Up in the Air (2009) R - 3½ Stars

While I though this was a good movie, I also found it depressing as hell. A look into one man's life goal being on top, keeping baggage to a minimum allowing him the freedom of non committal relationships, and falsehoods of what's important in life. It takes two completely different woman to make him realize having it all up in the air is equal to not much down on the ground. Clooney does play this role great and I thought Farmiga was perfect complementing him. Maybe Kendrick was supposed to be playing a ditsy character and at first I found it annoying but as she loosens up and lets her hair down, she is great too. The movie is almost a self help book on film proving once again that success is nothing if you don't have family and friends to share it with. It also shows were the future of corporate America might be headed. Seems like a pretty chicken shit way to let someone go.

Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), gets paid mega bucks to fly across country and fire people. When large companies are downsizing, Ryan is called to deliver the bad news. The perks of the job drop him in some pretty swank hotels. When he's not handing out pink slips, he giving energetic lectures on not being overburdened by the weight of our lives. He's flown so much, the frequent flyer miles have really added up and he's almost made his goal of ten million miles. He owns almost every preferred flyer credit cards, allowing him access where others can't go.

By chance he meets an attractive woman, Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga), and soon finds out she could be the female version of his clone. Producing her own elaborate set of credit cards, the two become quickly attracted to each other and wind up in bed. The night goes so well, they pencil each other into their busy schedules so they may meet again.

But being up in the air so much has it's drawbacks too as Ryan returns to his quiet small room he calls home. At the office the next day, he's introduced to Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick) who's up and coming idea could help save the company millions. She's testing out the idea of handing out the pink slips remotely through computers and the Internet. Ryan's boss Craig Gregory (Jason Bateman), wants Ryan to take Natalie by the hand and show her the ropes so they can see if firing someone web cam to web cam will work. Since that would put a real cramp into Ryan's traveling routine, he convinces Craig to allow Natalie to go with him on a few trips to see if she's cut out for this job. And while he's away, again he hooks up with Alex. Neither Alex or Ryan tell about their lives so both assume this relationship is perfect. But Ryan soon learns his obsession of shinny cards renders him incapable of deep human bonding.

Nominated for 6 Oscar's - Awards include:

2009 - Washington D.C. Film Critics Association - Best Actor
2009 - National Board of Review - Best Picture
2009 - Florida Film Critics - Best Director
2009 - Chicago Film Critics Association - Best Adapted Screenplay

Rickshaw Productions, The Montecito Picture Company, Right of Way Films, DreamWorks, Paramount Pictures
Director: Jason Reitman
Writers: Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner
Producers: Joe Medjuck, Ivan Reitman, Tom Pollock

I viewed 4/10

The Box (2009) PG13 - 2½ Stars

The best thing about this movie is the special effects of Frank Langella's scarred face. It had me staring in amazement of how well that was done. With Cameron Diaz starring, it has to be great right? Not! Wow, I was so disappointed, as the trailer looked so very thrilling. The beginning is okay but really, why would anyone take a box from a complete stranger and even listen to what he had to say about it. And if the stranger explained the consequences of pushing the button, why did he leave out the most important part of their greediness? What is the point of the movie taken in an earllier time period, 1976? The family is selected based strictly on their work background. Without saying to much about that, well really I can't say too much about that because I am pretty lost there, I did like the very ending with the box being passed to another. But, the middle of the movie has little direction and the outcome is preposterous. Cameron, must have saw the trailer too which is why she probably signed on for this let down.

Norma Lewis (Cameron Diaz), her husband Arthur (James Marsden), and son Walter (Sam Oz Stone), are living a basically normal life until a strange package arrives at their door steps. The door bell is rung, no one is there, just a plain brown wrapped box as a car drives away. The family opens the package to find a wooden box with a domed glass top covering a large red button. The box is locked and no key is included so they think it must be some part of a surprise for an upcoming wedding they will be attending.

