Sleeping with the Enemy

Laura (Julia Roberts) seems to have it all. A darkly handsome husband (Patrick Bergin), a beautiful ocean front home on the beach, leisure time. Her secret is her husband Martin’s ruthless control over her. Laura walks on eggshells around Martin, who says they will be together forever. His domination of her extends even to the compulsive way he expects her to have the household arranged, towels straight, cupboards in order.

Martin loses Laura in a tragic boating accident because she doesn’t swim. But the audience is let in on her “rescue” before Martin even becomes aware of it. A strong heroic woman has been hiding within her, and Laura has been planning her escape for some time. She secretly learned to swim to save herself, both literally and metaphorically.

When Ben (Kevin Anderson), her next-door neighbor in her new life attempts to befriend her, she at first pushes him away. But her capacity to love and be loved wins over and she begins to allow him into her life.

Meanwhile, Martin is able to pull strands of Laura’s life together and believes she is alive. He sets out to hunt her down, the ultimate creepy figure who will stop at nothing to have her. Martin is the type of man who would scream before he kills his woman and then turns the gun on himself, “If I can’t have her, then no one can.”

All three lead characters’ performances are superb. Ben is fun loving, patient and warm as Laura tentatively starts to open up to him and take risks. Julia Roberts as Laura, shakes with her hands on the gun as if it were really her that the dark man who was her husband was stalking. Martin is sinister and foreboding.

The story had to move along to tell the truth about battered women and how they struggle to be set free from their abusive men, but the story line of Laura’s mother’s blindness is too convenient and contrived. Even so, we cheer for Laura and Ben at the end, just as we cowered in our seats knowing Martin was getting closer to finding Laura again.

Sleeping with the Enemy is a thriller with a message. Don’t miss it.

The Mask of Zorro

This is from a movie review penned at the time it was first in the theaters.

I vaguely remember seeing Zorro, masked hero on black horse, ripping Z's into surfaces with a shiny silver sword on the tiny screen of our television. I like the idea of heroes. Men or women who will take a stand and risk their lives for a good cause.

The hero Zorro has come to the big screen and filled it with tearing, flaming Z's in Dolby digital sound. The teeming masses, acts of bravery, sword fights, and romance abound.

The story is clever. Zorro (Anthony Hopkins) loses his family when he is thrown in prison for 20 years, and a deceitful power hungry man comes to rule in the part of Mexico called California. Zorro manages to escape and through an act of synchronicity, meets a young man ready to be a pupil to the master. The young man, played by Antonio Banderas, has women across America swooning over his dark good looks and flirtacious ways with the villain's adopted daughter (Catherine Zeta-Jones).

The crisis is a scheme by the evil one to make millions from a gold mine, powered by slaves. The two Zorros are of course clever and after many sword fights, and a few humorous encounters, they save the masses from this toil that robs them of their spirit and autonomy.

I've not given away too much I think, as do you really expect to go to a Zorro movie and not have the good guys win? We like heroes because we need them. It is our human nature to expect a man (or woman) so adept and courageous that their actions will change our evil, greedy world, whether it be a Zorro, Lone Ranger, Martin Luther King, Jr., or Malcolm X. What we need to remember is that in order to free ourselves from the slavery of the day-to-day modern world, we must become our own heroes, each of us breaking out of the chains society expects us to wear.

The Mask of Zorro is enjoyable, despite several scenes of violence. Hopkins is wonderful, Banderas adequate to the role, and Zeta-Jones extraordinarily beautiful and high-spirited. A great fun movie. Bring popcorn.

The Royal Tenenbaums

Marianne suggested I post some of my full-length movie reviews for your reading pleasure. I will begin with some older films that you can easily find on video or DVD if you are interested.

The Royal Tenenbaums
As I settled in to watch this black comedy, I was instantly delighted and reminded of another Wes Anderson movie, Rushmore. I was not disappointed, as the film lived up to its predecessor and then surpassed it. There are not many movies today that have left me with such a great feeling and grinning from ear to ear as I exited the theater, enchanted with its originality, inventiveness and the sheer pleasure of viewing it.

The Tenenbaum family is played by a host of very capable actors, including Gene Hackman as the aging patriarch of the family, Angelica Huston as his estranged wife Etheline, and Ben Stiller, Gweneth Paltrow and Luke Wilson as their three adult progeny. Owen Wilson, who also wrote the screenplay with Wes Anderson, plays their best friend dating from their childhood, and Bill Murray is Margot’s (Gweneth Paltrow) long-suffering husband. Danny Glover is Etheline’s accountant and suitor and all do an incredible job of staying in their quirky roles no matter what the other character is presently doing.

