RV (2006) PG - 3½ Stars

Bob Munro (Robin Williams) is married to Jamie (Cheryl Hines) and they have two children Cassie (Joanna 'Jojo' Levesque) 15 and Carl (Josh Hutcherson) 12. The family is scheduled to go to Hawaii for a vacation till Bob gets in his mind a road trip in an RV that will really help the family bond and spend some quality time together.

The kids are not into this trip and had their hearts set on Hawaii, but Bob convinces everyone this trip is just what the family needs. One thing Bob forgets to tell everyone is his job depends upon it. He's needed in Colorado for a business meeting he neglects to mention.

Along the way they meet the Gornicke family, a gun-ho happy camping family of well trained RVer's. But it seems everywhere they go, the keep running into the Gornicke's. The family has a high, wet and bumpy ride to their destination but find their way back to each other.

Sony Pictures
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Writer: Geoff Rodkey
Producers: Lucy Fisher, Doug Wick, Matthias Deyle

I viewed 9/06

Randy and the Mob (2007) PG - 2 Stars

I've seen worse movies and I have to admit this movie did have me laugh a couple of times but seriously folks, I think you can pass this one up. The plot is predictable with a loan shark demanding his money and the character development is weak as people just sort of show up to complicate the story line. Maybe I missed some inside humor somewhere as other reviews I read depict a funnier scenario. The quaintness of a small Georgia town separates it from your other mob movies, but I was hoping for more laughs.

Randy Pearson (Ray McKinnon), is your typical middle class American guy living the American dream. He lives with his depressed wife Charlotte (Lisa Blount) who suffers from carpal tunnel syndrome as she teaches baton class. Randy's into just about every business in town but most of them aren't making any money. He soon finds himself faced with Italian mobster Franco (Paul Ben-Victor), demanding he makes good on his loan. Randy must turn to his wife and estranged gay twin brother Cecil (Ray McKinnon), for help. Now that he's in over his head with the Franco, Tino Armani (Walton Goggins), finds a way to start producing profits.

Capricorn Pictures, Ginny Mule Pictures, Timbergrove Entertainment
Director: Ray McKinnon
Writer: Ray McKinnon
Producers: David Koplan, Walton Goggins, Lisa Blount

I viewed 8/11

Particles of Truth (2004) NR - 3½ Stars

The story of a germ freak and a dysfunctional girl who become good friends and help each other out of their funk. The movie takes a little while to get going and the kids seem to put all the blame of their dysfunctionality on their parents, but eventually it all comes into place. Decent movie once you see where it's going.

(Jennifer Elster), wrote, directed and stars in this film as Lilli. (That's gotta be tough) but she pulls it off fairly well. An artist, living in New York City, she's pretty negative about most everything in life. She has issues with her drug addicted parents as her father (Alan Samulski) is dying now and it doesn't seem to trouble her, on the surface, at all. Her mother (Susan Floyd), is a psycho who tells herself he's left town a long time ago. It's all too much for her to deal with and has effected her self esteem and just dealing with life. Even given the opportunity to show her work at the opening at a major gallery, has her questioning if art is even something she wants to pursue.

Morrison (Gale Harold), is sitting in his car when he sees Lilli walking by. The two sort of start a conversation but Morrison is too obsessed with germs to get out of his car and approach her. Eventually she enters the car with him and the two talk about their problems with each other. Both extremely attracted to each other, it's going to take a lot of work for these two to have any kind of a moderately healthy relationship together. "In 48 hours, some fall apart, some piece themselves together."

Matter Productions LLC
Director: Jennifer Elster
Writer: Jennifer Elster
Producer: Jennifer Elster

I Viewed 11/07

Winter's Bone (2010) R - 3½ Stars

I love Lionsgate films especially when they use a cast of unknowns. Jennifer Lawrence is one hell of a young actor. She's cast perfectly as Ree and she totally sales the role as does everyone. You really get that "Deliverance" type of feeling peeking into the lives of "white trash" living deep in the Ozark woods. Lawrence touches your heart in her desperate situation to take care of her family.

Sheriff Baskin (Garret Dillahunt), just told 17 year old Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) , that her house is about to be taken away. Apparently her father put the house up against a bails bond and now he's skipped out on a court date. Ree's grown up in this extremely poor part of the Ozark woods and has no idea where her strung out mom Victoria (Cinnamon Schultz), younger brother Sonny (Isaiah Stone), and little sister Ashlee (Ashlee Thompson), will end up. She determined to track her drug addicted father down before they take away the land.

Others living in the Ozark woods, including kin, are not pleased with Ree coming around asking questions. You know they know something but they aren't going to tell. None of them including Gail (Lauren Sweetser), Merab (Dale Dickey) and Sonya (Shelley Waggener), want to have her snooping around. Ree takes a beating and the only reason she's not dead, is she's family. Uncle Teardop (John Hawkes), comes to her rescue and tires to convince Ree her father's blown up in a one of the many methamphetamine labs in the woods. Ree doesn't want to accept that answer and needs to learn her own truth.