Arlington Steward (Frank Langella), shows up at the front door while Norma is home alone and explains the purpose of box. It's simple, she only need take the key he is offering, open the box and press the button. For doing this, she will be paid one million dollars. But, there is one big consequence. Once the button is pushed, someone, somewhere in the world will die.


Lin Pictures, 1821 Pictures, Darko Entertainment, Warner Bros. Pictures
Director: Richard Kelly
Writer: Richard Kelly
Producers: Sean McKittrick, Kelly McKittrick, Richard Kelly

I viewed 3/10

Nine Lives (2004) R - 2½ Stars

I'm not real sure how to rate this movie. Part of me thinks the acting is superb and the direction is most of the stories is excellent and deserves a high rating. But for me, What I don't understand is why make a movie of such great shorts, only giving you a little taste into something interesting, can then end before they go anywhere. At first, I thought it could be another "Crash" movie where the characters all interact with one another. For example, the prison guard in two of the shorts and the almost cheating mom in two of the shorts. But no one else connected other than all of them having dramatic life struggles. Perhaps they should have called it 4 lives and just focused on Sandra, Holly, Samantha and Camille. All of those I would have loved to seen more.

The funeral service scene is completely bizarre to me, the pregnant ex lover wanted her ex, the mom and her little girl, the girl returning to make amends with her father, all dramatic scenes were great acting but only for 10-15 minutes. I just don't get it. What really makes it worse, I forgot I've seen this already in 2006 but have yet to put it up on review here, so rented it again. I hate when I do that but at least my review is fresh now.

First Story: A mom Sandra (Elpidia Carrillo), is in prison I assume for killing her husband. Trying to be on her best behavior she's frustrated when she can't even visit with her young daughter because of faulty jail equipment.

Second Story: A very pregnant Diana (Robin Wright Penn), runs into an old boyfriend, Damian (Jason Isaacs), at the grocery store. He tries to rekindle the flame even though they both are married now to different people.

Third Story: Holly (Lisa Gay Hamilton), returns to her childhood home to try and make peace with the abuse she suffered as a child.

Fourth Story: Sonia (Holly Hunter), and her boyfriend Martin (Stephen Dillane), air their dirty laundry at each other in the new home of their best friends.

Fifth Story: Samantha (Amanda Seyfried), is a teenage girl with the weight of the world on her shoulders. She helps look after her wheelchair bound father Larry (Ian McShane), and plays interceptor between he and her mom.

Sixth Story: Ruth (Sissy Spacek), Samantha's mom needs to feel the love she lacks at home now that her husband has had a stroke and somewhat paralyzed from the waist down. She seeks the warmth of another man Henry (Aidan Quinn), in his hotel room.

Seventh Story: Along with her mother and father, Lorna (Amy Brenneman), attends the funeral of her ex-husband Andrew's (William Fichtner), wife. Andrew still has a thing for Lorna even as he stands besides his dead wives body.

Eighth Story: Camilla (Kathy Baker), has just checked herself into her hospital room while she awaits surgery to remove her breasts and the cancer they hold.

Ninth Story: Maggie (Glenn Close), visits the cemetery once a year and brings along her young daughter Maria (Dakota Fanning), for a picnic at the grave site when she thinks about life.

Awards Include:
2005 - National Board of Review - Special Mention for Excellence in Filmmaking

Magnolia Pictures
Director: Rodrigo García
Writer: Rodrigo García
Producer: Julie Lynn

I viewed 12/06 & 3/10

The Fourth Kind (2009) PG13 - 2½ Stars

The First Kind is when a UFO is sighted. The Second Kind is when there is evidence collected to support the sighting. The Third Kind is when contact is made with an extraterrestrial and The Fourth Kind, well that's the scariest of all and until now, has never been documented. In 1972, this grading scale was started to categorize all UFO reports.