The story is one of a family healing and coming to terms with their past and the inevitable secrets and not so secret happenings within the walls of the ancestral home. Royal Tenenbaum, faced with a financial crisis and some revelation that perhaps he would do well to reconcile with his family before he passes on, sets about reunifying them all under one roof. The strong personalities within this family of geniuses leave no quiet or ordinary moments, nor is it filmed that way. Everything about this movie is so creative, from the way the film is narrated and the story progressing as through the chapters of a book, to the inventive sets, where even the paintings on the walls are amusing and yet somehow believable for these characters.

The ending is so tender, we’re caught off guard after having been allowed to peer into the private lives of this dysfunctional and brilliant family. May all families have such a healing before it is too late, and may you get out to enjoy this film. I predict you will see it more than once for the sheer delight it brings. See it once in the theater and once when it comes out on video. We should celebrate the creativity in this film, as well as the resiliency of the family, and the Tenebaums in their quirkiness are just “off” enough to make you think later about how it is our families have such bonds. After all, one could argue it is our siblings, those brothers and sisters whom we fought with, played with, slept with, ate with, stood in line for the bathroom with, are the ones who ultimately know us the best and are the ones who will always be there, through each of our marriages and divorces, successes and failures, and the Tenenbaums remind us of that in a most delightful and entertaining way.

Dinner and a Movie Revisited

Thanks for the comment/compliment Marianne! I would enjoy hosting a Dinner and a Movie type show, and I like your idea about viewers inviting friends over for dinner and to watch a movie on TV each week. If I were doing it though, I would suggest a menu for the following week's movie on each show. That would give people some time to prepare for the dinner. And I would only host on a network that didn't edit the films to pieces; only original, uncut versions of films allowed! Perhaps, someday.

Joe Bob Briggs

Lulu responded to my query about the Dinner and a Movie phenomenon with a comment about: "that guy who used to rate movies by numbers of killings, car crashes, sex scenes, etc. He was funny. And he always played specific type movies."

I remember who that was. It was Joe Bob's Drive-In Theater hosted by Joe Bob Briggs. The show was really funny. He would review the B-movies and have guests on for interviews, such as Linda Blair (famed for her work in The Exorcist).

I agree, Joe Bob's Drive-In Theater worked where Dinner and a Movie does not. And I discovered that Joe Bob is still around via his Internet website which is most interesting. So if any of you remember him and want to check it out, it is www.joebobbriggs.com Just be prepared for outrageousness.

The Upside of Anger

The Upside of Anger is a thoughtful film starring Joan Allen and Kevin Costner. It is about Terry (Joan Allen) whose husband has inexplicably left her and her four daughters, who are of high school and college age. Kevin plays the neighbor Denny, a former baseball player now DJ, who becomes Terry's drinking buddy and more.

I thought the film began a bit slowly and seemed flat, but it grew on me. I won't give away the ending, but it pulled everything together and made me think about how our minds think up explanations for events that happen in our lives, and how those explanations do not always mirror the truth.

I recommend this film which is rated R. Kevin and Joan have chemistry together and are fun to watch, and the four actresses who are Terry's daughters (two you may have seen in other films or on TV are Erika Christensen and Keri Russell) are believable as well. I saw this film yesterday in the theater, but it seems to be ending its run so you may have to wait for video/DVD.

Dinner and a Movie

It used to mean going out to dinner and to a movie afterwards. Now Dinner and a Movie is sitting at home watching a movie broken up by not just commercials, but by two commentators/comics and a chef cooking up food to match the "theme" of the movie.

Why would people watch this? The movies on commerical television are cut to pieces already as they are edited for TV and no longer in the form the writers and director intended for the story. Does anyone really cook the foods they throw together? Do you think the jokes are really funny?

Tell me what you think of this phenomenon please.

Saving Grace

I've been thinking about gardening a lot lately, as my back yard is soon to be terraced and planted to create a lush, yet xeriscaped vista for me. I started to wonder what films featured gardeners or gardening in them, and remembered a very good British comedy, Saving Grace. It's about five years old, and I'm sure is available on videotape.

The film stars Brenda Blethyn as Grace, a middle-aged woman facing financial difficulties, who decides to cultivate a bumper crop of a certain illegal herb. Brenda Blethyn is just great in this comic movie, as she was in her previous films, Little Voice and Secrets & Lies.

