Cowboys & Aliens

I have been looking forward to Cowboys & Aliens for a while now. I was disappointed. Poor character development, no script and waaay too long. It pains me to say this, but I thought it was pretty stupid. I will say, the production value was outstanding and loved the cast. Almost wish they'd fix it. Oh well.

Horrible Bosses

Horrible Bosses did two things for me. First, it made me stop complaining about my job. Second it made me laugh out loud. A lot. When three friends feel they are in dead-end situations at their jobs, thoughts turn to murder. Each character is well defined and consistent, they mesh well. The performances are outstanding from this impressive cast. The humor is clever and raunchy, this film really earns its R rating. Very funny with a very satisfying ending. I enjoyed this one.

Captian America : The First Avenger

I'm not much in the know about super heroes. I know a bit about that comic book world, but it is mostly anecdotal and movie related. The Avengers are not that familiar to me, but when buzz surrounds a film the way it has with Captain America:The First Avenger, it tends to get my attention. At my age, I felt a bit silly walking into the theater to see superheroes, but after the fun ride that was Iron Man,Thor, and now, Captain America, I think I'm over it. These have been good, solid, fun action films, pretty much why I got to the movies. Nothing silly about that.

Friends with Benefits

I went to see Friends with Benefits with many reservations. They were all extinguished by an amazing casting, a smart script, strong performances and a satisfying ending. Romance and relationships are explored and analyzed in a refreshing story. There are many vibrant characters. I really enjoyed this film.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

To begin, I cried at the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 because of my sentimental feelings for the end of a decade of ambitious films. The last film of this series is full of action and emotion. The visual spectacle did not disappoint. This film does not need 3D, I was impressed without it. The story wraps up well. Made me believe in magic.

Midnight in Paris

I never thought that the combination of Paris, time travel, romance and Woody Allen would deliver a charming film. I learned that it does, when I saw Midnight in Paris. On a trip to Paris with his fiance, a man is swept up in his dream to write a novel. At midnight one night, he takes a very special car ride. A sweet look at nostalgia, romance and dreams. This film is clever, well acted and very pretty. I really liked this one.

Super 8

My most anticipated film of this summer was Super 8. Early on, there was a lot of reference to surprises and mystery, so I decided to avoid all reviews and press. For me, it was a smart move. I even felt bad when I shushed a guy at a party, who wanted to tell me about the film before I saw it. When I saw the film, I got story, I got action, I got jumps, I got satisfaction. I loved the scene nods to Jaws, Close Encounters, ET, Goonies, Cloverfield and more. The story of a town dealing with an invasion-I-will-not-speak-of was a great film for me. Go. Be surprised. Well done!

Rubber

The film Rubber states from the beginning, "this is an homage to style". How true, how true.
The bloody reign of terror, of a telekinetic tire, is truly stylistic and violent. A jab at Hollywood is subtle at the beginning and blatant at the end. Really enjoyed this film.

Pirates of the Caribbean : On Stranger Tides

What's wrong with Pirates of the Caribbean : On Stranger Tides?

Weak plot.
It takes place on land. Pirate ships are either in bottles or get destroyed very quickly.
Flame throwers in place of cannon balls.
Jack Sparrow's face in close-up way too many times.
Dark, muddy cinematography. I hear it's worse in 3D.
Poor editing.
Sloppy makeup. Though I'm guessing eye liner was a big line item.
No chemistry between the characters.

What's right with Pirates of The Caribbean : On Stranger Tides.

All performances are fine, even though the poor actors had nothing to work with. Geoffrey Rush really shines.
The score is still strong.
Judi Dench and Keith Richards' appearances serve little purpose but window dressing, but it's still nice to see them.

Wish this list was longer.

Hesher

I had heard that Hesher was about smoke and fire and blowing things up. I was not prepared for a gloves-off look inside the heads of the grieved. Dramatic , violent and vulgar. I have never seen such an introspective look at grief. Well done.

Thor

When I saw the trailer for Thor, I thought it looked very disjointed. The God of Thunder in a fish-out-of-water story set in the real world was fine, but the Asgard stuff just didn't do it for me. When the reviews started to come in so positive, I figured I'd give it a go. As I watched, all I could think was, "this is one crazy-ass ride." The story worked, the special effects were great and Chris Hemsworth pulled off a very charming Thor. I had a good time with this movie.

Tribeca Film Festival 2011 Day 4

On my last full day here in Tribeca, I wanted to enjoy the neighborhood. I headed north on Church Street, walked up to Canal and back down West Broadway to end up at The Square Diner for breakfast. From there, I wandered through the Family Street Festival, enjoying the color, the music, the families and the celebration. Lunch was a delicious bowl of soup at Edward's. Back to the east village for my first film of the day, Janie Jones. Another film with great music, great performances and a poignant story. When I came out of the film, I had a message from Liza & Ryan that they were waiting for me across the street at The Pour House. Who knew there would be an arm wrestling championship in progress? Lots of muscles in that bar! We wandered down the street to Maryann's, a favorite for delicious Mexican food. A bit of a tradition. Back at the theater, we were a little early, so we stopped in to Nevada Smith's for a beverage. Soccer was on all the TVs and footie memorabilia made up the decor. Fun stuff. Our final film was Jesus Henry Christ, a dark comedy based on family, DNA and acceptance. We all enjoyed it. After the film, a search for sweets took us to a cafe where we enjoyed the last treats of the evening, such a nice day. No drama on the street outside my hotel on this night. Preparations were in place for the Five Boro Bike Tour tomorrow. Always wild to see thousands of bikes in motion together. Thanks New York and all the people who joined me in my adventures this week. Tribeca Film Festival is a great vacation for me!

