no time, the girls are up to their elbows in murders, suicides and other...specialized situations. As they climb the ranks in a very dirty job, the sisters find new respect for one another and the closeness they have always craved finally blossoms. By building their own improbable business, Rose and Norah open the door to the joys and challenges of being there for one another – no matter what – while discovering personal healing in the most unexpected way. Source: Official Movie Website.

REVIEW
When I first saw the previews for this movie, I was interested in seeing it, but when it actually was released, my interested had waned. Even as I saw it sitting on the DVD store shelf, I was not motivated to rent it. The other day, I finally relented and rented.

Wow! What a good movie. I actually and genuinely laughed out loud. Very similar to Little Miss Sunshine in production quality and character development. I was pleasantly surprised. And added bonus was a revealed Steve Zahn. What a cutie-patootie!

Highly recommended.

Young Frankenstein (1974)

SYNOPSIS: IMDb
This is a typical Mel Brooks movie. It is a great parody of the Frankenstein movies. You have the best in great comedy and a typical monster storyline. This is the story of the young grandson of Baron Von Frankenstein (Gene Wilder), who gets his inheritance, and then goes to Transylvania to clear up the will. And finding his Grandfather's personal library, continues in his grandfather's footsteps. He succeeds and a real knee slapper follows.

REVIEW
Believe it or not, I had never seen this movie.

Gotta say, watching it today, I find it a little corny. I think had I seen it in 1974, when I was 11, I might have laughed riotously. That is not to say it is not funny, just that I think I have grown out of the kind of humor.

I loved the fact that it was black and white and enjoyed seeing the all-star cast: Gene Wilder; Peter Boyle, whom I was shocked to discover played The Monster; Marty Feldman; and Cloris Leachman.

Capitalism: A Love Story (2009)

SYNOPSIS: Official Movie Website
On the 20-year anniversary of his groundbreaking masterpiece Roger & Me, Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story comes home to the issue he's been examining throughout his career: the disastrous impact of corporate dominance on the everyday lives of Americans (and by default, the rest of the world). But this time the culprit is much bigger than General Motors, and the crime scene far wider than Flint, Michigan. From Middle America, to the halls of power in Washington, to the global financial epicenter in Manhattan, Michael Moore will once again take filmgoers into uncharted territory.

With both humor and outrage, Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story explores a taboo question: What is the price that America pays for its love of captialism? Years ago, the love seemed so innocent. Today, however, the American dream is looking more like a nightmare as families pay the price with their jobs, their homes and their savings. Moore takes us into the homes of ordinary people whose lives have been turned upside down; and he goes looking for explanations in Washington DC, and elsewhere. What he finds are the all-too-familiarly symptoms of a love affair gone astray: lies, abuse, betrayal...and 14,000 jobs being lost every day.

Capitalism: A Love Story is both a culmination of Moore's previous works and a look into what a more hopeful future could look like. It is Michael Moore's ultimate quest to answer the question he's posted throughout his illustrious career: Who are we and why do we behave the way that we do?

REVIEW
Not one of my favorite Moore Productions because he totally overlooked the responsibility of citizens to spend within their means. I felt he was placing the blame for homeowners struggles solely on the financial institutions. This is not to say that I think financial institutions are in the right, but let's be accountable for our side of the street.

I found it very interesting that Franklin Roosevelt had penned a second bill of rights, including education, health, etc. to all citizens and I was ashamed to learn that after the war those same principles were used to rebuild Europe while we are living in the dark ages in the USA...primarily because of capitalism.

What really gets me when I view a Moore production is why don't people get it and do something to make a change. Are the rich really that powerful? There certainly can't be more of them than you average citizen. I continually point to the greed that is destroying our society and which does not seem to be waning. The outrage of the AIG bailout is still a thorn in my side.

Moore's films are definitely divisive. You either are a fan or not!

