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Movies for Adults | Movies I Hated | Movies for the Family | DVDs < <Back to List of Reviews |
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with a stellar cast of Garrison Keeler, Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Kevin Kline, Charles C. Riley, Woody Harrleson and Lindsey Lohan is a model Robert Altman film. If you are a fan of NPR’s A Prairie Home Companion, you will love this -- the radio comes alive. One of the best of the Altman films. Who Should See It? It’s more for adults -- Gramma will like it. 4 Golden Eggs (IFC Films) is perfect for anyone who has ever done a crossword puzzle. A quasi-documentary, you meet a variety of people who are obsessed with crosswords -- from Jon Stewart, Ken Burns, Bill Clinton, Indigio Girls to non-celebrity college kids. Using the annual tournament created by NY Times Crossword Editor Will Shortz, the movie opens up and you fall in. It’s wonderful. Who Should See It? Teens and up…Gramma will like it because words have to be spelled correctly. 4 Golden Eggs (Columbia Pictures) produced and directed by Ron Howard, Dan Brown’s novel comes to life. Bashed by many critics, I was fearful that the book had been ruined. It wasn’t. Tom Hanks takes the lead as Robert Langdon, pursued by both the nasty monk Silas (Paul Bettany) and French Police Captain Bezu Fache (Jean Leno). Langdon hooks up with Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tauto) playing the grand daughter of the deceased as they try to sold the mystery/puzzle. Enough said. I liked the movie and will buy the DVD when it debuts. Who Should See It? It’s a thriller, there’s murder, mystery -- no on-screen sex, but it’s for mature teens, adults. 3 ½ Golden Eggs by Focus Features won the Sundance Film Festival’s Special Jury Prize…and for the life of me, I don’t know why. The studio’s release claimed it to be a “hard-boiled noir mystery that wittily and bracingly immersed in fresh territory…whatever that means. What it is about is drugs, screwed up people, death and brain-numbing dialogue. Who Should See It? No One. 0 Golden Eggs (Walt Disney) is Pixar’s latest with the rookie star Lightning McQueen as the flashy car (no humans in this one -- just the use of their voices) who is out to win the Piston Cup, but gets side-tracked on the way. Stranded in a small town that his been forgotten by the modern highways, he finds a kinder, gentler life…and learns lots of lessons along the way. The movie starts a tad slow, but the visuals are great -- I loved the NASCAR type stadium packed with cars in the seats…again no humans and the lite up hippie van. Who Should See It? I took my 2 ½ year-old grandson…he loved it. So it’s for the young’ens too. 3 ½ Golden Eggs Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (Touchstone Pictures) …Captain Jack is back, along with Will and Elizabeth and the rest of the pirates. Johnny Depp is in fine form along with Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley – part 2 of the zany first one, there are several laugh out loud scenes, the usual sword fighting medleys are terrific visuals. It’s a movie without an ending…setting you up for part 3, whatever that brings…but guaranteed, the pirates and cronies will be in full swing.
Who Should See It? Older kids and
up -- fans of Johnny Depp, Gramma too. (Lionsgate) stars Keke Palmer as a word-savvy 11 year-old; Angela Bassett as her doubting Mom and Laurence Fishburne as her mentor and tutor. Akeelah’s brother is on the border of being a gang boy; her Mom is depressed about work and her deceased husband, and her tutor is avoiding his own ghosts. Akeelah’s energy is woven throughout, you can’t watch this flick and not cheer for her and the other contestants as they vie for a spot in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Who Should See It? Everyone, Gramma will love it. 4 Golden Eggs (DreamWorks) is a terrific family flick that has animals (they aren’t over cute), a story line that actually has a story behind it, the voices of all the animals actually match the MO of the animal character. It’s fun, has a moral to it and makes fun of stupid things that people do. Who Should See It? Kids and up…definitely take Gramma. 4 Golden Eggs Hoot(New Line Cinema) stars Wil Shriner, Luke Wilson and youngsters Logan Lerman, Brie Larson and Cody Linley along with a cameo by Robert Wagner. It could have been called Clueless Cops, Corrupt Politicans, Greedy Devleopers and Spunky Kids with Bravado. Based on the children’s Newbery winner book, HOOT’s is all about the kids protecting the owls they’ve discovered burrowing in the ground that is destined to be the next pancake house. Who Should
See It? Older kids and up. Gramma like to join the family too.
(New Line Cinema) with Antonio Banderas and Alfre Woodward is based on a true story where ballroom dancer Pierre Dulane decides to teach ballroom dancing in the NY City public schools to a group of students that rank at the bottom of the barrel in the eyes of teachers and administrators. Banderas has the right moves, there are ahas and breakthroughs with the kids, but it feels staged and predictable. Who Should See It? Teens and up, might be OK for Gramma. 2 Golden Eggs (Touchstone Pictures) stars Haley Graham (who looks like Hilary Swank’s younger sister) is a rebellious teen who happens to be a talented gymnast. After one more run-in with the law, (she is the ace skate boarder of the neighborhood), the judge sends Haley to a gymnastic academy run by Jeff Bridges -- the last place in the world she would want to be in. With the ups and downs of having to get back into shape, she finds herself. The ending is a kick. Who Should
See It? Ten year-olds and up -- more for girls than the guys.
Shopgirl Who
Should See It?-- mature teens and
up, including a young Gramma.
Casanova Who Should See It? -- It’s an adult romp laced with comedy, Gramma might get a kick out of it. 2 ½ Golden Eggs
An Unfinished
Life Who Should See It? Adults and older teens. 3 ½ Golden Eggs
Flightplan Who Should See It? -- Teens and up, Gramma too. 3 ½ Golden Eggs
Dead Poets
Society Who Should See It? -- Teens and up…Gramma will like it to -- originally released in 1989. 4 Golden Eggs
Good Morning
Vietnam Who Should See It? -- Teens and up. 4 Golden Eggs
Proof Who Should See It? -- Teens and up. 3 ½ Golden Eggs
Grey's Anatomy Who Should See It? -- ideal for fans and for those who want to catch up on what all the hubbub is about. 3 ⅓ Golden Eggs
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The Briles Group, Inc. |
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