|
Back to List of Reviews
Since mid-December, a huge number of movies have surfaced. A great
smorgasbord to choose from and more to come. Some terrific and not to be
missed, some so-so.
|
With the New Year, I'm using a different process to get JB's Movie Spots
out to you. If you want to continue to get them, you don't have to do
anything. If you want to be deleted from the list (which, by the way, is in
the thousands), simply reply back using the link at the bottom of this webpage. Wishing you peace and joy this coming year....... |
Featured Movies:
A Beautiful Mind
with Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly and Ed Harris is
outstanding and at the top of the list. Based on the life story of the
brilliant mathematician Jonathan Nash, it's a roller coaster of a movie with
twists and turns, and laced with humor. Performances by Crowe and Connelly
should garner Oscar nominations and Director Ron Howard may get one as well.
This is one of the best movies this year.
Who Should See It?-teens and up.
Definitely go see.
Return
to Top
Kate and Leopold
with Meg Ryan and Hugh Jackson is a romantic comedy and is
light and fun. New York is the locale-1876 and 2001. Kate is an advertising
exec and Leopold is a gentleman in need of money who likes to tinker with
things-the century between them creates curiosity, conflict and comedy.
Who
Should See It?-teens and up-it's an enjoyable two hours. Go see.
Return
to Top
Ali
with Will Smith (Ali) and Jon Voight (Howard Cosell) begins with Ali's
defeat of Sonny Liston and ends with his fight with George Foreman. Along the
way are women, the draft, Malcolm X and Howard Cosell (Voight is terrific).
Smith gets Ali's voice and humor-sparring with Cosell is a kick and a
highlight. Smith does a good job with the fight scenes.
Who Should See
It?-teens and up-it's a good way to spend 2 ½ hours.
Return
to Top
The Affair of the Necklace
with Hilary Swank, Jonathan Pryce, Christopher Walken delivers a history lesson of sorts and proves that networking was
critical in France during Marie Antoinette's time. Swank's goal as the
Countess is to get her good family's name back that was destroyed when she was
a child. What she does to accomplish it is fascinating to watch unfold. All
kinds of duplicity, betrayal, and high jinks.
Who Should See It?-mature teens
and up. This is a period piece.
Return
to Top
The Impostor
with Gary Sinise and Madeline Stowe is a psychological
thriller from the future-the year is 2079 (how come all the future movies make
everything gloom, dark and dreary backgrounds?). Sinise plays Spencer Olham, a
scientific hero whose work promises to save Earth and finds him accused of
being an alien spy. With that, the manhunt begins. The Imposer is based on a
short story written in 1952 by Philip Dick.
Who Should See It?-Sci-fi fans
will like it, otherwise, take a pass.
Return
to Top
The Royal Tenebaums
with Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Bill Murray, Danny
Glover, Ben Stiller, Gwyneth Paltrow, Owen Wilson, and Luke Wilson is a story
of the reuniting of an incredibly dysfunctional family. The kids (Stiller-the
financer, Paltrow-the playwright, and Wilson-the tennis star) were all
considered brilliant in their youths but fizzed big time as adults. Hackman as
Royal Tenebaum claims he is dying of cancer, gets his estranged wife Etheline
(Houston) to let him move in after he is evicted from the hotel he has lived
at for years. This is a quirky kind of a comedy. I didn't laugh a lot, but was
amused.
Who Should See It?-mature teens and up.
Return
to Top
Dinner Rush
with Danny Aiello and Sandra Bernhard is set in Gigino
Trattoria, a NYC restaurant and is one of the season's gems. Aiello is Louis,
the eatery's owner whose best friend has just been gunned down. His son, Udo,
is the critically acclaimed gourmet chef with a big ego. Bernhard is a snotty
food critic, the cast is great from the condescending diners to the gambling
cook.
Who Should See It?-mature teens and up. Definitely go see.
Return
to Top
Gosford Park
with Helen Mirren, Maggie Smith, Alan Bates, and Kirsten Scott
is a combo of a murder mystery and dry comedy. It mergers parts of Thomas
Upstairs-Downstairs, Remains of the Day and the Age of Innocence. Maggie Smith
is a hoot.
Who Should See It?-mature teens and up, it's a type of period
piece.
Return
to Top
The Majestic
with Jim Carrey has some spirit (and a very cool theater
marquis). Carrey is a Hollywood B writer who gets blacklisted during a
McCarthy type era, has a few two many, takes a drive and lands in the drink,
so to say. When he wakes up, he has amnesia, is found by a locale and steps
into a town that still mourns its dead heroes with their photos displayed in
their stores. Real time is the early 50s, the town is in the 40s. By the time
it's over, Carrey finds his voice (and vision), the town finds its voice and
all live happily ever after.
Who Should See It?-mature teens and up.
Return
to Top
Lord of the Rings
is a mixed bag. The special effects are stunning. I
confess that I haven't read the original Tolkien books, so whether the movie(s)-another
will roll out next year--follow the story line, I wouldn't know. The movie is
dark, the creatures are quite nasty, it's pure fantasy about good and evil. I
know that there are lots of raves for it and my family members thought it was
great--I was bored after the second hour.
Who Should See It?--mature teens and
up. Grammar won't like it.
Return
to Top
Black Hawk Down
is the latest of the war movies (after Spy Game and behind
Enemy Lines) and is the true story of the Battle of Mogadishu, the longest
sustained ground battle involving American soldiers since the Vietnam War. An
elite force of 120 American Delta units and Ranger infantry were dropped into
Mogadishu in 1993, to abduct two of a Somalian warlord lieutenants. Instead,
two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters (these are huge) were shot down, and what was
expected to take an hour lasted over 15, resulting in the deaths of 19
Americans, 73 wounded, and over a thousand Somalians dead. This movie is not
for the faint of heart--it's grueling and never stops. War is hell and nothing
to be illusionary about. Go see.
Who Should See It?--history seekers, action
lovers--not for young kids.
Return
to Top
Back to List of Reviews
|