The Informers (2009)

SYNOPSIS: Official Movie Website
In such works as " Less Than Zero" and "American Psycho" Bret Easton Ellis brilliantly dissects contemporary American society, a culture in which too much is never enough. Now, adapting to his own acclaimed novel for the screen, he returns to the Los Angeles of the early 1980's with a multi-strand narrative that deftly balances a vast array of characters who represent both the top of the heap (a Hollywood dream merchant, a dissolute rock star, an aging newscaster) and the bottom (a voyeuristic doorman, an amoral ex-con).

Connecting all his intertwining strands are the quintessential Ellis protagonists – a group of beautiful, blonde young men and women who sleep all day and party all night, doing drugs – and one another – with abandon, never realizing that they are dancing on the edge of a volcano. Filmed with uncommon glamour and grit by acclaimed Australian director Gregor Jordan ("Ned Kelly," "Buffalo Soldiers"), THE INFORMERS is an alternately blistering and chilling portrait of hedonism run amuck. The film stars Billy Bob Thornton, Kim Basinger, Mickey Rourke, Winona Ryder, Jon Foster and Amber Heard.

REVIEW
Despite a good cast, this movie was a "less than zero" remake of the movie by the same name. At least Less Than Zero had an ending. All this movie did was exploit the life styles of the decadent rich and famous. The music was horrendously monotonous techno from the eighties; not even good music.

From the previews, I was really eager to see this movie at the movies, but I guess it was so bad, it was gone from the theaters before I knew it! No wonder.

The Mystical Adventures of Billy Owens (2008)

SYNOPSIS: Official Movie Website
This tightly crafted fantasy-adventure takes Billy Owens (Dalton Mugridge) and his two closes friends Devon (Christopher Fazio) and Mandy (Ciara O'Hanlon) on a magical adventure that will mystify and entertain children of all ages.

On Billy's 11th birthday he stumbles upon William Thurgood's (Roddy Piper) Treasure Trove & Pawn Shop and finds his treasure in the form of a magical wand. With an array of powers suddenly at his fingertips, Billy finds his simple life changes to one that is consumed by mythical creatures haunted caves, and a school that also possesses certain unsuspecting characters. As this adventure unravels, Billy and his friend must find the inner strength to overcome evil, or their hometown of Spirit River will be lost forever.

REVIEW
Similar to a low-budget Harry Potter.

Recently, my uncle was telling me how there is a big ol' race conspiracy behind his firing from the docks by white supremacists of Norwegian ethnicity - evidenced by the names of the ship he was working on: Valkyrie and Valhalla. I don't know if I believe any of it, but this movie is based on Norwegian mythology and I could not help but recall my uncle's story.

Anyway, I was very interested in seeing the movie, but in the end, did not feel completely satisfied with the production, remember that is was a little slow and involved. If you like the fantasy genre, you might actually be entertained. A definite rental.

Were the World Mine (2008)

SYNOPSIS - official site
If you had a love-potion, who would you make fall madly in love with you? Timothy, prone to escaping his dismal high school reality through dazzling musical daydreams, gets to answer that question in a very real way. After his eccentric teacher casts him as Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream, he stumbles upon a recipe hidden within the script to create the play’s magical, purple love-pansy. Armed with the pansy, Timothy’s fading spirit soars as he puckishly imposes a new reality by turning much of his narrow-minded town gay, beginning with the rugby-jock of his dreams. Ensnaring family, friends and enemies in this heart-wrenching chaos, Timothy forces them to walk a mile in his musical shoes. The course of true love never did run smooth, but by the end of this moving musical comedy of errors based on director Tom Gustafson’s prolific award-winning short film, Fairies, the bumpy ride comes to a heartfelt conclusion. With vibrant imagery, a first-rate ensemble cast and innovative music rivaling the best of pop/rock and contemporary Broadway, Were the World Mine attempts to push modern gay cinema and musical film beyond expectation.

SPEAKproductions presents Were the World Mine, a multiple award-winning musical feature film based on their award-winning short film, Fairies, which screened in over 75 international film festivals including the Tribeca Film Festival. Fairies aired on the Viacom network LOGO as a winner of their short film series in the program titled The Click List: Best Shorts Ever! and is available on iTunes. Were the World Mine is currently taking the film festival circuit by storm.

