My Life in Ruins

Nia Vardalos was virtually unknown until she did My Big Fat Greek Wedding back in 2002. In that film, she was outstanding as Toula Portokalos, a young Greek woman who falls in love with a non-Greek and struggles to get her family to accept him.

She shines again as an American tour guide of Greek ancestry in My Life in Ruins.

Nia brings a certain something to her roles that makes her win our hearts. She is charming, humorous, self-deprecating, and socially inept....which make us, the viewers, want to reach out and help her find her way. When she smiles, the world seems to brighten.

In My Life, she is frustrated by being a high-end, culturally-oriented tour guide for tourists who prefer ice cream and souvenirs over viewing the Parthenon. No spoiler here, but we can safely disclose a bit more about the plot: On her "last" tour, she bonds with some wonderful, wacky tourists who help her discover a lighter side of herself. Of course, she also falls in love with a dashing Greek man!

Lest my illustrious readers believe that the film is a masterpiece, I would add my dear spouse's one-line description: STUPID! Yes indeed, there is much to mock in this light-weight caper. The tourists are stereotyped, the portraits are superficial, and the tone is sophomoric.

But if you like nice scenes of Greece, care to smile at the antics of tourists, and feel a certain love for Greek people, you will have a wonderful time.

Knight and Day

Are you ready for action? Are you ready to laugh? Do you dig Tom and Cameron? Then this mindless, fun film is perfect!

The stars of Knight and Day need no introduction. I have seen both actors in every film they've made. My favorites? Cameron Diaz's work in The Mask, opposite Jim Carrey. And Tom Cruise's acting in the first Mission Impossible. With talent like this, a film's gotta be good!

The plot is fairly easy to describe without being a spoiler: Tom is a rogue CIA agent who might be good or bad. Cameron plays an innocent bystander caught up in the fray. Together, they flee in planes, trains, and automobiles...and along the way, Tom shoots, knifes, or Karate chops his way to glory.

I have never been a great fan of comedic thrillers. The Killers, with Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl, succeeded in the genre. Knight and Day does it even better. Why do we laugh as the protagonists struggle to survive? Because both Tom and Cameron do a super job of playing their roles with tongues firmly planted in cheeks. You can almost see the characters winking at the audience as they grin their way through the travails of the mildly labyrinthian plot.

One important caviat: Tom Cruise loves to pose for the camera. Convinced that he is the most dashing man alive, Tom smiles up a storm. My recommendation: Take Tom at face value. He's poking a bit of fun at himself. Cameron too.

If you're in a lighthearted mood and seek entertainment that will not make you think, check out this DVD.

Grade of B+. Lots of fun. A few obvious flaws in the tone and flavor of the flick.

The Duchess

Keira Knightly first appeared in a big way in Bend it Like Beckham. As a the young teen who loved soccer, she acted up a storm and left the viewer wondering, "Who is this talented new star?" Then came the pirate films with Johnny Depp, where she almost out-shined the all-too-talented Depp. Well, Keira has come a long ways. Just watch her excel as the lead in The Duchess!

This is not an easy film to watch. If you have the slightest angst, or should I say, revulsion, about the treatment of women in early times, you may feel yourself nauseated...or simply furious. We're not talking mild enslavement of women by men, as we often see in Jane Austen or Charles Dickens tales. Way back when, if a woman were poor she had to find a suitable mate.

No, fellow feminists, this story goes further: The Duke of Devonshire figuratively imprisons not one, but two women, one his wife, the other his mistress, on his sprawling estate. How does he do so? By blackmail! The deal: Want to see your kids? Then join me please, will you?

OK, no spoiler here. There so much to this film. But it takes a strong stomach to watch. For example, the Duke expects a male heir. When the poor Duchess cannot deliver, the Duke simply dismisses his daughters as useless human beings. Ah, if only we could introduce the backward fellow to Gloria Steinem!

Ralph Fiennes plays the caddish, nasty brute of a duke with delightful perfection. Keira is Oscar-worthy for her role as the subjugated duchess.

The set designs are sumptuous. The costumes dazzle. To counter the discomfort of the story, the film offers a complete and believable return to England in the late 1700's. The portrait is of the upper class. Wealth abounds. So does immorality.

Grade of A. Absolutely worth seeing. A film wonder.

Book of Eli

I'm a Denzel Washington fan. His film credits are too numerous to list, but to most film buffs he's about as good as acting gets. Problem is, even someone as good as Denzel cannot save a truly miserable film.

