Change Your Image
motheronthebus
Reviews
2 Days in Paris (2007)
The Woody Connection
Early on, I made the Woody Allen connection, thinking to myself, "This beautiful woman sees herself as a Woody-Allen-Nebbish-Type." Incredible! And, sex, sex, sex, everywhere there is sex, just like in real life. And also, just like in Woody Allen movies! Thought her take on seeing sex from the American (prudish) point of view and seeing it from the French (free and easy) point of view was interesting and funny. Weaving a smart plot and clever one-liners together was quite brilliant, too. (Ala Woody Allen!) I agree that Delpy did a great job on this movie and that it's something she and her family should be very proud of. She created a real work of art.
Night at the Museum (2006)
Great Learning Tool
Absolutely fabulous sets and special effects. It was fun to see Anne Meara interact with her son Ben Stiller -- and the dry humor was not lost, "I thought we felt a connection," "No, no connection." Ha. Ha. Same with the line "I won't quit you," from Jedediah to Octavius. Ha. I get it. In the same way that the T.Rex kindled interest in the Museum of Natural History, this movie will (hopefully) kindle youngsters interest in History and as such, I consider it a great tool for the classroom. Very good acting all around. Photography was outstanding -- great framing and many close up shots. The only downside was that it was just a little too unbelievable for anyone over the age of 6 or so.
Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself (2002)
Poignant
I liked this film but I would've liked it much more if the dialog had been kicked up a few decibels and the musical score had been nearly killed off. I watched on DVD, so fortunately, I had the option of pressing hard on volume up during the dialog and pressing hard and fast on volume down and sometimes even mute during the music. Not that the score was distasteful at all, in fact, I thought it was good and very appropriate for the film. It was just that the volume itself was inappropriate. Perhaps the sound editor was afraid moviegoers would drift off asleep and s/he felt it dutiful to blast the sound out to ensure viewers wakeful alertness. At any rate, movie-good, sound editing-bad, very bad.
Apocalypto (2006)
If You Like Blood And Gore
you'll love this one. I also think it will appeal to serial killers. If your tastes don't run to blood, gore or serial killing -- just skip it. Basically the message of this movie is that a little fish gets swallowed by a bigger fish which then gets swallowed by a shark. The shark in this case is the white man (with a cross around his neck! LOL) who will be happy to infect these dark skinned people with smallpox. I cannot imagine how this movie was conceived, financed or brought to the big screen. I just saw it and as soon as I got home, my first impulse was to warn people to SKIP IT! I wish I had been forewarned -- some jerk friend of my husband actually RECOMMENDED it to us!
Syriana (2005)
read the book first
So dang confusing! Confusion reigns. There is corruption -- "corruption is good?" Didn't Gordon Gekko already say something like that. Oh, right, that was greed. Weapons sale -- okay, got it. But, was Bob Barnes an independent contractor for the CIA? FBI? Did it matter? Confusing. Then the Emir met with the Chinese. Was that scene even necessary? Then they lost the contract and the deal went back to the US company. OK, I'm with ya. Then SOMEBODY wanted to prosecute a bunch of other somebodies??? I'm lost. See -- I don't know who that prosecutor was hired by and I don't know who the old man was who he lived with. CONfusing. Two kids died. I don't like that and then there's that confusion with swimming pool electrocutions -- iffy. Then Barnes threatened some old man whose home he had broken into -- was that the head of the CIA? FBI? And he took the threat seriously!!! (Laughable.) And then he gave Barnes his passport back so that Barnes could drive around the desert and warn the Emir's son. But who in the heck was behind the two suicide bombers at the end? The Chinese? I don't think so, but they're the only ones who make sense. Was this a movie about the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing?
Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
Many Faces of Tuscany
I liked this film story very much and I liked the book very much, but didn't think they were much alike at all, except for the villa renovation and the location (Cortona, Italy). I loved the faces in this film. The director did a close up on nearly every face and each one was beautiful in its own way. Really excellent direction, cinematography and editing. Excellent acting all around. This film, like Enchanted April, is a trip to Italy I will enjoy taking over and over again.
Le peuple migrateur (2001)
Exceptional. A+
This is such a gorgeous film and the music is just THE BEST. Primarily a film about bird migration. Cinematography is stunning. Film editing deserves an award. In fact, this film deserves awards in every category. Be sure to visit Bruno Coulais (the composer's) website.
Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003)
Squib City
You'll never eat chocolate syrup again! Oh so pretty actors (Depp, Hayek, Banderas) covered in that chocolate syrup/ketchup concoction in revolting Mexico. Georgeous cinematography. Impossible to follow. The perfect flick for those looking to be desensatized while killing or being killed or while losing an eye.
Lost in Translation (2003)
Found In Japan
Once upon a time as a young woman, Sopia Coppola no doubt visited Japan and was very lonely there. The two main characters, Bob Harris (very well acted by Bill Murray) and Charlotte (well acted by Scarlett Johannsen) find themselves in Japan in the midst of a midlife crisis (Bob) and a life transition (Charlotte). Each is finding life meaningless and confusing which is compounded by their Japanese setting. (It IS a hard language to master, it is a difficult cultue to relate to, and all of those little gifts the Japanese keep pressing on us -- just about bore us to death.) The pace of their developing friendship and the use of music lyrics to portray what they are feeling is masterful. The first image we see is the behind of a woman with her "groove thing" showing though a pair of gauzy pink panties. This movie will have sex (and sex sells). Yes, there is a little sex, but not what you think, and that was a nice surprise. It was a great look at Tokyo (esp. Ginza district) and Kyoto, with vignettes of Japanese night life and pop culture (such as pachinko, arcade games, karaoke and an inane talk show). But there were too many jabs about the Japanese substituting "L" for "R" -- "lock and loll" for rock and roll, "lip" for rip, etc.
The Italian Job (2003)
Action Packed, Twists And Turns
This movie which got a C+ in our paper should have got at least a B. Very well written script - right on page 30 something happened and right near the end something was resolved. Lots of clever dialogue and I especially liked the Napster angle. There were lots of "cut to the chase" scenes with the best one taking place in the canals of Venice. But, there is major suspension of disbelief in a few places -- just how much DOES $27 million worth of gold bars weigh? And they could FLOAT it UNDERWATER on two rafts? Or the ability to override the cable connection quickly. The last time the cable guy came to my house it took forever to figure out which one of those connections was for MY house. And flying a helicopter into a parking garage; is that in the flight manual somewhere?
The Secret Lives of Dentists (2002)
Mandatory
This film should be shown to all junior high students. Maybe educators can make it a requirement in Health Education. This isn't to gross the students out by making them watch a family of five repeatedly lose their cookies, but rather to give them some insight as to how repetitive and unglamorous life can be when it gets weighed down by the responsibilities of work and parenthood. It will also point out that in relationships, it is better to air your grievances than to let your imagination run wild.