Were the World Mine stars Chicago stage dynamo Wendy Robie (Twin Peaks), Broadway star Judy McLane ( Mamma Mia), Zelda Williams (House of D and daughter of Robin Williams), soap opera diva Jill Larson (Opal on All My Children) and introduces the extraordinary Tanner Cohen as Timothy.

Were the World Mine enjoyed 3 major readings in NYC before making it to the big screen with the New York Musical Theatre Festival and NewFest Film Festival.

REVIEW
THIS is the kind of gay cinema I like - plot, musicality, and hot young guys! When I rented Phoebe in Wonderland, I was expecting something more like this fantastic story that magically comes to life.

There is sensuality, but no sexuality and that was okay with me. I also loved the setting: senior year at an upper-crust boys' school. I found the incorporation of the gay marriage political issue a little contrived, as well as the motivation for Timothy's "turning much of his narrow-minded town gay," which would have played better as a cautionary tale along the lines of be careful for what you wish. The parallel of the play, A Midsummer Night's Dream, with real life was ingenious and well played. The musical part of this movie was pretty good, except for one tune that reminded me of eighties electronic droning.As for the boys, I could not believe Nathaniel David Becker's name was not mentioned in the website synopsis. He was, after all, the supporting lead role.

Were the World Mine definitely "pushed modern gay cinema and musical film beyond my expectations."

Year One (2009)

SYNOPSIS – official site
History was made...by these guys?

Zed (Jack Black) and Oh (Michael Cera) are cavemen who stumble out of the mountains into an epic journey of biblical proportions. One's a bumbling hunter, the other's a gentle gatherer; together, they become unlikely participants in history's most pivotal moments. Directed and co-written by comedy legend Harold Ramis (Groundhog Day, Caddyshack, Analyze This), Year One is rude, crude, wildly absurd, deliciously tasteless and laugh-out-loud funny!

REVIEW
I like Jack Black and most of the movies he has appeared in; he is so funny. I also like Micahel Cera, so I was anxious to see finally see this movie. I watched the unrated version.

Not only was it funny, but I found it historically interesting. Imagine that! It's true. with all the arguments over how the world started, this movie's premise is not so unbelievable.

Wow! I just found out Hank Azaria was in this movie and I did not even recognize him. Must have been because he was clothed.

Monsters vs. Aliens (2009)

SYNOPSIS: monstersvsaliens.com/
When California girl Susan Murphy is unexpectedly clobbered by a meteor full of outer space gunk, she mysteriously grows to 49-feet-11-inches tall and is instantly labeled a "monster" named Ginormica. The military jumps into action, and she is captured and held in a secret government compound. The world learns that the military has been quietly rounding up other monster over the years. This ragtag group consists of the brilliant but insect-headed Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D.; the macho half-ape, half-fish The Missing Link; the gelatinous and indestructible B.O.B.; and the 250-foot grub called Insectosaurus. Their confinement time is cut short however, when a mysterious alien robot lands on Earth and begins storming the country.

As a last resort, under the guidance of general W. R. Monger (on a desperate order from The President), the motley crew of Monsters is called into action to combat the aliens and save the world from imminent destruction.

REVIEW
I didn't see this at the movies because after viewing Coraline in 3-D, I could not justify the price, and in turn, I think my interest in animated flicks is waning. It's possible that the predictability of these movies is what leads me down the path of disenchantment.

This is cute. There is humor for adults and children alike.

Dance Flick (2009)

SYNOPSIS: imdb.com
Megan (Shoshanna Bush) has a dream of going to Juilliard and becoming a dancer. While she is performing at her dance audition, her mother is tragically killed in an auto accident. Megan must move to another city to her destitute father's apartment which is located in a condemned building. She enrolls in Musical High, an inner city high school. Since her mother's death, Megan has given up dancing. Megan meets some new friends at the school like Tracy (Chelsea Makela), Charity (Essence Atkins), and Thomas (Damon Wayans Jr.) who dance in a street dance gang. Thomas and Megan connect, and they must face their impossible dance dream together. They try to bring the ultimate dance crew together to win $5,000 at the local dance contest. Contributed by Douglas Young.