Needless to say, I won't be planting anything Grace grew, but I wouldn't mind renting all three of Brenda's films I mentioned for a triple feature of the talent Brenda brings to the screen.

Theater versus your Living Room

Marianne asked about which is better: movies seen in the theater or at home? Some say that with the advent of home theater systems, complete with big screens, comfy theater-like seats, and even your own private popcorn maker, going to the movie theater will be a thing of the past. I would hate to see that happen.

Movies like Star Wars, Dances with Wolves, and Master and Commander - The Far Side of the World, are best seen on the big screen. In those films the universe, the South Dakota prairie, and the vast Atlantic and Pacific oceans are as much a part of the movie and as alive as the people in them. I like to be blown away by the incredible scenery or the imagination of the movie-makers when I see these in the theater.

More character driven movies, You Can Count On Me, Shall We Dance? (I prefer the original Japanese versionShall We Dance?, and Calendar Girls, can wait for the small screen of your TV set. Yes, the sets are wonderful, but the main focus of these movies is on the relationships between the characters, so the more intimate setting of your living room is enough for these movies.

Another way to look at which films to see in the theater versus at home is the quality of the sound (unless you have a dolby digital surround-sound system in your home theater room!) Musicals such as Lagaan: Once Upon A Time In India and Chicago benefit from hearing and seeing them in a theater.

And lastly, if you don't like to cry during movies when you're in public, leave tear jerkers for the privacy of your own home. Put on Finding Neverland, The Last Samurai, or The Pianist and have a good cleansing cry. Thanks for asking, Marianne!

Sleeper movies

Lulu wanted to know what I thought were good sleeper movies. Her definition of a sleeper movie is a film that didn't get noticed at the box office, but is really good anyway, perhaps being noticed once it came out on video and has a word-of-mouth reputation for being really good.

I think many comedies fit in that category because traditionally, comedies are not given as much attention by critics, or the Academy Awards for that matter. A comedy sleeper I love is Nothing To Lose. It stars Martin Lawrence and Tim Robbins. Tim's character is not having a good day, and when Martin's character decides to rob him, the fun begins. The two are inseparable for the rest of the film, influencing each other and getting into silly situations. It's a definite laugh-out loud movie.

Then there's Election, which is one of Michael Moore's favorite movies. Starring Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick, a high school election mirrors American politics in this hilarious R-rated film. Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor wrote the screenplay. You may recall they also wrote the screenplay for the film Sideways. Give them all a view. You won't fall asleep during these.

Sin City

A friend and I went to see Sin City, and I was looking forward to an interesting and unique cinematic experience. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this film. I did enjoy the film noir visual quality of the movie, black and white with a sparse use of color, but the stories depicted in the film were grotesque. It had to do with serial killers and the unsavory sides of life. There was a lot of violence, and I know many friends who would not like this film for that reason.

Someday I hope another movie can be made using the stunning black and white filming. I only hope the subject matter is more uplifting.

Movies to lift your spirits!

I believe there are a couple of ways to lift your spirits with film. One is to go watch a classic, funny movie. Ferris Bueller's Day Off comes to mind, and I get to call it a classic because it is from the early 80's. I may no longer be a teenager, but I can get into the spirit of a day spent in beautiful Chicago, skipping school, or in my case, I'd be skipping work. Disney's The Kid with Bruce Willis is a good one too.

Or watch a movie that is so engrossing and packed with action and adventure that you forget your disappointments. I like the Bourne Supremacy / The Bourne Identity for a good plot, and white-knuckling, holding-your-breath action.

Another route is to see a foreign film. Reading those subtitles requires more attention. Two of my favorites are Amelie, an inventive mysterious film, and Everybody's Famous! which I haven't seen for a couple of years, but liked it when it came out.

Good luck with finding just the right movie prescription, and let me know how it works out.

Groundhog Day

Thanks, Marianne, for asking about Groundhog Day. It is one of my favorite films. Bill Murray's talents as a comedic actor shine in this film about a television weatherman mysteriously fated to relive the same day over and over again (not unlike many of us trapped in boring, mundane jobs).

After first wallowing in depression and self-pity, Bill's character comes to a realization: every day is an opportunity to learn something new, to be of service to others, and for happiness. Small efforts taken each day to learn ice sculpting for example, or how to play the piano, result in a tomorrow when practice pays off in expertise.

Also starring Andie McDowell, Groundhog Day is a very funny film with a message, one I watch again and again.

Super Size Me!

