Sunday, September 26, 2010

Ondine

Ondine is a sweet story of love, faith and fantasy. A little girl with kidney disease believes that a girl her fisherman father pulls out of the sea, is a water nymph, with magical powers. That fantasy supports her through difficult times, and when reality crashes in, she is strong enough to handle it. There's a seedy backdrop, but there is also love and dedication. Strong performances make this an easy film to watch.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

That Evening Sun

I met Scott Teems at Newport Film Festival last summer. He was squiring his film, That Evening Sun, around the country. A quiet, thoughtful young man, we had an interesting conversation about family, "the business" and actors with that "it" factor. I did not have time to see the film at the festival, but this week it was released to DVD. A poignant story of aging, love and consequences. Well written, well acted, great music and beautifully shot. Who was the actor Teems spoke of with the "it" factor? Mia Wasikowska. I've seen her in 2 other films since our conversation, and I agree. A young actress worth watching. And That Evening Sun? A film well worth watching as well. Thanks Scott.

Sunday, September 05, 2010

Going the Distance

As a rule, romantic comedies don't appeal to me. Going the Distance broke that rule. Listening to reviewers I respect (both men), I saw this film. I don't usually gush about individual performances, but I think Christina Applegate and Charlie Day killed it in the laugh department. Boy meets girl. Boy and girl try to be sensible, but fall in love. Boy and girl live 3000 miles away from each other for a year. That's all I'll say about plot. Just know that I thought this was well written, well acted and the music plays a nice role. Well done.

The American

The American is a quiet, pensive story of an assassin. He is waiting in a small Italian village for instructions while he starts to evaluate what he is doing. I was not prepared for the love story that would quietly transform the man and his decision making process. Very little dialog, lots of good acting from Mr. Clooney. This is one of those films I've thought about a lot since I walked out of the theater. Well done.

Saturday, September 04, 2010

Machete

Machete is a crazy, violent, gratuitous nod to the grindhouse genre. Using immigration as the centerpiece, there is corruption and conspiracy. There is nudity and violence. There is a lot of overacting and bad acting. Fun to watch, silly as hell.

Friday, September 03, 2010

Friday Flick Picks 9/3/10

I haven't been in a theater since August 15th, yikes! Fortunately this holiday weekend offers a few films I'd like to see. Machete and The American will make a good double feature. I'm also hearing good things about Going the Distance. Still in theaters are Inception, Scott Pilgrim vs the World, Get Low and Toy Story 3. Have a great holiday weekend!