REVIEW
I laughed at the trailer for this movie, especially the scene where she places the baby in the locker while she goes on through her day in school. Man, this was such a stupid movie. I got excited when I saw a Tracy Turnblad character, but I even that did not make this movie worth seeing.

Bottom Line: Don't waste your time, unless you like inane juvenile comedy.

The Informant! (2009)

SYNOPSIS: Website
What was Mark Whitacre thinking? A rising star at agri-industry giant Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), Whitacre ( Matt Damon) suddenly turns whistleblower. Even as he exposes his company's multi-national price-fixing consipiracy to the FBI, Whitacre envisions himself being haild as a hero of the common man and handed a promotion. But before all that can happen, the FBI needs evidence, so Whitacre eagerly agrees to wear a wire and carry a hidden tape recorder in his briefcase, imagining himself as a kind of de facto secret agent.

Unfortunately for the FBI, their lead witness hasn't been quite so forthcoming about helping himself to the corporate coffers. Whitacre's ever-changing account frustrates the agents ( Scott Bakula and Joel McHale) and threatens the case against ADM as it becomes almost impossible to decipher what is real and what is the product of Whitacre's active imagination.

Academy Award® winner Matt Damon (" Good Will Hunting," the "Bourne" movies [ The Bourne Supremacy]) stars in "The Informant!," based on the true story of the highest-ranking corporate whistleblower in U.S. history. The film also start Scott Bakula, Joel McHale and Melanie Lynskey.

"The Informant!" is directed by Academy Award® winner Steven Soderbergh (" Traffic") from a screenplay by Scott Z. Burns, based on the book The Informant (A True Story), written by Kurt Eichenwald. The film is produced by Gregory Jacos, Jennifer Fox, Michael Jaffee, Howard Braunstein and Kurt Eichenwald. George Clooney, Jeff Skoll and Michael London served as executive producers, with Michael Polaire co-producing.

The behind-the-scenes creative team includes production designer Doug Meerdink, editor Stephen Mirrione and costume designer Shoshana Rubin. The music is by multiple Oscar® winner and nominee Marvin Hamlisch (" The Sting," "The Way We Were").

Warner Bros. Pictures presents, In Association with Participant Media and Groundswell Productions, a Section Eight-Jaffee/Braunstein Enterprise, "The Informant!" "The Informant!" has been rated R by the MPAA for language.

"The Informant!" opens nationwide on September 18, 2009.

PREVIEWS
There was one other movie preview but I can't remember what it was.

The Blind Side
Scheduled for release November 20, 2009
Featuring Sandra Bullock, one of my favorites. Looks good.
Thumbs Up!

Sherlock Holmes
Scheduled for release Christmas Day 2009
Featuring Robert Downey Jr
Thumbs Up!

It's Complicated
Scheduled for release Christmas 2009
Featuring Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin
Thumbs Up!

A Serious Man
Scheduled for release October 2, 2009
Thumbs Up!

REVIEW
The previews interested me in this based on true life story of a quirky man named Mark Whitacre. The movie was slow building momentum, but once the climax was achieved you had to really follow along in order to keep abreast of what was going on. I heard the lady next to me say to herself, "Incredulous." I suspected something was up from the very beginning, but I think it took just a smidgen too long to get to the ball rolling. My mom and dad, whom I took with me, agreed with the pace of the movie and the fascination over such an interesting character.

Both mom and I liked the music and the production as a whole is great, taking you back in time. I heard somewhere the Matt Damon put on thirty pounds for this role. He still looked decent to me. What a pleasure to see Scott Bakula. He is so hot! Melanie Lynskey had me thinking she was Jennifer Tilly, but I finally remembered where I had seen her before. She is Rose on Two and a Half Men. Love her!

