Snow Falling on Cedars (1999) PG13 - 4 Stars

Great movie about the risks one takes at love. Set in the beautiful landscape of Washington and British Colombia, I fell in love with the young couple hopelessly hiding away their feelings for each other. But the time period would never allow their controversal affair and no matter how strong the feeling, it had to be ended.

In 1950, after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Asian American people were hurdled together and put into camps on San Piedro Island in Washington. When land owner Carl Heine (Eric Thal), is found dead in the frozen icy waters of the island, Kazuo Miyamoto (Rick Yune) who was working for him, is accused of his murder. The case is in court and Nels Gudmundsson (Max Von Sydow) is trying to defend his Kazuo's fate while Alvin Hooks (James Rebhorn), the prosecuting attorney, wants him put away.

Ishmael Chambers (Ethan Hawke) covers the proceedings and reports on the findings in the local newspaper. But it's hard for him to watch the wife of the accused, Hatsue (Youki Kudoh), suffer through the hearings, as Ishmael once was, and still is, in love with her.

As children, Ishmael and Hatsue used to secretly meet in the snow covered forest hiding in the hollow of the Cedar tree. It was forbidden for the two to have contact with each other as she was Japanese. No matter how painful to hide, Ishmael can not get her out of his mind and even today remembers their great love. Now he must struggle with the fact he could give the jury motive for the murder by exposing the fact, Kazuo was promised a portion of the land and then reneged upon by the Carl's mother, the new owners of the property.

1999 - Snow Falling on Cedars - Chicago Film Critics Association - Best Cinematography

Universal Pictures
Director: Scott Hicks
Writers: Scott Hicks, Ronald Bass
Producers: Harry Ufland, Ronald Bass, Kathleen Kennedy

I viewed 2/09

Connie and Carla (2004) - 3½ Stars

What a fun and cute movie full of exuberance, side step, song and dance. Nia and Toni are the perfect duo and easy to relate to their situation. I'm placing this one in musicals as there are many numbers through the show.

Ever since they can remember, best friends Connie (Nia Vardalos) and Carla (Toni Collette) have dreamed of making it big in show biz. The two, as girls in school, preformed in the cafeteria at lunch and finally ended up singing in an airport lounge between passengers flights. It's not the big time, but it makes the girls happy doing what comes naturally for them. Their dream is to some day meet Debbie Reynolds.

One night at the lounge at the end of their show, two men appear looking for their boss Frank (Michael Roberds). As Frank slips out the back door, the two girls are encountered by the thugs. As they get away, they go looking for their boss on the roof top only to witness him murdered by a policeman working with the men. As they scream, the thugs now turn their attention to the girls as they are witnesses to their crime. With out knowing what to do, the girls jump in their car and head to California to blend in. They find a shabby apartment to rent and audition for a song and dance show at a local bar. The only problem is, the bar is for gay men and drag queens and Connie and Carla must convince everyone they are men with good voices. They finally start to relax and find there new happiness staring on stage every night with the other Drag Queens, who absolutely adore them.

Business is good and as they help the bar expand to a full serve restaurant, the past will catch up with them. When Connie falls for the brother of one of the boys in her act, they have to decide to keep going on as they are or blow their cover in order to find true love.

Spyglass Entertainment Holdings, LLC, Universal Pictures
Director: Michael Lembeck
Writer: Nia Vardalos
Producers: Roger Birnbaum, Gary Barber, Jonathan Glickman

I viewed 2/09

Imprint (2007) PG13 - 3 Stars

Not your typical haunting, this one revolves around a native Indian reservation after a young boy is found guilty of murder than takes his own life. To me, this is more of a believable haunting as I have much respect for the beliefs and culture of our native Indian ancestors. The story does however, have a lot of gaps in it thus the 3 rating. Great casting for the mother and daughter as one would think they truly are family.

Shayla Stonefeather (Tonantzin Carmelo), is a North American Indian who's moved away from the reservation to become an attorney. One of the local Lakota boy found standing over the body of a murdered woman. It sounds like a cut and dry case and she easily gets her conviction. After the case, she heads home to the reservation to be with her mother Rebecca (Carla-Rae Holland) and ailing father Sam (Charlie White Buffalo), to celebrate his birthday. As soon as she arrives, she starts to see strange images and hears unexplained noises. As a wolf follows her every move, she anxiously looks for the right sign from the land. She must now choose between the believes of her people and her boyfriend who wants her to return to her city life.

