The Private Lives Of Pippa Lee

Starring: Robin Wright Penn, Blake Lively, Maria Bello, Keanu Reaves, Alan Arkin
Drama, 2009 (Rated R)

Meet Pippa Lee (Wright Penn). She tells us the story of how she came to be starting with the effect that her mentally ill mother had on her while she was growing up. When home becomes too much to bear she moves from that chaos and into an artsy drug induced partying lifestyle. She finds comfort and stability with her much older husband and she quickly becomes the perfect wife. The couple moves to a retirement community after her husband Herb (Arkin) goes into semi retirement from a successful publishing business. Over the years she adapts well to her new comfortable and well to do life but is she really happy or just playing the part?

• There was a lot of flashing back between the past and the present throughout the movie but it was done in a way that was not confusing at all and actually kept things interesting.
• The story was very character driven. There was some sort of underlying back story behind everyone and as the story went along it was revealed.
• Great casting for the roles of Pippa, young Pippa (Lively), and Pippa's mother (Bello). The acting of all three was very real and captivating.
• It was a very real and sort of in the moment kind of movie that kept me interested.
• There are some bizarre unexpected things that happen throughout.
• If you crave a big plot and lots of action this movie isn't for you.

4 STARS

Armored

Starring: Matt Dillon, Columbus Short, Laurence Fishburne
Action, 2009 (PG13)


Ty (Short) is an ex military combat veteran who finds himself as the sole guardian of his younger brother after his parents die. He is an armored car guard and is struggling financially to keep up with the house mortgage and medical bills left by his parents. His younger brother begins skipping school and after a visit from social services he is desperate to find a way out of this situation. He is offered an opportunity to rob 42 million dollars along with six other co workers and though reluctant feels he has no choice but to partake. As the group proceeds with their plan things go very very wrong and they have to figure out what to do next to avoid getting busted.

• My thing, is if you are going to commit a crime please be prepared for any unintended consequences and commit to finishing what you started even if things don't go as planned. Granted, I've never attempted robbery but still!
• The moment Ty starts to get all emotional and act like a "girl" I am immediately angered. It's not flower making it's a robbery and his actions [after other certain actions that I don't necessarily agree with] are what ultimately sent the whole escapade into a horrible downward tailspin. That was really the only thing I didn't like about this movie.
• Technically Ty was the "good guy" but somehow I wasn't all that thrilled with how it ended for him because he was just so darn stupid. He called himself trying to fix the situation but he only made things a million times worse and that really agrivated me. Can't you tell?
• The action was good and the unfortunate turn of events was unexpected.
• It was an action movie but I liked the way they explored the relationship between Ty and his good buddy Mike (Dillon).

4 STARS

Did You Hear About The Morgans?

Starring: Hugh Grant, Sarah Jessica Parker
Romantic Comedy, 2009 (Rates PG 13)


A couple on the verge of divorce witness a murder together and find themselves forced to leave their high powered life of luxury in New York to enter the witness protection program. Meryl is the owner of a successful real estate firm and Paul is an attorney. What will they do when they find themselves together in the middle of small town USA without their assistants?

• Ever since he played the love obsession of Bridget Jones (Zellweger) in Bridget Jones Diary it seems that someone somewhere decided that Hugh Grant with his English accent, flashing blue eyes, and awkward demeanor is hot. And it seems to have stuck.
• Don't get me wrong, I like Hugh Grant. I do think he's attractive but he's more nerd then hot if you asked me.
• A lot of his sarcastic quips throughout the movie were funny but some of them were just plain old corny.
• I didn't exactly feel the love connection between Grant and Parker. There was just no chemistry. There was nothing there that made me want to root for them.
• I love Sarah Jessica Parker and am usually quite happy to watch anything that she is in. I love it how she managed to look stylish in a pair of jeans, a flannel shirt and some boots.
• The movie was sort of predictable but what can you expect? It was a romantic comedy.

4 STARS

Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire

Starring: Gabourey Sidebe, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey
Drama, 2009 (Rated R)

Another gritty and shockingly real film by the producer of Monster's Ball. An illiterate 17 year old is pregnant with her 2ND child by her father, abused by her welfare dependent mother and among other problems is struggling in school. This teenager is essentially alone in the world. She is lost in the shuffle with little options or hope for escape. She is as strong as she is alone. Resilient even in the face of such misery her escape is a fantasy world where she is exactly what she wishes she could be. Her second pregnancy turns out to be a blessing in disguise as it leads her to a set of people who actually seem to care.

• I knew that this movie was going to be heavy and so I prepared myself for that.
• It has sort of a documentary type feel about it which I think added to the realness of the story.
• I can't even imagine such suffering and pain that this young girl has endured.
• Some of the scenes were so ugly that it was kind of hard to watch. It is just so sad and unimaginable that there are people in the world who could do such horrible and ugly things to an innocent person who has done nothing except be born and didn't even have an actual choice in that.
• Instead of giving up Precious chose to just keep moving forward and fighting for what she wanted. Her kids and her life.
• Sidebe did an amazing job acting. It's hard to believe that acting was just something she tried just because.
• I hated Precious's mom (Mo'Nique). She was ugly and hateful. Even when she felt remorse I still hated her because her actions are unforgivable. Mo'Nique did an excellent job playing this role.
• Mariah Carey as a plain jane social worker was an interesting sight. Glamour girl be gone. I think it's good that she stepped outside of her usual role of playing a glamorous singer and took on something different. In all of those other movies her acting was awful but I feel that stripped down to the bare basics served her well. The acting was a huge improvement.