Trbeca Film Festival 2011 Day 3

This Friday morning gave way to bright sunshine and comfy temperatures. This lead to a long walk around the neighborhood. Really enjoying all this walking, feels good to be outside after this miserable winter. Headed to Chelsea for lunch at Don Giovanni. A bustling pizza joint where I enjoyed a hearty pasta fagioli. My film this afternoon was The Swell Season, a documentary about the tour of Glen Hansard's band after the success they enjoyed with Once. The performance footage was amazing, and the story is so bittersweet. There was no time to linger after the director's Q&A since I had only 30 minutes to get to Tribeca to get in line for Sing Your Song. I made it in perfect time, and stood in line with a theater critic who was more than willing to share her opinions on all things Broadway. Sing Your Song is a documentary about the career, advocacy and life of Harry Belafonte. The film worked in chronological order, and contained a lot of performance and news footage. The editing was outstanding. A rousing standing ovation ran through the closing credits. After the film, Belafonte was interviewed by Tavis Smiley for about 30 minutes, an interesting, passionate man. The film also left me thinking about how we all can make a difference in the world. Lots to think about after this one. I highly recommend this film if it gets to theaters, very inspiring. After the film I went back to the hotel with a big ol' slice of New York pizza, mixed a cocktail, put my weary feet up and called it a good day. The drama on the sidewalk outside my window on this night was a group of drunk folks trying to hail a cab. Highly entertaining.

Tribeca FilmFestival 2011 Day 2

Woke up to torrential downpours this morning, glad I walked yesterday. A quick subway ride took me to the east Village for an early screening of Beyond the Black Rainbow. An abstract, sci-fi piece, I'm glad I stayed for the Q&A. Hearing the film maker, Panos Cosmatos, talk about this film, I realize how personal film making is. Though not my personal taste, I can appreciate this film for its art. Back out into the pouring rain, on my way around Washington Square Park I take refuge in Crumbs Bakery to pick up a birthday cupcake for a friend. A neighborhood tour (NYU maybe) was filing into The Little Lebowski on Thompson. A shop devoted to the film The Big Lebowski. Funny little store, and the owner dresses like The Dude. I chose to dry out at Rocco with soup, bread, wine and strawberries. One of my favorite lunches at one of my favorite restaurants in NYC. Tasty, inviting, relaxing, just right. Back to Tribeca to catch a train out to Brooklyn, where I meet my daughter and her friends at Moutarde, a lovely French restaurant in Park Slope. It is Erica's birthday and she is thrilled with the cupcake I brought her. Back at the hotel, I open a beer, put on the TV and become distracted by the drama on the street below my window. Two rescue vehicles are tending to a situation at a restaurant across the street, and two guys spend a great deal of time unloading an 18-wheeler with a delivery for the same restaurant. Busy scene and much more interesting than the TV. Goodnight New York, it was a fun day.

Tribeca Film Festival 2011 Day 1

Checking into the Cosmopolitan Hotel late Tuesday night, I felt the same thrill I always do when I come to Tribeca. My room had been upgraded to a junior suite, and everything looked shiny and new. Wednesday morning brought sunshine and a quick call to confirm lunch with my friend Lucy. Before we met, I took a long walk around the neighborhood and through Hudson River Park. We had a tasty lunch at Greenwich Street Tavern, then headed to the box office to pick up my tickets. A quick subway ride brought us to 23rd Street and the Clearview Chelsea for a screening of Rid of Me. Katie O'Grady and James Westby were in attendance for a Q&A. Charming couple. Back in Tribeca, I grabbed a Papaya dog (yum) before going to my room to freshen up. I met the girls for dinner at Sazon. Delicious Puerto Rican cuisine, served with a nice sangria and great atmosphere. After dinner we walked the few blocks to BMCC theater for the premiere screening of Everything Must Go. Director Dan Rush, Will Ferrell and Steven Root introduced the film. This was a drama I enjoyed, but audiences seem to have a tough time accepting Ferrell as a dramatic actor. He was excellent in this, though the middle of the film was a bit slow. Great start to this year's festival!

Super

Super is one of the most refreshing films I've seen in a while. Creative, funny, shocking, sweet, violent and clever. When a man gets fed up with the hand he's been dealt, he decides to take the super-hero route. A pipe-wrench is his weapon, and don't but in line. Add a few drug dealers and we've got an action, crime film that entertains. Walking out of the theater, I heard remarks both delighted and appalled. I was delighted.

Source Code

Two years ago, I fell in love with the film Moon and have been hoping for more films by its director, Duncan Jones. My wish came true when he was asked to direct the film Source Code. Another sci-fi piece, with a time travel concept that worked. A trippy piece with great editing, good performances and a nice pace. Well done Mr. Jones.

Limitless

The Falmouth Cinema Pub is a pretty cool place to see a film. Nice beer & wine list and a pub menu with decent prices. On a rainy afternoon, the girls and I grabbed a table ready to bask in the blue eyed gazed of Bradley Cooper in Limitless. A sci-fi, thriller, with a mind enhancing drug and ruthless, opportunistic thugs as main characters. This was a film with surprising depth and twists. We talked about it for quite a while after the lights came up. A good time on the Cape!

Paul

When two sci-fi, comic book nerds run into an alien in the desert the funny begins. Paul is a story of friendship, growth and dreams. funny funny funny

The Lincoln Lawyer

The Lincoln Lawyer is good crime drama. The story has it's share of liars, informants, good guys, twists and turns. Matthew McConaughy carries the story well and Ryan Phillippe does a good job playing a creepy, spoiled brat. Well worth a look.