While the movie was a little freaky, it just didn't give me the chills like I expected it to. Since it was based on a true story from the 1960's, along with actual footage documented from Dr. Abigail Tyler, and I do believe we are not alone in this universe, I was hoping for something a little more realistic and believable. Instead, ever time there is an encounter on film, it's distorted to the point of being unrecognizable and therefore not real believable to me. However having said that, the real footage of Dr. Tyler shows a woman who totally looks like she's been abducted. I do like the switching back and forth from the actual footage to the modern day movie.

Psychologist Dr. Abigail Tyler (Milla Jovovich), swears she's witnessed someone killing her husband as he lie in bed next to her. Trying to get her life back together for her two kids sake, she continues working, seeing patients. She begins to notice a pattern of patients complaining of the same reoccurring dream. These patients awake unexpectedly and all report a large owl staring at them. As more strange behavior and disappearances start occurring here in her rural home town of Nome Alaska, she's dedicated to uncovering what it all means. Along with the help of a colleague Abel Campos (Elias Koteas), Dr. Tyler begins hypnotizing and video taping her clients, finding some very disturbing evidence of the Fourth Kind. When her daughter vanishes from her home, Sheriff August (Will Patton), begins to think Dr. Tyler is responsible for all the strange disturbances.

Universal Pictures
Director: Olatunde Osunsanmi
Writer: Olatunde Osunsanmi
Producers: Joe Carnahan, Terry Lee Robbins, Paul Brooks

I viewed 3/10

Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' By Sapphire (2008) R - 4 Stars

Wow! Such a sad movie of abuse, mentally, physically and sexually, and you know there are many women out there living this same type of life Precious is. It will make you sit up and take notice of just how good your have it compared to what some have endured. Mo'Nique, you go girl, I swear she deserves the oscar for sure. She plays the worst mother you can imagine. Actually, everyone is great especially new comer Gabourney Sidibe and even a surpirse appearance by Lenny Kravitz as a nurse. Thank God for teachers like Ms. Rain who with love and support, are able to get through to these troubled and abused teens. Could be a good a great humanities movie if there wasn't so much cussing.

Clareece "Precious" Jones (Gabourey Sidibe), leads a lonely life co-habitating with her mother. Though she, waits on her mother Mary (Mo'Nique) hand and foot, nothing Precious ever does is good enough for her. As a matter of fact, in the eyes of her mother, the only thing Precious is good at is taking care of mom by bringing home the welfare check so Mary can sit on her ass all day barking commands. Her mom has told her so many times how useless she is and how she will never amount to anything, that Precious is beginning to believe it. But when a teacher notices her capability, she encourages Precious to attend a special school to get more one on one training. It's there she meets school teacher Ms. Rain (Paula Patton), who changes her life. Guest appearance by (Lenny Kravitz) as Nurse John.

Nominated for 6 Oscar's - Awards Include:

2010 - Academy Award - Best Supporting Actress

2009 - Detroit Film Critics Society - Best Breakthrough Performance
2009 - New York Film Critics Circle - Best Supporting Actress
2009 - Sundance Film Festival - Audience Award
2009 - Sundance Film Festival - Grand Jury Prize


Lionsgate Films
Director: Lee Daniels
Writers: Damien Paul, Geoffrey Fletcher, Lee Daniels
Producers: Sarah Siegel-Magness, Gary Magness, Lee Daniels

I viewed 3/10

Killshot (2009) R - 3½ Stars

I thought this movie had the potential to be so much better as it has a great cast with good acting but somehow the story gets boring, dragging on. It has decent suspense and action and Rourke's character, though not terribly exciting, seems capable of murder. It just looks a lot better in the previews.