I was going through the McDonald's drive through this weekend to get something to drink on my long journey to Santa Fe, and noticed that one can now supersize breakfast! I asked the employee at the cash register what that meant. She said that if someone supersizes breakfast, they get two hash browns and a larger drink.

Sounds like Morgan Spurlock's Super Size Me hasn't given McDonald's a conscience. If you haven't seen this documentary yet, I encourage you to rent it. It is an easy movie to watch, funny in places, shocking in others, and visually and musically appealing.

Sequels

I noticed that a sequel to the Sandra Bullock film Miss Congeniality is coming out soon. I am a big fan of that film, and I think it is Ms. Bullock's best film. But I am concerned lest this sequel go the way of what happened when Reese Witherspoon did a sequel to Legally Blonde. Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde failed because there were too many repeats of jokes which were really funny in the original film, but just tired by the time they appeared in the second film.

Perhaps it is easier to come up with a great sequel to a drama or action film, as we witnessed last year with Spider-Man 2 and Bourne Supremacy. Both of those were excellent sequels; the characters continued to develop and not just be a stagnant repeat of what they were in the first great movie.

I'll get back to you on what Miss Congeniality 2: Armed & Fabulous does for me.

Buffalo Dreams

I had the pleasure of watching Buffalo Dreams tonight on the Disney channel. What a sweet, hopeful movie! Try to see it when it reruns over the next few days. It is made with young adults in mind, but is a great film for all of us to watch. It's about an Anglo boy and a Navajo boy, and how they become friends, and meet some challenges along the way.

There is what I at first thought was a rip-off of Breaking Away, another coming of age film from many years ago, but then I simply thought of it as a tribute to the earlier film about bike racing. The film is supposed to take place in New Mexico, although I read it was filmed in Utah. The scenery is beautiful, mountains, desert wildflowers, storms, and the beautiful Navajo ways. I hope you get to see it.

Foreign films

I was talking to someone last night about the film Maria Full of Grace. It features the best actress nominee Catalina Sandino Moreno and is about a young woman in Colombia. It is in Spanish with subtitles. I don't want to give away what it is about, but I encourage you to see it on my recommendation. I was fascinated by what was depicted in the film about life in Colombia, and later in the U.S.

I know subtitles scare off some people, but I have rarely seen a subtitled film from any country that did not fascinate me and illuminate something about another culture for me. What are your favorite foreign films?

Super Size Me!

One of the nominated documentary features this year was Super Size Me. It documents the filmmaker's one month gig of gorging on McDonald's food, and his subsequent ill health from eating all that fat and sugar.

Ironically, the filmmaker, Morgan Spurlock, is engaged to a vegan chef. I could be a vegan and live quite happily, as long as I had a personal chef in the house to prepare the food for me! But getting back to the film, it is really very well done, and I learned alot about the state of nutrition in our schools, and what all those lab tests at the doctor's mean.

Austin Powers and Dr. Evil

Austin Powers in Goldmember was on TBS tonight, so I tuned in. I had not seen it since it first came out in theaters almost two years ago. My opinion is that the first two Austin Powers movies are the best ones of the three. True, Goldmember has some fun cameo appearances and an interesting twist at the end, but the first two I think are just funnier.

And to Marianne, if you watch An Affair to Remember and Sleepless in Seattle over and over again, I would say you are a romantic at heart.

A hint: one can add comments to a post even if someone has already left a comment previously. Just click Comment and type away!

Sue

A movie to rent

Last night I noticed that the movie Dave was being shown on TV. I remembered how much I enjoyed this film when it first came out. It stars Kevin Kline as the man who bears an uncanny likeness to the President of the U.S., who then "fills in" for him, and Sigourney Weaver, as the wife of the real President who has become seriously ill. It always leaves me thinking, "Why can't our presidents be more like Dave?"

If you're looking for a good, lighthearted movie to rent, put this one on your list. Even if you've seen it already. Which leads to my question to you, "What movies do you watch again and again?"

Adapted Screenplay

I like to try to see as many of the nominees for best screenplay as I can before the awards. This year I looked to rent a video called Before Sunset. When I read the description of the film, I noticed it was a sequel to a film made around nine years ago called Before Sunrise. So of course I rented both of them.

What a treat! These two films break the rules about writing a screenplay. They are 99% about two characters, and most of it is dialogue, but what rich dialogue! I highly recommend these two romances. It is understandable why Before Sunset was nominated for an award. Plus they take place in Vienna, and the second one in Paris, so the background is very intriguing too.