Awards include:
2010 - L.A. Film Critics Association - Best Actress - Runner-up
2010 - National Board of Review - Breakthrough Performance

Roadside Attractions
Director: Debra Granik
Writers: Anne Rosellini, Debra Granik
Producers: Anne Rosellini, Alix Madigan-Yorkin

I viewed 12/10

The Syrian Bride (2004) NR - 3 Stars

Living my whole life in the United States and growing up with traditional American customs, it always enlightens me to watch movies that take me out of my comfort zone. The Syrian Bride is a reality check on my traditional values of what marriage means to me. The thought of an arranged marriage to someone you've never met, I just can't see how that is done. But here, it happens all the time. The problem for this Syrian bride is once she crosses the border to wed her husband, politics will never allow her to return home to her family. Her small village of Majdial Shame, has been under Israelie occupation since the 60's and the border is highly protected. Good movie at giving one an insight into living in the Middle East.

Hammed (Makram J. Khoury) is a leading political figure in the small Palestinian town of Majdal Shams. A while back, he arranged the marriage of his daughter Mona (Clara Khoury), to the now famous actor, Tallel (Derar Sliman), from Syria. The family is getting together to tend to Mona's needs. Hammed's youngest son Marwan (Ashraf Barhoum), works in Italy and is visiting for the wedding, Hammed's oldest son, Hattem (Eyad Sheety), has come from Russia with his Russian wife and son but has been out casted by his father for leaving his home land and marrying out of the culture. Another daughter Amal (Hiam Abbass), helps Mona prepare for her big day. Marwan dates a woman named Jeanne (Julie-Anne Roth), who works for the American United Nations and will help with the passport arrangement between the countries to transport Mona across the border. But much red tape comes along with this simple task and Mona is not allowed to cross over to her matrimonial destination unless the countries can reach some sort of agreement.

Arte France Cinéma, Eran Riklis Productions (ERP)
Director: Eran Riklis
Writers: Suha Arraf, Eran Riklis
Producers: Bettina Brokemper, Michael Eckelt, Eran Riklis

I viewed 7/11

Man of the Year (2006) PG 13 - 3½ Stars

I do feel that Robin Williams is one of the funniest comedians around. I have never heard anyone who can just ad lib for hours on end and still be funny. Maybe that is why I see most of his movies and find them entertaining. Live he is outstanding and this movie got laughs out of me.

Tom Dobbs (Robin Williams) is a popular talk show host speaking his mind about how messed up the nation is. While broadcasting his show, he boasts that he'd make a better president than who's in charge of the White House now. After receiving a warm welcome to his comments, Tom takes the idea to the extreme and along with his following of fans, form a grassroots movement to get his name on the ballot. They rally behind Tom as he speaks whats on his mind. He laughs at the beuaracy swarming around the elected officials and the people find it enlightening to laugh with him, instead of at him. He's giving the people a voice.

Tom doesn't expect to win but a computer voting glitch, gives him the victory. But his first order and most important order of business is to discover if he wants to go back to his microphone, where he is safe and comfortable or stay on the course for the White House.

Universal Pictures
Director: Barry Levinson
Writer: Barry Levinson
Producers:Barry Levinson, David C. Robinson, James G. Robinson

I viewed 3/07

State of Play (2009) PG13 - 4 Stars

Really enjoyed this intense suspenseful drama with great performances by Crowe, Affleck, McAdams and Mirren. For me, it's one of Crowe's best performances and I also thought Affleck was cast perfectly as Congressman Collins. The story takes many twists and just when you think you have it solved, there's more. It's a "hold-onto-the-edge-of-your-seat" thriller. Crowe gets answers where others can't and the movie does a good job defining the corruption steamed from power, and greed in both corporate and government.

Cal McAffrey, (Russell Crowe), is a journalist for the Washington Globe. He's working on a murder of a homeless man. He arrives on the scene of the crime with coffee in hand in hopes of insider information from detective Donald Bell, (Harry Lennix). Cal has a way of obtaining information that the police aren't even able to find.

U.S. Congressman Stephen Collins, (Ben Affleck), is rising up the corporate ladder very quickly. He's the chairman of a committee that oversees spending habits of the Department of Defense. Sonia Baker, (Maria Thayer), is Collins aide and mistress, and on her way to work falls in front of an oncoming train and is killed. Collins learns of her death just minutes before he's to speak to the committee about his findings of corruption against military contractor, Point Corp. Instead, he tearfully breaks down leading most to believe there is more between these two co-workers.

Junior reporter Della Frye (Rachel McAdams), shows up athe the Globe trying to get information from Cal about Collins. She has learned that the two go way back to college days and figures he can give her the dirt for her blog on the congressman. Cameron Lynne (Helen Mirren), editor of the Globe tries to get Cal to make nice with Della but he's insulted by her tabloid intent and refuses.

