BROTHER BEAR is a combo of the
critters we love and those figure drawings that Walt Disney Pictures
does. It’s a story about three brothers—who love and care for each other,
but fight and defy at times, mixed in with a story about being true to
self, the great outdoors and a few Phil Collins songs in between. The
adventure starts with the younger brother and his Naming Ceremony—Kenai.
Through a series of events, older brother goes to the Great Spirits; Kenai
seeks out to get even with the bear that killed his brother and turns into
a bear in the process … to learn a lesson. Meanwhile, middle brother
seeks the bear that took both his brothers. There is comedy, the kids
that saw the screening with me liked it . . . but only when the Disney
critters showed up, it was a drag until then—the moose pals are great as
are the other bears. Lots of deleted scenes and outtakes plus games.
Who Should See It?—Kids
four and up. Gramma can take them. 3
Golden Eggs
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COLD CREEK MANOR with Dennis
Quaid, Sharon Stone and Stephen Dorff attempts to be creepy, but misses
the mark. There are weird country neighbors, weird construction workers,
and weird happenings, but they just don’t come together. Quaid plays New
Yorker Cooper Tilson. He and wife Lean (Stone) decide that the city life
is too risky for their two kids and head to the country. Buying a
deserted mansion, they set out to restore it, hiring the former psycho
owner to lead the team. The town knows that funny stuff happened at the
residence, but not actually what. Snakes show up, bodies are found, the
family hangs in there and solves the mystery.
Who Should See It?—Teens
and up—probably not for Gramma. 2 Golden
Eggs.
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DIRTY PRETTY THINGS stars
Audrey Tautou (Amelie) as Senay, an illegal immigrant seeking asylum in
Britain and Chiwetel Ejiofor (Love Actually) as Okwe—a doctor also seeking
asylum. Both work in a small hotel—he at the front desk and she as a
maid. The film reveals the workings of the illegal underground and our
stars are continuing trying to stay one step in front of the immigration
agents who would like nothing better than deporting them. With all of
this going on, the two of them try to figure out what is going on in Room
501, so will you.
Who Should See It?—Mature
teens and up. Gramma may like. 4 Golden
Eggs.
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DUPLEX with Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore looked good in
the previews. In full length, it gets boring pretty fast and there is zip
chemistry between the two of them. Starting with the idea that let’s buy
our first place, the young couple (magazine designer and novelist) make an
offer, inheriting the upstairs tenant and rent control. Granny is in her
90s, surely she won’t live too much longer and our couple can take over
the upper space and eventually have the family they would like. All plans
don’t work out and through a series of events, it’s clear that Granny
isn’t going anywhere, she snarls the young couple into doing a variety of
things for her that takes them away from their own work. In the end,
Granny wins—the couple sells to another couple that shares the dream of
adding to their family, etc. etc. Turns out, there’s far more to Granny
that meets the eye.
Who Should See It?—Mature
teens, maybe Gramma if she hasn’t else to do.
1 ½ Golden Eggs.
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THE MAGDALENE SISTERS wins
the prize for making me the angriest on the theme of “human inhumanity to
other humans”. This excellent film is based on a true story of the
Magdalene Laundries in Ireland run by the Nuns, you meet three women who
are abandoned by their families—one had been placed in an orphanage, one
made the mistake and had a baby out of wedlock, and one was raped by a
cousin. In each case, the families have turned their backs and the girls
are dumped at the Laundry, a hellhole. They are forced to work to
“cleanse” themselves of their “sins.” Of course, there is no pay. Finding
the courage to escape after being incarcerated for several years, you
wonder why this kind of institution was ever tolerated and supported by
the Church and the Community. The Laundries were shut down in the 80s.
Who Should See It?—Mature
teens and up. Tell Gramma what it’s about before pressing the play
button. Highly recommended. 4 ½ Golden
Eggs.
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MATCHSTICK MEN with Nicholas Cage,
Sam Rockwell and Alison Lohman is a movie about cons—Cage plays Roy, a
quirky agoraphobic and germaphobic. He discovers that he is a parent of
a teenager, who is interested in teaming up with Dad to learn the con
trade. Roy’s partner is Frank, the smooth talker whose dream is to do the
ultimate con, whatever it may be.
Who Should See It?—Teens
and up, Gramma might get a kick out of it.
3 ½ Golden Eggs.
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RANSOM with Mel Gibson, Rene Russo and Gary Sinise deals
with one of the great fears of all parents—kidnapping. Gibson plays a
wealthy exec whose son is abducted and takes matters into his own hands
when he thinks the cops aren’t moving fast enough and efficiently. Lots
of tension, DVD has plenty of omitted scenes that actually add to the
story.
Who Should See It?—Mature
teens and up. Maybe Gramma is she likes suspense/thrillers.
3 Golden Eggs.
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SPY KIDS 3-D: GAME OVER
comes with your very own cardboard 3-D glasses—otherwise you
watch in regular 2-D fashion. Antonio Banderas is back—for just a few
minutes—in this follow-up, that shouldn’t have been made, of a successful
movie. If you have kids, the only value is all the games included,
otherwise, pass.
Who Should See It?—Not
for adults and definitely not Gramma. 1
Golden Egg.
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VERONICA GUERIN stars Cate
Blanchett as a journalist based in Dublin who takes the criminal element.
The opening scenes of drug addicted Dublin in the mid-1990s are
shocking—little ones picking up discarded needles and doing their
make-believe best to stimulate an injection . . . lovely.
Initially, Guerin covers features but moves to crime—trekking all over,
probing in and exposing the underbelly of pushers and other bad dudes (and
a few nasty dudettes). As Guerin follows her nose, her family is put into
jeopardy—the old rules of the bad guys vs. the good guys meant that you
didn’t harm the family. Threats start, she gets shot in a warning, until
she is murdered at a stoplight.
Within days, she is a national heroine in Ireland; crowds take up the
chant to stop drugs and crime and she is recognized for what she is/was—a
courageous journalist. After her murder, the crime rate drops, primarily
from public awareness, backlash and an “enough” of this garbage in
Ireland. Blanchett was overlooked for an Oscar nomination.
Who Should See It—Not
kids, mature teens, maybe Gramma and I think you.
4 Golden Eggs
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