I like any movie that cause me to laugh out loud.

and dad, whom I took with me, agreed with the pace of the movie and the fascination over such an interesting character.

Both mom and I liked the music and the production as a whole is great, taking you back in time. I heard somewhere the Matt Damon put on thirty pounds for this role. He still looked decent to me. What a pleasure to see Scott Bakula. He is so hot! Melanie Lynskey had me thinking she was Jennifer Tilly, but I finally remembered where I had seen her before. She is Rose on Two and a Half Men. Love her!

I like any movie that cause me to laugh out loud.

Art School Confidential (2006)

SYNOPSIS - DVD Cover
From the director of Ghost World and Bad Santa, ART SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL follows talented young artist Jerome Platz (Max Minghella) as he escapes from high school to a tiny East Coast art school. Here the boyish freshman's ambition is to become the world's greatest artist, like his hero Picasso. Unfortunately, the beauty and craft of Jerome's portraiture are not appreciated in an anything-goes art class. Neither his harsh judgments of his classmates efforts nor his later attempts to create a pseudo-art of his own win him any admirers. But Jerome does attract the attentions of his dream girl, the stunning and sophisticated Audrey (Sophia Myles), an artist's model and daughter of a celebrated artist. Rejecting Jerome's sincerity. When Audrey shifts her attention to Jonah (Matt Keeslar), a hunky painter who becomes the school's latest art star, Jerome is heartbroken. Desperate, he concocts a risky plan to make a name for himself and win her back.

REVIEW
Ever since I saw the DVD cover for this movie – probably as far back as 2006 – I have always wanted to see it, but not enough to pick it up. During my last visit to the DVD store, there was so little that I wanted to see that I figured I would take some chances.

Well, there is full frontal male nudity, so it gets points for that. I also found the plot to be very original. Unfortunately, I found the screenplay distracting to the plot. I think a tighter screenplay would have made this a cult classic a la Almodovar + Waters.

Analyze This (1999)

SYNOPSIS - DVD Cover
Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal team with Lisa Kudrow, Cazz Palminteri and director/co-writer Harold Ramis to make you a comedy offer you can't refuse in this laugh-out-loud mob hit. De Niro, deftly spoofing the wiseguy roles that have been a staple of his estimable career, plays powerful New York crime family racketeer Paul Witti. Crystal, always one joke ahead of sleeping with the fishes, is shrink Ben Sobel, who has just days to resolve Vitti's emotional crisis and turn him into a happy, well-adjusted gangster. Yes, Sobel is a family psychiatrist. But surely this isn't the kind of family he had in mind.

REVIEW
I had already grown out of this genre of movie entertainment by the time this movie was released. I think the last funny movie I saw Billy Crystal in was City Slickers back in 1991. Perhaps its was the incredulity of such a scenario actually playing out in real life. Then again, they do say, "Life is stranger than fiction." I just found the movie very mediocre in its humor.

Phoebe In Wonderland (2008)

SYNOPSIS - Website
PHOEBE IN WONDERLAND is the whimsical tale of a young girl who struggles to follow the rules. Perplexed by her inability to get along with the rule-obsessed world around her, Phoebe seeks enlightenment and comfort from her unconventional drama teacher (PATRICIA CLARKSON) and her sympathetic mother (FELICITY HUFFMAN). PHOEBE IN WONDERLAND explores a young girl’s self-discovery and her journey to find acceptance.

SYNOPSIS
Personally, I was hoping for something a little more whimsical and I thought Phoebe was certifiable.

It was an interesting movie for the development of Phoebe particular affliction, making this plot very scientifically interesting. The pace was good also. I think it was just not what I expected.

Penelope (2006)

SYNOPSIS - King Leo
An ancient family curse is visited upon a modern day youth. You know the rest.

REVIEW
No surprise that like most fairy tales, this one ends "happily ever after." Again I thought it would be more whimsical than it actually was.

I was so unimpressed, I did not even recognize James McAvoy on the screen. Perhaps it would be cute for younger audiences; it certainly carries a good message.