2007 Imprint - Best Picture - American Indian Film Festival
2007 Imprint - Best Feature - South Dakota Film Festival

Linn Productions
Director: Michael Linn
Writers: Keith Davenport, Michael Linn
Producers: Michael Linn, Chris Eyre, Chris Eve

I viewed 2/09

Hoot (2006) PG - 3½ Stars

Definitely a great family movie for all ages. Plus it sends a message to the young children of the importance of conservation and protecting wildlife for future generations. It does it in a fun caring manor that's a good watch for the entire family. About as close to a "G" rated movie as your ever going to get again.

Roy Eberhardt (Logan Lerman) 14, is beginning to feel like a pin ball game as he is bumped around from town to town as his family make so many moves. It makes it hard for one kid to make friends in school but this last move from Montana to the Gulf of Florida will change the way he sees the world.

At school, Dana Matherson (Eric Phillips), sees Roy as the new kid on the block and bullies him constantly on the bus to school. Beatrice Leep (Brie Larson), is the tom boyish type girl that befriends Roy by standing up to the bully. The two become close as there is safety in numbers. Beatrice notices on their daily rides together that Roy has become fascinated watching a young boy running at the speed of light, Mullet Fingers (Cody Linley), along the side of the bus. Beatrice will finally have to confide in Roy that the boy is her brother and he is hiding something very important in the trees. As Roy is allowed into the small group, he finds what all the fuss is about. Mullet has been responsible for all the pranks that have been pulled around town lately. There's a new birth of tiny owls that are nesting all over the ground where construction work is about to take place building the next Mother Paula's Pancake House. Mullet has been trying to sabotage the project in order to save the owls. When these three put there heads together, they take top executive Chuck Muckle (Clark Gregg), at the ground breaking ceremony. Here, along with a gathering of anxiously awaiting pancake lovers, the expose the tiny creatures to the world via television coverage, in turn saving the land for a sanctuary.

New Line Cinema
Director: Wil Shriner
Writers: Rob Lieber, Wil Shriner
Producers: Jimmy Buffett, Frank Marshall

I viewed 1/09

Choke (2008) R - 2½ Stars

Now here is where I disagree with the critics once again. I didn't get into this movie much and found no connection with most the characters and I found it hard to follow. A little boy has grown up with a half crazy mom, who now as an adult, can't find love or a purpose in his life because he doesn't know where he came from and his mom is too far gone to tell him about his father. His mother, now in an expensive medical facility, doesn't remember him an he sleeps with every woman in the place to feel cared for. Lots of boobs so maybe this is a "Guy Flick."

Victor Mancini (Sam Rockwell) and his best friend Denny (Brad Henke) are sex addicts. While they should be in therapy for their affliction, instead they're loose on the street to envision their perversion on anyone available. Victor, once on his way to becoming a promising doctor, has given up his career to keep his mother Ida (Anjelica Huston) alive, suffering from dementia, in an expensive mental care hospital, until he can learn the secrets of who his father is. Maybe that will bring him some guidance as to why he is who he is today. No mater where Victor goes, sex is all he thinks about. He imagines the woman he meets topless. This includes all the elderly women housed with his mother. But the hospital is expensive and Victor resorts to con games in order to collect money to pay the bill.

When he was a child, he learned the art of choking in public in order to collect support checks from the honorable citizens who saved his life and now feel the need to donate checks to for whatever so called procedures needed he says he needs. He uses the techniques regularly in order to pay for his mothers care. When he's not running his scam or visiting his mother, he and Denny colonizes at a Renaissance theme park. What's not expected is Denny falling for a bad girl gone good and Victor falling for his mothers nurse Paige Marshall (Kelly MacDonald), however Victor has no idea how to fall in love especially when Paige relates him to the next coming of Christ.

2008 - Choke - Women Film Critics Circle - Most Offensive Male Characters

Fox Searchlight Pictures
Director: Clark Gregg
Writer: Clark Gregg
Producers: Tripp Vinson, Beau Flynn, Johnathan Dorfman

I viewed 2/09

The Secret Life of Bees (2008) PG13 - 4 Stars

Excellent casting with Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, and Sophoe Okonedo. Dakota Fanning is sure growing up fast and still such a great little actress in this warm hearted story of a young girl taken in, and taught love, by an African American family for bee farmers. A nice refreshing tale of simplicity and love.

Lily Owens (Dakota Fanning) is a 14 year girl growing in South Carolina in 1964, with a gaping hole in her heart. When she was only 4, she accidentally shot her mother. A tragic pain she must live with but she's desperate to learn and remember anything about her. Miss Rosaleen Daise (Jennifer Hudson) is the African American housekeeper for Lily and her father and the only good friend Lily has in her life. Her father, T. Ray Owens (Paul Bettany), has resented Lily for the last 10 years and still blames her for her mothers death. He has a jealous envy of Lily, as her mother returned home that fateful day, only to retrieve her child leaving her husband behind. He's distant, not affectionate and can not communicate with her daughter and for punishment, forces her to kneel on grits till her knees bleed.