5 Stars

Shutter Island

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Michelle Williams
Director: Martin Scorsese
Suspense/Thriller, Rated R (2010)

Two US Marshall's travel to Shutter Island in stormy weather to investigate the disappearance of one of it's criminally insane patients. Upon arrival the pair find that the facility harbors many secrets and appears to be making every attempt to lie and thwart their investigation. As he digs deeper into the investigation Teddy (DiCaprio) is troubled by haunting memories of his late wife and his stint as a soldier in World War II freeing Nazi concentration camps. His question. What is really going on at Shutter Island? Is it a truly compassionate care facility for the worst of the worst mentally ill or is it a breeding ground for evil experiments.
The opening images of the stormy island, chained prisoners, and dark buildings really set the tone for the movie.

• I started to get just a little annoyed at all of the bizarre flashbacks of his wife and his war days that didn't seem to make too much sense. I kept wondering what the point was.
• The movie definitely got better as it went along. The last 45 minutes or so got more interesting as the plot began to unfold and the connection between the two sets of flashbacks is revealed.
• DiCaprio is an amazing actor. You could feel his pain and confusion coming through the screen.
• It wasn't as freaky as I was hoping and expecting but it was a good suspense filled movie and I liked it.
• This movie does have a twist. Even when the twist was revealed for some reason I still didn't believe it.

5 STARS

2012

Starring: John Cusak, Amanda Peet, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Danny Glover, Thandie Newton
Action, 2009 (Rated PG 13)

Jackson (Cusak) is a writer turned limo driver who is separated from his wife who now has a live in boyfriend staying in the home with his kids. The weekend he takes his kids for a camping trip out in Yellowstone strange things start to happen. An earthquake, a crack in the earth, and a kooky radio dj up in Yellowstone are all clues that something devastating is about to happen to planet earth and even worse that the government has known all along. Suddenly it is a race against time to try to save himself and his family from certain death as the world as we know it comes to an end.

• Yep, it's another disaster movie. It's not the first, it won't be the last and I liked it.
• Great acting all around.
• This movie was full of action from start to finish. There were "just in the nick of time" moments for everyone throughout.
• The special effects were great and the intertwining of various story lines showing the end of the world from different perspectives made it interesting all the way through.
• I have loved John Cusak since his "Say Anything" and "Sure Thing" days in the 80's (yes, I consider those classics) and was thrilled to see him in such a huge big budget film.
• The morality question of who should live and who should die is raised. The whole world can't be saved and no matter how you slice it there is really no good way to decide.
• Incidentally, back in 2003 I the fledgling actress was approached by a fledgling movie producer with a script and plans basically to make this movie. Unfortunately for myself (and him) it never came to fruition but I always knew if not him then SOMEONE would make this film. I can't help but wonder if he is sitting somewhere thinking that he could have done it better.

5 STARS

A Serious Man

Starring: Michael Stuhlbarg
Drama, 2009 (Rated R)

A College Professor named Larry (Stuhlbarg) in a small town suddenly finds his life crumbling around him. His wife wants a divorce, his socially awkward brother has camped out on his couch, his children are constantly fighting and his tenure status at the college is in question. To help him navigate this tough time in his life he seeks out the guidance of 3 rabbi's.

• This movie started out weird. When it starts out back in the 1800's and there are subtitles do not be alarmed. It is the right movie.
• The title is A Serious Man and I must say this was a serious movie. Almost too serious. To the point of being boring.
• I got really tired of seeing Larry being such a push over. I wanted to yell at him to just get a back bone already and maybe that alone would solve half of his problems.
• There were some interesting moments but overall this movie was just dry and serious and weird.

1 STAR

Tenure

Starring: Owen Wilson, Gretchen Mol
Comedy, Rated R

An off beat college professor names Larry is up for tenure and just can't seem to get it together. His students love him but he is not well liked by his colleagues, has a tendency towards bizarre behavior, and associates with the only other professor considered more of a black sheep then he is. A new pretty faculty member from a prestigious University who is said to be on "tenure track" makes him feel even more threatened. Can he get an article published and clean up his act well enough to receive this coveted tenure that eluded him at the previous college he worked for and make his retired professor father proud.

• This movie was funny and entertaining.
• The antics of his crazy colleague and his pursuit of big foot and the other various quirky faculty members and students throughout the film are hilarious.
• It has a cute little love story brewing under the surface as well and I really liked watching the relationship between Larry and his dad evolve.

