Drama, Movies

I am not there

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About three years ago I acquired a collection of the best Bob Dylan records. I was surprised how many songs I knew, reminding me just how influential Dylan’s music had been during the past four decades. I am not there is an artistic experiment that manages to be a total failure. Todd Haynes wants to image [Read More]
Movies, Phantasy

Live Free or Die Hard

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Die Hard is not the kind of title that lures me into the theatre. But one day in a hotel room somewhere around the globe I came across a TV channel that showed one of the earlier Die Hard movies. I don’t remember which one it was. It played in New York City. The film image [Read More]
Movies, Phantasy

Bee Movie

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Shrek 1 and 2 bored me sufficiently that I never watched the entire movie. Could the makers of the Shrek sequel come up with an animation film that could compete with Pixar creations? Yes, but only after teaming up with the comedian Jerry Seinfeld.  Having watched a very funny trailer for the film a few image [Read More]
Drama, Movies

La Vie en Rose

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La Vie en Rose is the mirror image of August Rush. Telling the story Edid Piaf’s exotic life, the film easily feels real and authentic. For an ear that grew up on pop and classical music, it is difficult to connect to the French style of singing in the 1920s and 1930s. I could not image [Read More]
Drama, Movies

August Rush

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Enjoying music seems to be hardwired into our brains. The wild success of the iPod is strong testimony that everyone loves music. I have yet to meet someone who does not like to listen to melodic sounds. August Rush is a 10-year old boy stuck in an orphanage somewhere just outside of New York City. image [Read More]
Drama, Movies

Charlie Wilson’s War

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Hollywood gives you an entertaining history lesson on how the Soviets were defeated in Afghanistan. Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) is a likable congressman who is more interested in alcohol and good-looking women than passing any law. While he lacks diligence and determination on the congressional floor, he recruits what he regards a dream-team staff:  all image [Read More]
Drama, Movies

Juno

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It is difficult for me to write these lines about such a charming film.  The plot has a number of unfortunate flaws.  Juno, the character and the actress playing the role, are magnificent. But the story feels constructed by a writer rather than based on real lived experience. Juno is barely sixteen and seduces a image [Read More]
Drama, Movies

Elizabeth: The Golden Age

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The first 45 minutes of this sequel about the life of Queen Elizabeth are the most gratifying film opening I have experienced in months. It is not the plot that glues your eyes to the screen but the way the director shoots the scenes and moves quickly from one location to another. The camera is image [Read More]
Comedy, Movies

License to Wed

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One of the big ironies of modern society is that we require people to obtain licenses for important and trivial tasks before we let them lose onto the world. I remember being told in my late teens. The of two most important decisions in life about choosing the right job and the right wife. For image [Read More]
Drama, Movies

Road to Perdition

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This dark, prohibition era, film is a bit hard to swallow.  By design it is unlike The Untouchables where good triumphs over evil.  Human life does not count for much in a Mafia-ruled Midwestern town. The film has a number of technical flaws that disturb the attentive viewer. The most intriguing feature of the film image [Read More]