The Book of Eli should have been called the Book of Confusion. As usual, this reviewer will not spoil the flick for those who have not seen it, but suffice it say that our hero--notwannabe hero--is a wanderer in post-Apocalyptic America. He carries a book, a Bible, one of the last remaining holy texts in the world. The protagonist must carry the book to the West, because he has heard a voice that told him to do so.

Not a bad premise. Strange that the story could not unfold logically and intelligently from this point on.

Seems some baddies want to steal the Bible. Why? Who knows? Seems a beautiful female (Mila Kunis) wants to escape the baddies and travel with the wanderer. Why? Who knows? Seems that some folks out there have some kind of skin disease on the hands. What? Huh?

Action: Oh, there's plenty of this. But's it's wanton, inconsistent, and certainly makes no sense. The hero, for example, is a Kung Fu expert, who uses his knife to destroy the hordes, much as the heroine in Kill Bill does. OK, but why do we have a ninja artist amid the post-apocalyptic idiots?

And finally: The delivery of the Bible.... Cannot give this part away, but really, it makes little more sense than the rest of the film.

Grade of Triple D for D-angerously D-itzy and D-uuuuuh.

Moscow Ballet Nutcracker

OK, this review is of a live performance, not a film. But I beg the reader's indulgence: Fact is, so much of what we like in film has to do with aesthetics. We revel in the sheer beauty of the actresses and the dashing handsomeness of the actors. We marvel at a scene so perfect in design and substance that it resembles a painting masterpiece.

It's not too big a leap (pun intended), therefore, to say a few words about the ballet. Film fans, will you permit me to comment on an extraordinary event? I refer to the Nutcracker presented tonight, December 22, 2010, at the Dodge Theater.

My dear spouse and I always go to the Russian ballets. Be it the Kirov or the Moscow Ballet, be it Swan Lake or The Nutcracker, the Russians do it best. In the former Soviet Union, most people consider ballet to be the finest art form. The top companies recruit dancers at the age of three or four and mold their talent over generations. Small wonder that the likes of Nureyev and Baryshnikov came from the land of the former tsars.

We have viewed the San Francisco Nutcracker nearly every year for the past thirty years. We have watched films of the New York Nutcracker. But the most famous productions here in the U.S. seem to pale by comparison to their Russian counterparts.

Simply put, the dance in this Nutcracker is exquisite, bold, graceful, passionate....unlike any other ballet. Of the 30 or so dancers in the troupe, every single one is capable of being the lead. The stage is simply full of prima ballerinas. The dancers perform duets that boggle the mind: they bend their bodies to create shapes, leap with the ease of cats, and remain in perfect sync. The choreography is original and daring.

So, if you occasionally tire of film, take a break by seeing a Russian ballet. You'll delight in the beauty of the art form and return to film with a new view toward aesthetics.

The King's Speech

The Miracle Worker meets My Fair Lady? Well, not exactly, although this did pop into my head early in this film. But oh, this is a rare treat in film-going.

Tracing the factual and extraordinary working friendship between England's King George VI (formerly Prince Albert), played by Colin Firth, and a would-be actor/elocution coach, Lionel Logue, played by Geoffrey Rush. As Albert's royal responsibilities increase to the point of finding himself King following Edward's abdication, and the public's new love affair with radio, his debilitating stammer propels him to seek the help of Logue.

This film is not long on action or plot twists, and had a few drawn-out parts. How it makes up for this is by humor (from bawdy to intellectual) and superb close-up acting. Firth is hitting his career stride with A Single Man and now this. He is exceptional. His tight, constricted, impeded speech in this role was gripping. I felt his pain through the entire movie.

I found Rush's character to be so appealing, he almost became attractive to me. Almost. He carried himself with so much physical control - a direct contrast to Firth's lack of control in his speech.

It was also a delight to see Helena Bonham Carter as her beautiful, cleaned-up self. Her last several roles have required her to downplay (I suspect she enjoys this) her looks (e.g. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sweeney Todd, Harry Potter...) Her portrayal of the to-be Queen Mum was tender, believable and accurate in posture, etc.

This film is about politics. It is about life in the Royal Family. It is about the life-long psychological damage a father can impart on a son. It is about the advent of World War II. It is about the power of language and speech and image in leadership, not to mention its loneliness. But this educator chooses to see this as a film about teaching and the teacher-student relationship. Like Lionel's methodology, good teachers teach more than the subject, treat more than the symptoms. Within the process of guiding a student to success, we must be good listeners and "watchers" to see what really drives the student. We must command our own respect (even from the King of England) and demand discipline. We must, to a certain degree, become friends with the student, even dropping our own guard now and then to reveal our own humanity.