3 STARS

The Box

Starring: Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella
Thriller, Rated PG 13 (2009)

Norma (Diaz) and Arthur (Marsden) are a young couple in their 30's who are struggling financially. Out of nowhere a man called Arlington Steward (Langella) appears on their doorstep and offers them a box and proposition that if they push the button they will receive 1 million dollars, however someone they do not know will die. The couple struggles with this decision and questions whether or not it's some kind of hoax or not. They only have 24 hours to decide and the choice they make has consequences that neither one expected and they are faced yet again with a tough decision to make.

• This movie was directed by Richard Kelly who also did Donnie Darko. There is some similarity in the supernatural bizarre story line but not quite as weird.
• I didn't realize that this movie was set back in the 1970's. That was a surprise to me.
• As the story goes on the origins of the box and Arlington Steward is revealed and it begins to make more sense.
• This is a very unforgiving box and a reminder that sometimes it's best to just do the right thing just because.
• It causes one to question your own morality-what would you do? The prospect of 1 million dollars is very tempting indeed.

4 STARS

Serious Moonlight

Starring: Timothy Hutton, Meg Ryan, Kristen Bell
Comedy, Rated R (2009)

After scrawling out a hasty note on a piece of notebook paper Ian (Hutton) is planning to leave his wife of 13 years Louise (Ryan) and go be with a much younger woman. When Louise finds out she keeps him there at their vacation house against his will and vows not to let him go until he falls in love with her again.

• This movie was very funny and has a surprising and bizarre turn of events.
• When Louise said "Til death do us part" she meant it and is determined to make Ian agree.
• Louise is quite obnoxious and although she is a successful attorney she appears to be on the loony side by her actions but the part is played very well by Ryan.
• The other woman, Sara (Bell) is even more annoying then Louise with all of her whining but at the end of the movie I found that I actually felt sorry for her.

4 Stars

Whip It

Starring: Ellen Page, Marcia Gay Harden
Drama, 2009

Bliss (Page) is a 17 year old reluctant pageant girl in a small town. She stumbles upon a roller derby league, likes what she sees, and tries out. Turns out she's pretty darn good at it but the only problem is that her parents will never approve. She has finally found something that she loves to do for herself and not just to please her mother. As she works on her Roller Derby skills she not only finds her passion but she finds out she's a whole lot tougher then she ever thought.

• This movie bumped around my house for a couple of weeks and I kept putting off watching it in favor of others. I shouldn't have waited so long! This movie was good...and fun to watch.
• Drew Barrymore was the director and she herself had just a small role in the move. I read somewhere that she wanted to be able to identify with the actors and what they were going through on skates so she could direct them better. I think she's done another excellent movie about women. The roller derby girls had heart and character. They were more then just tatted tough girls on skates. I felt like I wanted to know more about them.
• I have liked Page ever since I saw her in her break out role Hard Candy.
• It was great to see Bliss find herself so unexpectedly in roller derby. It may not be a typical pursuit but she loved it. Skating gave her a purpose and something to look forward to beyond the limiting barriers her small podunk town.
• It made me want to go roller skating again despite the fact that I have not thought about nor wanted to roller skate in a long time. I am hoping there is still a place in my city where I can do it!

5 Stars

Gamer

Starring: Gerard Butler, Amber Valletta, Kyra Sedgwick, Alison Lohman
Sci Fi, Fantasy, Myster/Suspense (Rated R)

In this futuristic film the prison system is funded by a game that blurs the lines between reality and video games in which death row inmates can opt to allow themselves to be controlled by players in an actual video game where the blood and guts are real. If they manage to survive 30 games they earn their stay of execution. Butler plays Kable. A video game character/person who has managed to come closer to surviving 30 games then anyone. The world watches as he fights for his life and his freedom. There is a sect of people however, who believe that the creator of this so called game is bent on taking over the world and use Kable as a way to try to stop him.

• Very interesting movie concept. I liked it.
• I cannot even imagine a world where average people can pay to control or be controlled in such a way.
• We get to watch Amber Valletta run around in underwear for the last half of the movie
• It was totally unrealistic but it wasn't meant to be.
• Butler once again delivers a great gritty performance with his muscles on full display.
• I was a bit surprised to see Allison Lohman in this (Drag Me To Hell, White Oleander). It was kind of like seeing Dakota Fanning in Push. She has such a great reputation as an actress that it hardly matters but it was kind of a small role and didn't allow her to show of her acting chops so much.

3 STARS

The Girl In The Park

Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Kate Bosworth, Keri Russell
Drama, 2007

The young daughter of Julia (Weaver) and her husband disappears from the park one day. After such a terrible loss Julia sort of checks out of life and never quite recovers. One day she meets a homeless young girl names Louise (Bosworth) and she forms an emotional attachment to her. She finds herself fixating on Louise and blurring the lines between her long disappeared daughter and this troubled young girl.

• I liked this movie.
• It didn't have a real plot or story line but I found it very interesting and enjoyed watching what unfolded.
• If you want action you will not find it here. It just isn't that type of movie.
• Great interesting characters and wonderful acting to go along with it.
• The hubby was on the internet during most of the movie but I was interested enough to focus on it.

3 STARS