Carmen Colson (Diane Lane), is a real estate agent and her husband Wayne (Thomas Jane), is at her office. But their break is interrupted when two mafia hit men, Armand "Blackbird" Degas (Mickey Rourke), and his psychotic partner Richie (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), walk into the store killing a man and wounding her husband. Carmen is able to shut the door on the mobsters and gets a clear look at Degas's face. When she is asked to testify against him, the Witness Protection Program relocates the couple to a safer location. But these men are professionals and will find a way to track Carmen down before she can point her finger. Also co-starring (Rosario Dawson), as Donna.

MGM Distribution Company, The Weinstein Company
Director: John Madden
Writer: Hossein Amini
Producers: John Madden, Richard N. Gladstein, Lawrence Bender

I viewed 12/09

Pure (2002) NR - 3 Stars

The best part of this movie was the little boy Paul played by Harry Eden. I don't think he could have been any better at portraying what it must be like to be the son of a junkie and struggling to hold your family together. I wished however, that it might have been sub titled as it was hard to at times to make out the dialog with their heavy British accent. It's a sad look at drug addiction and the families that go through witness it first hand.

Paul is a young boy who's been through too much emotional drama fir his age. Still grieving hi father's death, he watches his mother Mel (Molly Parker), drift farther and farther into her loneliness while neglecting he and his younger brother. Paul has grown up quickly, becoming the man of the house at 10. Paul still believes in his mother and even takes a punch in the face when other's call her a junkie. Lenny (David Wenham), the town's local drug dealer, delivers his mother her medicine. But, when Paul finds out this "medicine" he's been preparing for mum is really Heroin, his anger takes him to the streets to find out how it feels. He turns to his friend from the coffee shop Louise (Keira Knightley), a pregnant waitress on crack, and asks her to buy some. When he produces the money, she shows him how to do it. When Mel sees the damage she has inflicted onto her son, she vows to clean up and become a family once again. But that's easier said than done.

Indican Pictures, Kudos Film & Television, Little Wing Films
Director: Gillies MacKinnon
Writer: Alison Hume
Producer: Howard Burch

I viewed 3/10

The Other Man (2008) R - 2 Stars

What I didn't understand about this movie is why does the husband get so insanely jealous and totally obsessed now learning of an affair that happened with his dead wife. The movie starts out with his wife leaving the house and you wonder if she has gone to be with another man. But no, she's been dead the whole time. Worse off , the husband flies to Milan, tracks the cheater down, plays chess with him, meets his family and they even become somewhat of friends. WTF? He should have at least smacked the guy in the eye. Liam is great, Banderas is cheesy, the cinematography is beautiful but mainly, the direction is horrible.

Peter (Liam Neeson), is obsessed with the fact his dead wife Lisa (Laura Linney), had an affair. I guess out of curiosity, or sheer boredom, Peter travels to Milan to meet his match Rafe (Antonio Banderas), perhaps to find out why she desired him.


Image Entertainment
Director: Richard Eyre
Writers: Charles Wood, Richard Eyre
Producers: Frank Doelger, Mary Beth O'Connor, David Richenthal

I viewed 1/10

Talking to Heaven (2002) PG13 - 3½ Stars

I don't really have a category for a religious type of movie like this so I added it to Sci-Fi as it really depends in what you believe in. I am a spiritual person but I'm against organized religion and do not support any religion's bible, but then again, that's a whole other topic. Even though this story has been done before, a man being able to see and hear from the dead where other's can't, this one has a pretty good all star cast with some great acting that kept me involved all the way till the end. It's also a good murder mystery of "who done it" with a surprising ending. Made for a two part television mini-series drama.

James Van Praagh (Ted Danson), is an ordinary man with what he feels a curse that allows him to see and feel things from the dead. Since he was 6, he has found he's seen and talked to people that others have not seen. Frowned upon by the other children as an outcast and close to his religious mother Regina (Diane Ladd), James tried to ignore and forget any psychic abilities he once had. With his company failing and his mind preoccupied with signs from the dead surrounding him, James hires Midge (Queen Latifah), to design a web site to build sales. He's gotten a good worker, but also a new good friend he can talk about these images that are haunting him.