While Cal is working on the murder story of the night before, Collins shows up with no where else to go. He has to dodge a bullet in the media after Sonia's death as now it looks like a suicide implying killing herself because Collins wouldn't leave his wife. Watching his grand career about to take a dump, Collins asks for advice from a friend from a media point of view.

As Cal looks farther into Sonia's death, he decides to use Della's services and sends her out on tough assignments to prove her worthy of reporting. Together they start to unravel more information that directly connects Senator Fergus (Jeff Daniels), to the corruption at Point Corp as they obtains photos that prove Sonia was pushed onto the tracks in a cover-up.

Awards:
2009 - Australian Film Institute - Best Actor - Russell Crowe

Working Title Films, Universal Pictures
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Writers: Matthew Carnahan, Tony Gilroy, Billy Ray
Producers: Andrew Hauptman, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner

Captivity (2007) R - 2½ Stars

This movie had the potential, maybe, of being better. I sort of liked the end result of the plot but it just didn't have it going on. It also has a lot of gross parts which don't turn me on.

A psycho stalks and captures model Jennifer Tree (Elisha Cuthbert), but instead of killing her, he physically and emotionally tortures her. As she's beginning to think there's no way out, she hears someone in the room next to her. It ends up being a man Gary (Daniel Gillies) who seems to be in the same predicament as she is. When the two are able to communicate, and eventually put together, she no longer feels so alone. Little does she know he is in on the game.

Freestyle Releasing, After Dark Films
Director: Roland Joffé
Writers: Larry Cohen, Joseph Tura
Producers: Mark Damon, Gary Mehlman, Sergei Konov

I viewed 11/18

He Was a Quiet Man (2006) NR - 3½ Stars

I've never seen Chirstian Slater take on this type of a role before but he's great in it. Bob Maconel (Christian Slater) works for a real asshole boss. His picked on and made fun for some of his quirky ways, though most employees have never heard of him. There is one girl in the office, Vanessa (Elisha Cuthbert), who makes his day every morning with her wonderful smile but other than her, he'd like to see everyone else dead.

He's really loosing it at home as he speaks with his goldfish, who answers him back. That little evil fish inside of him keeps driving him to pull off, what he's till now only imagined, killing his bosses at work. The next morning he takes a gun to work and as he's ready to do it, he drops a bullet and some other asshole in the company, beats him to his plan. Bob pulls out his gun and kills the man but not until after he has taken quit a few people out. Bob's the hero of the day for stopping the bad guy.

Now Bob has a new set of problems. Vanessa wants to die. She could be paralized for the rest of her life and wants him to help end her life. Bob's heorism causes him to be even more unsettled until he comes apart at the seams.

Quiet Man Productions
Director: Frank Cappello
Writer: Frank Cappello
Producers: Michael Leahy, Frank Cappello

I viewed 1/08

The Departed (2006) R - 4 Stars

Yet another movie I saw on the big screen when it first came out. This was a great gangster movie with some scenes at the end I was not expecting. That's always a good thing.

The Irish mafia is trying to take over South Boston. Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a young cop working with chief detective Captain Queenan (Martin Sheen) and Queenan sends Billy in to infiltrate the mob syndicate run by gangland chief Costello (Jack Nicholson).

Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), is a young criminal who has infiltrated the police department. When Colin finds out about Billy's being inside the mob and Billy learns about Collin, they both are rushed to rat each other out and protect their identies. While each hides in each others worlds, will they be able to come back.

Awards are numerous and include:

2006 - The Departed - Academy - Best Picture
2006 - The Departed - Broadcast Film Critics Association - Best Director
2006 - The Departed - Broadcast Film Critics Association - Best Picture

Warner Bros Pictures
Director: Martin Scorsese
Writer: William Monahan
Producers: Martin Scorsese, Brad Pitt, Graham King

I viewed 10/06

Blades of Glory (2007) PG13 - 3 Stars

Chazz Michael Michaels (Will Ferrell) and Jimmy MacElroy (Jon Heder) have been rival men's figure skaters since their youth. Chazz is a macho skater that tears up the ice while women line up with shrieking screams of support. Jimmy also attracts a crowd and is famous for executing triple lutzes. It's the World Championship and both men want the title.

When the men tie for first place, and are both awarded gold medals, it's more than either can bare. They break out into a street brawl fight that takes out the mascot and embarasses the entire sport. After going before the skating commission board, they are both stripped of their medals and banned from competing in the men's figure skating for life. A pretty hard blow for both of them to take.

Three years later, the men discover a loophole that could allow the two to skate again this time as men's pairs. Now if they can just loose their anger towards each other, the two can becomes stars of the ice again.

Paramount Pictures
Directors: Will Speck, Josh Gordon
Writers: Dave Krinsky, Jeff Cox, Craig Cox
Producers: Stuart Cornfeld, Ben Stiller, John L. Jacobs

I viewed 9/07