Acolytes (2008)

SYNOPSIS
imdb.com/

James Tresswick and Mark Vincent are victims of a brutal bully Gary Parker who has maltreated both boys, marking their bodies and spoiling their young lives. In their last year of high school, James and Mark find a way to stop being victims. They're going to kill Gary; Wandering alone around an isolated forest - the suspected site of the disappearance of a local girl - 17 year old Mark strays upon an adult male filling in a trench. It's suspicious and tantalizing. Mark returns with his friend James and Chasley Keys and they bring shovels to exhume what will probably be rotting garbage or someone's dead pet - or so they tell themselves. They find the ghostly white body of a woman. She's a tourist - a Canadian backpacker. The "trench" is a grave. The "adult male" is her killer. And they've got him by the balls. Responding to Mark's intimations James floats an idea to seek out "the sicko". It'll be a bit of fun. He's confident the guy lives in their suburb; Mark saw his car parked on a trail; Mark knows what the car looks like; Mark knows what he looks like. It can be done. Chasely goes along with it. No surprise. James has done all her thinking since they started a relationship. Mark agrees because he's got a thing for Chasely and he'd like to appear a bit more like her boyfriend, but mostly Mark agrees because he carries a culpable secret. They find the car and the killer 24 hours later. He's got the same house as everyone else and a kid and a wife. Jeez, it's anticlimactic. Then, in Chasely's bedroom, as the girl cleans up the latest damage done to Mark's face by an animal called Gary Parker, James floats another idea; What if the killer were contacted and told the name of a guy that they'd like to see dropped in a hole of his own? He's their secret, isn't he? They kind of own him, don't they? If he thinks they might let him go he'd do anything, wouldn't he? What could go wrong? James, Mark and Chasley are about to cross a line of no return as serial killer Ian Wright lures the vulnerable teenagers into his violent world.

REVIEW
With absolutely nothing out at the movies and nothing on the shelves at the video store, I thought the synopsis on the DVD cover was pretty interesting, reminding me of a movie I have seen recently with a similar plot.

If I had known this was an Australian film, I would have put it back on the shelf. I have noticed that Australian films take a while to get there. My guess is because mostly Australian films take place out in the country where there is nowhere in the neighborhood anyone would want to get to in a hurry.

Great special effect in the movie though it appeared more as a showcase versus normal direction. The story gets quite involved and trying to understand the dialect may be distracting, but I was able to follow the plot.

When I saw Joel Edgerton's name, it manifested nostalgia in my loins for a childhood crush.

Mamma Mia! (2008)

SYNOPSIS
mammamiamovie.com/

Meryl Streep leads an all-star cast in the feature-film adaptation of the beloved musical that has been seen by more than 30 million people in 170 cities and 8 languages around the world. Bringing the timeless lyrics and melodies of iconic super group ABBA to movie audiences, Summer 2008 is the season for Mamma Mia!

The thre women who created the worldwide smash stage hit—global producer Judy Craymer, writer Catherine Johnson and director Phyllida Lloyd—repeat their roles in bringing this joyful, musical story to the big screen. The Mamma Mia! film is produced by Judy Craymer and Gary Goetzman.

Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgrd, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper join Streep in this celebration of a mother, a daughter and three possible dads.

An independent, single mother who owns a small hotel on an idyllic Greek island, Donna (Streep) is about to let go of Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), the spirited daughter she's raised alone. For Sophie's wedding, Donna has invited her two lifelong best girlfriends—practical and no-nonsense Rosie (Julie Walters) and wealthy, multi-divorcee Tanya (Christine Baranski)—from her one-time backing band, Donna and the Dynamos. But Sophie has secretly invited Three guests of her own.

On a quest to find the identity of her father to walk her down the aisle, she brings back three men from Donn's past to the Mediterranean paradise they visited 20 years earlier. Over 24 chaotic, magical hours, new love will bloom and old romances will be rekindled on this lush island full of possibilities.