As Lily and Rosaleen were walking to town on day, so Rosaleen could register to vote, a group of angry old white men, harass and push Rosaleen for trying to get through. When she refuses to apologises for writing her name on one man's shoes when her called her a "dumb nigger", she was beaten and taken away to jail. T. Ray is furious with Lily for becoming involved, and tells her she was never wanted by her mother. With a deep anger, she packs a few things and heads to the hospital ward jail and frees her friend. The two set out on a journey to find a better place to live. With no clear sight in mind, they head towards a place Lily senses from seeing a photo of her mother and reading the back.

Their first night found them sleeping in the woods and awakening in a new city to find an image on a label of honey that lands them at the doorsteps of the home of the Boatwright sisters, May (Sophie Okonedo), June (Alicia Keys), and August (Queen Latifah). Though May and August warmly open their arms to the girls, June doesn't trust nor want the little white child. She fears Lily has also brought with her trouble to their door. As August trains Lily in the art of collecting honey from the bees, the Boatwrights soon learn their family has grown by two more.

2008 - The Secret Life of Bees - Phoenix Film Critics Association - Best Performance By a Youth - Female
2008 - The Secret Life of Bees - Women Film Critics Circle - Best Female Images in a Movie

Fox Searchlight Pictures
Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Writer: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Producers: Will Smith, Jack Leslie, Joe Pichirallo

I viewed 2/09

Quarantine (2008) R - 3 Stars

If you liked the style of filming that was done in Cloverfield, you'll probably like this movie too. Much easier on the eye to watch in most cases, the director gives the viewer a birds eye view by shooting the movie through one camera lens. I have to say I'm not all that into blood and horror shows but I enjoyed the concept of this movie. It got pretty cheesy towards the end with bodies flying in all directions but up until the total meltdown, I thought it was pretty decent. Jennifer Carpenter does a pretty good job going from one emotion to the extreme other side.

Reporter Angela Vidal (Jennifer Carpenter) and her camera man Scott Percival (Steve Harris) are on assignment to following a team of Los Angeles firefighters through their normal nightly routine. The two are invited in to film just what goes on in the lives of these hero's every night while most of us are asleep. After shooting a lot of filler material, a call comes in and the team, along with their documenting film crew, race to the scene.

Upon arriving on scene, they are joined by a squad car as they all enter the building to answer the call of an elderly woman screaming in pain. More sirens can be heard arriving in the background but instead of assisting the workers already inside, the immediately start sealing up the building and containing the people inside, along with our fire fighters and camera crew.

Before long, the CDC is called and it's apparent they are not letting anyone out of the building. Something is raging havoc on the tenants of the apartment causing them to become delirious and violent. It seems a even more lethal strain of rabies has developed in the building and no one's leaving alive.

Vertigo Entertainment, Andale Pictures, Sony Pictures
Directors: Drew Dowdle, John E. Dowdle
Writers: John E. Dowdle, Luis A. Berdejo, Paco Plaza
Producers: Sergio Aguero, Doug Davison, Roy Lee

I viewed 2/09

Little Children (2006) R - 3½ Stars

A sex offender of small children has moved into the area. He is staying with his mother and the neighbors are in uproar. One laid off cop, Bob (Raymond J. Barry), makes it his new life goal to keep this man away from any children. He constantly harasses him, paints evil on his walkway, sticks wanted posters to his door and even bullhorns the neighborhood. He refuses to let the man have a moment in piece.

A group of perfect parent moms meet daily at the central park. While their children play and can been seen, the women find comfort in having just what's needed for their child. Sarah Pierce (Kate Winslet) is the vocal outsider of the group. Though she and her daughter Lucy (Sadie Goldstein) frequent the same area, she's often frowned upon by the other mothers for speaking her mind and never being prepared at snack time.

Lately, Brad Adamson (Patrick Wilson), and his young son Aaron (Ty Simpkins), have been coming to the park at the same time the moms are there. Brad's a very handsome man and the women take turns talking about his situation as being a stay home mom. The proudly nick name him the "Prom King." Brave Sarah is dared to go talk to him and get his number. She confides in Brad the dare she is on and they give the moms something really to look at.

As Brad and Sarah are apart, they find themselves thinking about each other and make a point of connecting again at the park and public pool. The more time they spend together, the more they find themselves becoming alive again. So much so, Brad's willing to sacrifice his son and wife Kathy (Jennifer Connelly), to try to bottle that feeling. In an intersecting connection, everyone learns compassion, importance, understanding, and need.