After his mother's death, he begins to again see more of these dead people who can't get settled without resolving certain issues. And when young boys with their hands bound, start appearing, James works with Detective Karen Condrin (Mary Steenburgen), using his visions to help stop a serial killer.

Timeless Media Group, RHI Entertainment
Director: Stephen Gyllenhaal
Writer: John Pielmeier
Producers: James Van Praagh, Preston Fischer, John Pielmeier

I viewed 3/10

Delirious (1991) PG - 2½ Stars

I rented this movie as John Candy has always been one of my favorites to rely on for a good laugh. But unfortunately, this one just doesn't have the laughs for me like some of his other great hits.

Jack Gable (John Candy), writes a soap opera called Beyond Our Dreams. The programs producers, Lou (Jerry Orbach), and Arlene Sherwood (Renée Taylor), what him to kill off one of Jack's most beloved characters, Rachel Hedison played by Laura (Emma Samms). And as Laura has just broke up with Dennis (David Rasche), one of her co-stars, Jacks has the perfect opportunity to escape for the weekend with her. But when he gets hit on the head in an accident he's knocked out and awakens smack in the middle of a soap opera world. When he meets Janet (Mariel Hemingway), he finds her similarities to his character Laura. Janet plays the daughter of a great late biochemist who invented a pill that allows you to eat what you want without the fear of weight gain. However, Carter (Raymond Burr), Ty (Charles Rocket) and Blake Hedison (Dylan Baker), are trying to steal the formula and make the fortune first. When Jack discovers he can use his typewriter to change the outcome of the next scene, he rewrites the plot making sure this star, Janet's character is saved.

MGM Distribution Company
Director: Tom Mankiewicz
Writers: Fred Freeman, Lawrence J. Cohen
Producers: Larry Cohen, Annie Stevens, Richard Donner

I viewed 11/09

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) R - 3½ Stars

Just looking at the DVD cover you know it's going to be a dark movie. I bought this movie in a 4-$20.00 special at Block Buster. But without reading the box, I thought it was about vampires and just knew it had to be good with Tim Burton at the helm. Well, like a vampire movie, there IS blood and killing and violence but in an awkward way, there's beauty too. Johnny Depp singing in a musical, wow, he's pretty darn good in his role as the master barber. With his partner in crime Helena Bonham Carter, doing a smashing job. I really liked the performance of little Edward Sanders. It's a fun sort of "Little Shop of Horror" type movie, just made me close my eyes through a lot of it.

Sweeney Todd (Johnny Depp), has been away from town for 15 years and not by his choice. You see, 15 years ago Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman), was jealous of Sweeney's wife and wanted her desperately. Along with the aid of Beadle Bamford (Timothy Spall), the judge arranged the lock up of Sweeney, sending him far away for a long time. Judge Turpin took Sweeney's wife away and locked his daughter Johanna (Jayne Wisener), out of reach of anyone but himself. But revenge will be sweet as Sweeney moves back into town to make the judge pay. Mrs. Nellie Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), offers Sweeney the room above her meat pie shop and Sweeney goes to work giving the closest shaves in town. The two help each other become sucessful and befriended by a street boy Toby (Edward Sanders), the family setting seems almost complete. Business if bombing in the eatery, but the beggar woman on the street (Laura Michelle Kelly), keeps an open eye on the customers that go into Sweeney's shop for a shave and never come out.

Awards Include:

2007 - Phoenix Film Critics Association - Best Costume Design
2007 - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Picture - Musical or Comedy
2007 - Phoenix Film Critics Association - Best Young Actor
2007 - St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association - Best Score
2007 - Washington D.C. Film Critics Association - Best Art Direction

DreamWorks, Paramount Pictures
Director: Tim Burton
Writer: John Logan
Producers: Laurie MacDonald, Walter Parkes, Richard D. Zanuck

I viewed 3/10