Review: 9

Review: 9

Rating: **1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$

Rotten Tomatoes: 56%

9's first incarnation as a film was as a taut, Oscar-nominated short (2005: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IQcMeNh7Hc). For some reason, Tim Burton and others thought stretching Shane Acker's compelling narrative to eight times its original length would produce an even better film. What were they thinking?

Unfortunately, although the new film explodes in visual artistry and graphic intricacy, the protracted, centerless plot results in a nebulous storyline that ultimately dissatisfies. The longer film gives male an female voices to the once asexual, silent characters, adds a backstory, and introduces a new, even more horrific villain -- but these devices add little to the tight beauty of the original narrative.

Even odder is the introduction of No. 1, a kind of machine-bishop with mitre, crosier, and cope, who resides in a ruined cathedral. He's repressive and bent on keeping secrets from the rest of the band, but, aside from promulgating fear among the troops until 9 arrives to save the day, there doesn't seem to be much purpose for this plot addition. Finally, the new, Hollywood ending seems to promise that organic life will return to the planet and all will be well -- someday. Such an ending wasn't necessary in the original short; it's not necessary here.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Extract

Review: Extract

Rating: **1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$

Rotten Tomatoes: 62%

Not many belly laughs in Extract, but there's plenty of well-executed situational comedy. Everyone in this film comes off somewhere on the continuum from "stupid" to "woefully ignorant." Jason Bateman, playing his usual nice, kind-hearted guy role, manages to make several poor decisions that even relegate him soundly to the "pretty stupid" category. Ben Affleck, whom I didn't recognize in his first scene, delivers his best performance in an eon. Perhaps Ben has a viable career in the offing as a second-banana character actor. But, I don't want to leave you with the impression that I disliked this film. I thoroughly enjoyed the gentle comedy. It was a lot better than most TV comedies, but not quite hefty enough for the movie theatre. I do recommend renting it for an enjoyable evening that will put a smile on your face.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Taking Woodstock

Review: Taking Woodstock

Rating: *

Nonna's Rating: $

Rotten Tomatoes: 52%

I really had high hopes for this movie. With Ang Lee directing, I expected a new slant on ancient history. And, indeed, the first half of the movie delivered. By focusing the story away from the main stage, Lee gave us an innovative take on Woodstock -- the story of how a series of unrelated circumstances conspired to create three unreproducible days of music and joy in August of 1969. There are engaging performances from Demetri Martin, the young, closeted good son to his Catskills-resort-owning parents, played uproariously by Henry Goodman and Imelda Staunton (yes, Dolores Umbridge). Liev Schrieber as cross-dressing, pistol-packing Vilma controls the screen whenever he's on camera, and Jonathan Groff is incandescently beautiful as the laid-back, smiling young thing who seems to function like a other-worldly guardian angel over the whole festival.

The second hour of the movie, however, devolved into the worst cliches of Summer of Love movies: the psychedelic acid trip accompanied by group sex and undulating graphics -- and the old folks stoned without knowing what hit them on pot-laced brownies. If those scenes had been edited out, the movie might have had a chance, but, as it stands, just catch the first hour on cable or skip it altogether.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Inglourious Basterds

Review: Inglourious Basterds

Rating: ***1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 88%

Have you ever watched a "plot-to-kill-Hitler" historical drama and found yourself wishing that the end just might turn out differently from the end you know is coming? Well, then, do I have a movie for you! Inglourious Basterds (yeah it's spelled wrong) delivers the ultimate World War II revenge fantasy. Based on no facts whatsoever, Tarantino presents a masterful film that speeds by much faster than its two and a half hour length would suggest. It's Tarantino's best movie since Pulp Fiction -- and it occupies a pretty close second place. Tarantino never ceases to surprise, and he never ceases to employ over-the-top violence to make his point.

Much has been made of Christoph Waltz's chilling performance as SS officer and "Jew Hunter" Col. Hans Landa, an Aryan nightmare if there ever was one. He uses charm, cunning, and psychological pressure to get what he wants from those unfortunate enough to be in his way. His interrogation scenes are intense, uncomfortable to watch, and directed brilliantly by Tarantino. Brad Pitt as Lt. Aldo Raine (an homage to gravel-voiced Aldo Ray) and his band of Jewish American soldiers provide Tarantino's special brand of gore and comic relief.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: District Nine

Review: District Nine

Rating: ****

Nonna's Rating: $$$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 89%

A science fiction bug movie that transcends the genre, asking us to examine what it means to be human. The film, intense and uncomfortable, never backs away from the constant tension inherent in the situation. Shot as a documentary, the movie, as my friend Sue said, piles parable upon parable, challenging us to confront our deepest prejudices and to ask ourselves how far we would go were we Wikus Van Der Merwe, the main character deftly played by Sharlto Copley. The story ignites our collective memories of historical horrors: Apartheid, the Holocaust, Japanese World War II internment, the treatment of immigrants, and the Slaughter of the Innocents to name a few. The ending leaves room for a sequel, but the probable plot is all too obvious: they will be back and they will not be amused.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Shorts

Review: Shorts

Rating: *1/2

Nonna's Rating: $

Rotten Tomatoes: 44%

If you are a male about nine years old who enjoys booger and fart jokes, you just may love this movie. Then again, you may not. As the adult who accompanied the child to the film, I found it excruciatingly difficult to sit through -- and I had had high hopes with John Cryer, James Spader, and William Macy each portraying adults with various levels of cluelessness.