Awards include:

2006 - Little Children - New York Film Critics Society - Best Supporting Actor
2006 - Little Children - San Francisco Film Critics Circle - Best Adapted Screenplay
2006 - Little Children - San Francisco Film Critics Circle - Best Picture

New Line Cinema
Director: Todd Field
Writers: Tom Perrotta, Todd Field
Producers: Ron Yerxa, Todd Field, Albert Berger

I viewed 2/09

Way of War (2008) R - 2½ Stars

I found this movie confusing. It took almost to the end of the movie before I started to understand the plot. Though pretty unbelievable that the Secretary of Defense visits sleazy illegal boxing rings, at least I think that was his role. I don't have a hard time believing in the movies' title, "Way of War", as I believe soldiers hired to carry out secret missions by our government could be viewed as expendable. I always adore Cuba but I think he should have bowed out of this one.

David Wolfe (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) is highly trained paramilitary operative assassin recently operating in the Middle East especially Iraq. Upon returning from his mission, he discovers a U.S. conspiracy that reaches high up the chain of command. Now back in the U.S. and finding his own life has been threatened, Wolfe is determined to bring down those who made him what he is.

Sorry I could not get one image for this movie - Sad!!

First Look Studios
Director: John Carter
Writer: Scott Schaffer
Producers: Mark Joy, John Carter, Richard Salvatore

I viewed 2/09

Towelhead (2008) R - 3 Stars

2008 - Towelhead - Women Film Critics Circle - Most Offensive Male Characters. Not often I list the award first thing in my review but this one really says it all. It's a pretty disturbing look at coming of age, prejudice and the man next door. I'm not sure if the movie's controversial point is about prejudices or that pedophiles can look like anyone.

Jasira (Summer Bishil) is 13, Arab American and her mother Gail (Maria Bello), no longer wants to look after her. She's sent to Houston to life with her strict father, Rifat (Peter Macdissi).

On one side lives an extreme racist, Mr. Vuoso (Aaron Eckhart) and the other expectant mother Melina (Toni Collette), always keeping a watchful eye on Jasira. School is no easier for her as no matter how she tries to blend in, racism alienates her. She finds the only people she can talk to are the neighbors. She starts to baby sit for the Vuoso's young spoiled son Zack (Chase Ellison), to earn spending cash.

As she spends time with Zack, they discover Mr. Vuoso's collection of adult magazines. Instead of scolding Zack, she finds the magazines stimulate her new hormones to a point of ecstasy. When Mr. Vuoso's walks in on the pair, he becomes excited over Jasira's fascination. Mr. Vuoso begins fantasizing a sexual encounter with the young innocent girl. As Jasira begins exploring her sexual birth, she allows Mr. Vuoso to touch her teaching her the sensations of sex. The more she explores, she finds herself attracted to Thomas (Eugene Jones), an African American teen her father would never approve of. When Rifat finds out , Jasira is forced to seek shelter with neighbor Melina, where she feels safe from prejudice as she continues her discovery of life.

2008 - Towelhead - Women Film Critics Circle - Most Offensive Male Characters.

Warner Independent Pictures
Director: Alan Ball
Writer: Alan Ball
Producers: Steven Rales, Alan Ball, Ted Hope

I viewed 2/09

And The Winner Is....

Well by now most of you know the big winners at the 2009 - 81st Academy Awards.

Sad to say, I have not seen ANY of the movies nominated so I just wasn't all that into the awards this year. But never fear, their reviews will be coming soon in the near future. Looks like Slumdog Millionaire will be at the top of my list, as they ran away with the awards.

And the winners are:

Best Movie : Slumdog Millionaire

Best Leading Actress: Kate Winslet - The Reader

Best Leading Actor: Sean Penn - Milk

Best Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz - Vicky Christina Barcelona

Best Supporting Actor: Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight His family accepted the award on his behave.

Best Directing: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Writing Adapted Screenplay: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Writing Original Screenplay: Milk

Best Foreign Language: Departures

Best Score - Song - Film Editing - Cinematography - Sound Mixing: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Sound Editing: The Dark Knight My review is here online.

Best Documentary Feature: Man on Wire I couldn't agree more with this one. My review is here online. I still dream uneasy about this documentary.

Best Documentary Short: Smile Pinki

Best Makeup - Art Direction - Visual Effects: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Best Costume Design: The Duchess My review is here online.

Best Animated Feature:Wall-E

Best Animated Short Film: La Maison En Petits Cubes

Best Short Film Live Action: Spielzeugland (Toyland)