Ironically, the real gentlemen resemble their opposites in the film. But the right actors played the right parts. A darn good movie. Take from it what you will.

King George VI

Mr Logue

Perfect Stranger

This 2007 film noir takes "noir" to a whole new level. Wow, what a high-octane thriller!

The film stars three of my favorites, Bruce Willis, Halle Berry, and Giovanni Ribisi. Bruce has done some great stuff, including Die Hard and The Sixth Sense. Halle has won a Best Supporting actress for her role as the spouse of a death row inmate in Monster's Ball. And I liked her in James Bond too! Ribisi was outstanding as a sleazy salesman in The Boiler Room. All shine in this very twisted, delightfully dark drama.

Without spoiling the plot for those intending to see the DVD, this reviewer can explain some basics: Halle plays Rho, a brazen journalist, whose interest in exposing corrupt politicians knows no bounds. She has a close childhood friend who is unexpectedly murdered. Now she must use the internet to try to trap the killer.

Bruce Willis plays the main suspect with perfect aplomb. He might be bad, he might not. He is definitely potentially violent, as he reveals by physically man-handling an employee he fires in the workplace.

But there are other suspects... Is it the strange journalist, played by Ribisi, who is so enamored of Rho?

Or someone else?

As the emails fly, so do our emotions. We fear for the poor girl seeking the truth via online clues. We are amazed by her courage.

The plot bends and turns, like a serpentine labyrinth, as the facts emerge. The ending is gripping and creepy!

Have fun and plan to take no popcorn breaks from this potent whodunit. Grade of A plus.

Mr. Brooks

Kevin Costner has done some great film roles. As the soldier who lives among Native Americans in Dances with Wolves, Costner was convincing and genuine. He was even better, in my mind, as the farmer/dreamer who builds a stadium in Field of Dreams. And he was fantastic as Wyatt Earp. This reviewer is a Costner fan.

The talented actor does a wonderful job of being a spooky killer in Mr. Brooks. Without spoiling the film for those who have not seen it, I can reveal the basic plot. Mr. Brooks is a very successful businessman, a civic leader, a devoted spouse, and a loving father. He's got just one little flaw: he can't seem to stop killing people!

The fun of this flick is in the protagonist's alter-ego: he has regular dialogs with his killer self, played brilliantly by William Hurt. Poor Mr. Brooks really wants to stop murdering random folks...but his fictitious other self makes him do it. Ah, how difficult it is for the fine citizen to counter the blood-thirsty longings of his fantasy pal!

Now add to this strange situation a daughter who, it seems, might have inherited that little murder gene from her dear dad. Oh my, how complicated life can get for decent families to get along in the world without succumbing to their needs to kill others!

This very BLACK thriller is a must see. Lots of tension. Some suspension of disbelief required, of course. But not to be missed.

Grade of A-. A few flaws but super entertainment.

I Love You Phillip Morris

Jim Carrey's got guts. Since his neophyte brilliant days on In Living Color, he always puts it all out there. No truer than in his latest, I Love You Phillip Morris, a based-on-a-true-story romp about a talented liar, Steven Russell, who falls in love with a fellow inmate, P.M., played by Ewan MacGregor. This is such a fun, quirky, unpredictable farce (if autobiographical can also be farcical). I took younger son to see it, neither of us knowing too much about it. Those with our heterosexual orientation were in the theatre's minority, and it only added to the fun to hear the biggest laughs coming from the gay crowd, such as over Russell's line: "What people don't realize is, it costs A LOT of money to be gay in Miami Beach!" (that's more of an essential quote than a verbatim one). It does strike me odd that an entire audience finds itself giggling slightly when two gays express real passion and love for each other. I suspect we'll evolve beyond that.

Both son and I enjoyed the film. No deep themes here. One reviewer called this a dramedy. I saw it as all comedy. Many, if not most, of the laughs would have even worked in a hetero-paradigm. Carrey carries the job so well, as does E. M. Doggone it, I bought their entire relationship. I think this film will grow on me the more I think about it. Might even see it again!

The Tourist

Skip it. I walked out. Don't tell Johnny!

American Idol

This reviewer happens to be an artist and in this capacity has learned a vital lesson: every project can get muddled if the artist does not know when to leave it alone. Such is the pathetic story of the previously successful American Idol.

I have been an IDOL fan from the beginning. I remember the fun I had listening to Simon, Paula, and Randy rant about the very first contestants. I remember them lauding the talented winners and critiquing the losers. The threesome had a chemistry that was unbeatable. The picture above, smiles and congeniality, says it all.

