Sounder *** Not a very fast paced movie. I was so proud of David for sticking it out and watching this with me. The acting was great. The story was interesting and emotional. I read this book in school. I admit I got this movie as an educational experience for the kids.
The Nanny Diaries *** I actually read the first few chapters of this book but wasn’t interested enough to finish it. This is the first time I’ve seen Scarlett Johansson. This didn’t quite show off what all the hoopla over hottie Johansson is all about (for that see HJNTITY) but I did like her in the role and enjoyed the movie.
Defiance **** This is a story of a group of Jews hiding in a forest from the Germans starting Daniel Craig (latest Bond actor). It’s based on a true story. By the end of the war 1200 had survived. I was surprised how much action was in the movie. It was so great to know of a group of Jews that actually resisted the Germans. Recommended.
Body of Lies *** Leonardo DiCaprio seems lately to be typecast as a tough street-wise/undercover agents. His roles in Blood Diamond, The Departed, and now Body of Lies come to mind. Though I enjoyed this one, I felt the other two movies were better.
Slumdog Millionaire **** – Sure it was good. Perhaps the fact I’ve seen City of God prevented me from being wowed by it. City of God was similar but much more intense. Slumdog could have been a lot more disturbing than it was and I’m glad it wasn’t! I liked that it had a happy ending.
Punch Drunk Love ** A bit plodding. Interesting but not memorable. Adam Sandler plays a sort of sad sack who gets in trouble after signing up with a phone sex service.
Stand By Me **** This classic has some rough language and shows 13 year olds smoking. River Phoenix and Wil Wheaton are terrific. It’s on the low end of the R rating. Recommended.
Some Kind of Wonderful ***** One of my favorite John Hughes coming of age movies. I loved Mary Stuart Masterson in it. Eric Stolz was ok though he seemed kind of uninspired throughout except for the tense scene with his father where he finally showed some emotion. Good story and great happy ending.
Monster vs Aliens *** Animation was great, it was entertaining and funny. It did not rise to the level of The Incredibles. I didn’t think the story was that strong or engaging. I found the monsters so arbitrary and hard to really care about, except for Susan who wasn’t really a monster. Kids loved it, of course.
