Valentine's Day

Starring:  Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway, Emma Roberts, Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Jennifer Garner, Jamie Foxx, Ashton Kutcher...to name a few.
Romantic Comedy, 2010

A series of interwoven stories plays out on Valentine's Day.  This day means something different to everyone.  There are affairs, new love, lonely hearts, and broken hearts as everyone attempts to find their way on Valentine's Day.

• This is a classic case of a movie that tried way too hard to be good. 
• I'm not going to say it was bad but it really just didn't "Do" anything for me.  The characters were mostly shallow and one dimensional.  I found that I really didn't connect or care all too much about what happened to any of them.
• I did like the way the stories wove together in unexpected ways but other then that this movie just sort of fell flat for me.  I can't quite put my finger on it.  There was just something missing.
• You certainly can't criticize the cast.  That's for sure.  With an all star cast of a huge variety of established and new actors there was likely a favorite in there for everyone.
• It was nice to see Taylor Swift take her first stab at acting.  She played the ditz and I don't know if was because the movie itself was so flat to me but her acting kind of felt that way too. 

3 Stars

Law Abiding Citizen

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Gerard Butler, Leslie Bibb
Rated R, 2009

A man looses his entire family in a senseless act of crime and over time he plots an elaborate diabolical plan to avenge their death. He really has nothing to loose and pursues those who played a part in the crime and subsequent legal trial that did not do his family justice. With cutting edge maneuvers and surprise attacks he lauches his plan that has everyone confused and searching for answers.

• I have loved Gerard Butler ever since 300. He did the tough guy gladiator thing, a romantic comedy (The Ugly Truth) and now he is taking on the role of law abiding citizen gone deranged killer. He does them all well.
• This movie was very good. It kept me guessing. It was a bit long but I didn't notice because the movie action just kept coming.
• Jamie Foxx is awesome as usual. He is funny as ever but takes on this role of hot shot city attorney and plays it to perfection.
• I have to say that I loved that the mayor was this incredibly powerful black woman yelling at the power suit wearing DA and city attorney Foxx to fix this mess now!! Their eyes got big as she told them how badly they screwed up. I felt sorry for them because honestly, what is anyone to do? This was kind of an unusual situation after all.
• By the end of the movie I didn't know whether to love or hate Clyde (Butler). I mean, how far is too far especially considering all that he lost and how the system failed him?

5 STARS

The Soloist

Drama, 2008 (PG13)
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Morton Downey Jr

• A reporter out looking for a story and happens to run into a mentally ill homeless man who just so happens to be a former Julliard student.
• The main story is between the reporter and the homeless man but there is a pretty good underlying story as well between he and his ex wife/boss.
• Great acting of course-you don't expect anything less from Foxx and Downey.
• Made me feel just a little bit hopeless about the plight and problems of mentally ill homeless people. Seems to be yet another impossible issue to really fix.

5 STARS