Then the management starting shaking things up: Kara joined up, Paula got canned, and Simon flew the coop. Now who do we have? The lone survivor Randy, Jennifer Lopez. and the old rocker Tyler.

The new painting is blotched and has no resemblance to the old. Just picture the Mona Lisa with a big white stripe across her mysterious face. Oh my, what a horror!

The owners of the Yankees have the right idea: When you find real talent, and the talent works together like a smooth machine, and the public loves that machine, you pay whatever is necessary to keep the team intact.

I predict that the great IDOL will wane over the next few years and achieve an early and unexpected demise. Meanwhile, this reviewer will probably not watch the iconic reality show for the first time ever.

Sad.

Two Lovers

Joachim Phoenix, since emerging from the shadow of his charismatic brother, River, has become a gifted character actor. Remember him as the mark in Clay Pigeons? Remember him as Johnny Cash in Walk the Line? Once again, the actor with the intensive eyes creates a memorable role.

In Two Lovers, Joachim plays a socially withdrawn, troubled soul who, having parted ways with his fiancee, now lives in a muddied world of depression, exacerbated by his decision to reside with his parents. We feel for the tormented young man, who, lost in his way, reminds us at times of a more mature Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate.

Without giving away key elements of the story, we can safely say that our forlorn hero perks up when he meets not one, but two, beautiful women. Curiously, one is a cultured, intelligent brunette, who is part of his social milieu. The other is a blond bimbo who can't figure out whether to leave another man, who happens to be older and married.

With Vinessa Shaw playing the brunette and Gwyneth Paltrow playing the blond, two great actors pave the way for a very conflicted situation! Whom will the indecisive, arrested mid-30's adolescent, choose? How will he present his preferences to his family? What about future in-laws?

This viewer was spellbound by the whole situation. With the tightness of a stage play, the plot unfolds and surprises with each turn of events. Joachim Phoenix leaves a lasting impression of a young and destructive misfit.

Deadly Impact

Sean Patrick Flanery and Joe Pantoliano... oh my, what a "deadly" combination of actors! Deadly impact will have an impact on you that might send you running for cover!

Sean is well known for being the handsome hero: in this reviewer's mind, his best work was in the Boondock Saints series. Ladies, if you don't really care for action films, you'll enjoy staring at this hunk, no doubt.

Joe Pantoliano is the go-to guy for any good mafia/gangster type role. He is as gritty, mean, and streetwise as bad guys get. He can outdo Brando or Pacino for strong-arm, bully power any day of the week!

OK, no spoiler here, but suffice it to say that Sean is FBI, and Joe is very, very evil. It's not just good cop chases bad dude. It's good cop chases brilliant, wicked, personally vengeful, awesomely skilled outlaw.

Remember Dennis Hopper's bomb skills in Speed? Multiply that weird talent by 10 and add to it a guy who revels in using the cops' spouses as leverage. Now you've got Joe Pantoliano where he belongs, acting up a storm! So, thriller fans, get the point?

Now let it be said that this reviewer has enjoyed being riveted to his chair by other dramas. But in my mind, no other film in recent memory grabs quite the way this one does. At one point in the film, you wonder if anyone is really clever enough to catch the mad bomber.

Grade of A for Audaciously good.

Civic Duty

Oh my, this is a tense one! For viewers who don't mind being so glued to the screen that they are willing to forego snacks and potty breaks, Civic Duty is the flick to watch.

Without being a spoiler, this reviewer can describe the plot: A fine, sturdy, handsome, upstanding-seeming citizen, who is a CPA and apparently happily married, has a reversal of sorts: he is laid off. No big deal to the macho man. He'll just send out resumes. Problem is, as he awaits calls from the job leads, he sits around at home.

Now for some folks, a little home time is great: catch up on TV, snack, nap, play on the computer, whatever.

For others, time alone is a KILLER! The pun is definitely intended here. Remember Kafka's portrait of a man who goes insane? Remember Dostoyevsky's Raskolnikov? Remember Camus' Meursault? Or in film, remember Michael Douglas in Falling Down? Portraits of folks coming apart can be daunting indeed!

There's more to the plot that cannot be described...no spoiler, as usual, from this reviewer. Suffice it to say that our apparently solid protagonist has a few characters flaws which lead to his slow demise.

A fascinating portrait of the human mind. Well up there with the best portraits of instability.

More importantly, an extraordinary study in bigotry and paranoia. If you've ever wondered about an oddly dressed man on an airplane, and thought, "uh, is this a bomber?", then this film is a must-see for you.

A for Addictive and Astonishing.