Inspired by the storytelling magic of ABBA's songs from "Dancing Queen" and "S.O.S." to "Money" and "Take a Chance on Me," Mamma Mia! is a celebration of mothers and daughters, old friends and new family found.

REVIEW
The last of my chick movies, Mamma Mia! left me in a great mood despite not caring for the plot too much. I mean seriously, this movie is practically saying it's okay that mamma was a whore and you don't know who your dad is. From this perspective alone, you would have to assume this musical is based on pure fantasy, not that people breaking into song would be a clue.

The vocals were just a bit off, but that aside, the music in this movie was very entertaining and heart-lifting.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008)

SYNOPSIS
filminfocus.com/

Can you get a life and discover love, all in one day? Two women are about to find out.

In the sophisticated and heartfelt comedy Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Academy Award winner Frances McDormand plays the film's title role opposite Academy Award nominee Amy Adams (star of the blockbuster Enchanted).

The cast also includes Golden Globe Award nominee Lee Pace (of the hit series Pushing Daisies), Ciarán Hinds ( There Will Be Blood), Shirley Henderson (the Harry Potter films), Mark Strong ( Stardust), and screen newcomer Tom Payne.

In 1939 London, Miss Guinevere Pettigrew (played by Ms. McDormand) is a middle-aged governess who finds herself once again unfairly dismissed from her job. Without so much as severance pay, Miss Pettigrew realizes that she must - for the first time in two decades - seize the day. This she does, by intercepting an employment assignment outside of her comfort level - as "social secretary." Arriving at a penthouse apartment for the interview, Miss Pettigrew is catapulted into the glamorous world and dizzying social whirl of an American actress and singer, Delysia Lafosse (Ms. Adams).

Within minutes, Miss Pettigrew finds herself swept into a heady high-society milieu - and, within hours, living it up. Taking the "social secretary" designation to heart, she tries to help her new friend Delysia navigate a love life and career, both of which are complicated by the three men in Delysia's orbit; devoted pianist Michael (Mr. Pace), intimidating nightclub owner Nick (Mr. Strong), and impressionable junior impresario Phil (Mr. Payne). Miss Pettigrew herself is blushingly drawn to the gallant Joe (Mr. Hinds), a successful designer who is tenuously engaged to haughty fashion maven Edythe (Ms. Henderson) - the one person who senses that the new "social secretary" may be out of her element, and schemes to undermine her.

Over the next 24 hours, Guinevere and Delysia will empower each other to discover their romantic destinies.

A Focus Features presentation of a Kudos Pictures and Keylight Entertainment production. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. Frances McDormand, Amy Adams, Lee Pace, Ciarán Hinds, Shirley Henderson, Mark Strong. Casting by Leo Davis. Costume Designer, Michael O'Connor. Music Composed by Paul Englishby. Music Supervisor, Karen Elliott. Editor, Barney Pilling. Production Designer, Sarah Greenwood. Director of Photography, John de Borman, BSC. Co-Producer, Jane Frazer. Executive Producer, Paul Webster. Based on the novel by Winifred Watson. Produced by Nellie Bellflower, Stephen Garrett. Screenplay by David Magee and Simon Beaufoy. Directed by Bharat Nalluri. A Focus Features Release.

REVIEW
It was okay. I was feeling pretty underwhelmed the weekend I rented a bunch of girl flicks. I don't even remember the outcome of this one, but I am pretty much assure, everyone got their just desserts. In other words, not a very memorable film.

Race To Witch Mountain (2009)

SYNOPSIS
disneydvd.disney.go.com/

Fasten your seatbelts for the thrill ride of your life in Disney's fun family action-adventure -- RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN, starring Dwayne Johnson.

Jack Bruno ( Dwayne Johnson), a Las Vegas cabdriver struggling to stay on the right path, gets an out-of-this-world incentive when two aliens, disguised as teenagers, suddenly appear in his taxi. In a race against government agents, an alien hunter and time itself, Jack must help the children recover their lost spaceship so they can return home and save their planet and ours. Breathtaking chases, close calls and special effects make this an action-adventure the whole family will enjoy.

REVIEW
This movie has nothing on Escape To Witch Mountain. I don't exactly remember seeing Return to Witch Mountain, though I suspect I did, as it falls within the genre I like. I remember Escape being more interesting for development of the plot; with Race it's such that you are thrown into that you only receive details in a exact opposite correlation.

Even the Roc seemed out of place here. While I am a big fan of Johnson, I just did not capture his appeal in this role; almost as if he had taken a step down from Being Defender of the Universe. The effects were pretty cool, but more in the realm of necessity, thereby offering only practical applications. No opportunities for grand flare or flamboyance.

I certainly would not race out to rent this video.

State of Play (2009)

SYNOPSIS
stateofplaymovie.net/

Academy Award®-winner Russell Crowe leads an all-star cast including Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams & Helen Mirren in the blistering thriller about deception, manipulation & corruption. When D.C. Reporter Cal McCaffrey (Crowe) is assigned to investigate the murder of an assistant to an up-and-coming politician (Affleck), he uncovers a conspiracy that threatens to bring down the nation's power structures. In a town of spin-doctors and wealthy power brokers, he will discover one truth: when fortunes are at stake, no one's integrity, love or life is safe. From director Kevin MacDonald of The Last King of Scotland, State of Play brings together gripping performances, riveting suspense and is "sophisticated, intelligent and powerful" (Shawn Adams, FOX-TV).

REVIEW
Another hit and miss. I felt like I was watching Meathead solve a juvenile crime. I thinks it's inane that what some people view as "sophisticated, intelligent and powerful" was viewed by me as "puerile, shifty and avaricious!"

First of all, I see people's blunders getting found out every day on the news and thanks to this movie, I got to see the inanity people weave to escape responsibility or accountability. People who live in this world are best far kept from me and my practical ways.

I think this movie might have had a leg to stand on if it made more of the subplot of digital media encroaching upon the fourth estate, or focused on how the encroachment of digital media ruins a life.

I am not a fan of Russell Crowe, but even hunky Affleck held no sway. I did not even notice that I did not recognize/notice Jeff Daniels, Viola Davis, Helen Mirren or Jason Bateman.

Grey Gardens (2009) (TV)

SYNOPSIS
hbo.com/

"My mother gave me a completely priceless life."
"Little Edie" Beale, 1917-2002

In 1973, filmmakers Albert and David Maysles entered the strange world of "Big Edie" and "Little Edie" Bouvier Beale, two charming eccentrics who were relatives of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. Spending six weeks with the reclusive mother and daughter who chose to live in squalor and almost total isolation in a decaying, 28-room mansion in East Hampton, the Maysles captured their day-to-day life in its raw, uncensored, captivatingly honest moments for a documentary entitled "Grey Gardens." Little did anyone know that the 100-minute documentary would catapult the two women from virtual obscurity to cult status as their legacy grew in depth and stature over the years.

Thirty-five years later, using the documentary as a framework, director-writer Michael Sucsy's original story for GREY GARDENS offers a wry, behind-the-scenes look at the Beales and their unique mother-daughter bond.

Told over the span of four decades, the film focuses on their glamorous and well-heeled lives long before the making of the documentary and on the circumstances behind their riches-to-rags story.

Drew Barrymore stars as "Little Edie" and Jessica Lange stars as "Big Edie" in GREY GARDENS. Directed by Michael Sucsy from a story by Sucsy and teleplay by Sucsy and Patricia Rozema, this HBO Films production recounts the early years of the mother-daughter duo, as well as chronicling the making of the iconic documentary by the Maysles brothers. Malcolm Gets and Daniel Baldwin co-star, with Ken Howard and Jeanne Tripplehorn. Lucy Barzun Donnelly, Rachael Horovitz and Michael Sucsy are executive producers; David Coatsworth produces.

REVIEW
Frikkin' fantastic performances by Barrymore and Lange. I loved the history this movie brought to light for me. This documentary(?) reminded me of Crazy Love with the Pugach's, which I also liked.