The moral of the story is harmless enough: "Be careful what you wish for," but the out-of-sequence plotting of the movie is unnecessarily choppy and distracting. I was, however, rather fascinated by Jolie Vanier, pictured above, who plays Helvetica Black (named for a font?). She seemed to be channeling the young Christina Ricci as Wednesday in The Addams Family -- not entirely successfully, but she was trying. Whenever she appeared in a scene, the soundtrack chanted her name incessantly, something my grandson Max found very creepy. Do skip this one.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Funny People

Review: Funny People

Rating: **

Nonna's Rating: $

Rotten Tomatoes: 65%

Anchorman, The Forty Year Old Virgin, Talladega Nights, Knocked Up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Pineapple Express. I've enjoyed quite a few of Judd Apatow's movies in spite of the gross-out humor being a bit much from time to time. But I endure it.

So, I was looking forward to Funny People. The over-the-top humor surfaces in the very first scene. I noticed that the men seated around me in the theatre laughed loudly. But soon, their jocular outbursts were just snickers, and then their laughter seemed to disappear altogether. As one critic pointed out, this is the most "adult" of Apatow's films. The laughs are quickly mixed with George Simmons (Adam Sandler) learning that he has a terminal disease and not long to live.

George becomes depressed while his personal assistant Ira, played by a slimmed-down Seth Rogen, does all he can to shore up George's resolve and his spirits. Ira has a sweet nature and is bent on doing the right thing. He's convinced that George might be better served by focusing more frequently on thinking of others before he satisfies his own needs. Until the end of the movie, however, there's seems to be no glimmer of hope for that possibility. So, finally, the film becomes a bit of a morality tale. Is it worth two and a half hours of Apatow?

No.

Wait for cable.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: The Time Traveler's Wife

Review: The Time Traveler's Wife

Rating: **

Nonna's Rating: $$

Rotten Tomatoes: 35%

If you've read my reviews for a while, you know I get rather impatient when people compare movies unfavorably to books -- especially when they complain about the omission of particular incidents or the alteration of bits of dialogue. Well, I'm about to compare a movie unfavorably to a book, but I will defend my right to do so.

I do believe that we experience two completely different art forms in movies and books and, therefore, should not sweat the small stuff -- like eliminated or added scenes. However, I do argue that we have a right to demand that movie makers not alter the intrinsic nature of a book.

I have two quibbles with this movie. First, the lesser quibble. I have never read a book in which life in Chicago was so vividly realized. While reading, I could almost smell the stale air from the sidewalk grates in downtown Chicago. In the book, Chicago is a fourth major character and totally integrated into the love story. So, I understandably anticipated some drop dead takes on Chicago streets -- a la the marvelous cinematography in High Frequency. Unfortunately, what we got, for the most part, was Toronto. Big oversight just to save money.

My second quibble is more serious. There is almost no chemistry between the time traveler and his wife, played by Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams. The book is a love story for the ages; the movie just doesn't approach that level of intensity. It's a disappointing film.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Julie and Julia

Review: Julie and Julia

Rating: ***

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 74%

Another great date movie. Especially for married couples. Yes, the movie is about a young woman, at loose ends about her life, who decides to introduce structure and discipline by recreating all the recipes in Julia Child's Art of French Cooking in a one year period. Layered in her story are slices of Julia Child's life in the decades after World War II when she was trying to find her own life's vocation. You've probably heard that Streep's performance as Child is a tour de force and absolutely delightful. It is. Indomitable Meryl portrays a woman of such infectious optimism, confidence, and complexity, we find ourselves fantasizing that we had been a guest at one of her dinner parties. Oh yes, there's the food too. Child did have something to do with transforming the way Americans shop for, prepare, cook, and consume food.

There's all of this, but the most poignant and effervescent moments of the movie are found in the portrayal of Child's relationship with her husband, played by Stanley Tucci. It is a marriage in which each partner shares equally in caring for the needs of the other -- equally in passion, love, and healthy independence. Unfortunately, there's one lingering effect of the movie: you will have an overwhelming desire for an expensive French meal as soon as it's over.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: 500 Days of Summer

Review: 500 Days of Summer

Rating: ***1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 89%

Oh, groan! Another romantic comedy. But wait, neither Katherine Heigl, Jessica Sarah Parker, nor Jennifer Anniston is in it. There's hope. Indeed, there's more than hope. 500 Days of Summer is a delightful surprise -- beginning with it's title, which suddenly makes sense as we learn that "Summer" is a girl's name. The girl is played by the fascinating Zooey Deschanel who doesn't look, dress, or sound like the typical romantic movie heroine. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays the male lead. I certainly didn't recognize his name, but I recognized his face. He played Tommy Solomon on Third Rock from the Sun, the "oldest" of the space alien Solomon clan -- definitely the most mature despite his teenage body. Gordon-Levitt's talents shone through in that series, but he earns the right to continue his acting career in lead roles in this movie. His character, Tom, is hopelessly in love with Summer, who just might not be that much into him. The film plays deftly with a reversal of the sexual stereotypes so prevalent in current romantic films. And, I don't want to give away much more. Just know that this is not a chick flick. It bound to delight men as well as women.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Rating: ***1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 83%

I wish that the producers of the Harry Potter films had decided that this book, like the final one, would become two movies. That probably would have prevented much of the whining about what was left out of Half-Blood Prince in the film.

I don't have a lot of sympathy for this kind of complaining. Translating from one art form (novel) to another (film) necessitates eliminations, additions, and transformations of the printed text. That's a given. That said, the makers of Half-Blood Prince did a fine job capturing the major themes and incidents in the book -- a book which, after all, is full of loose ends given that it is the penultimate installment of the series.

Many reviewers lamented the abbreviated final battle of the movie, a battle in which most of the major characters participated. The decision, according to industry information, was motivated by financial concerns (it would have cost a great deal to bring in major stars for a few scenes), logistics (getting them all there at the same time would have been almost impossible and delayed production), and similarity (to the final battle scene in the last book). They didn't want to pull out all the stops prematurely.

What remains of the book on film is entirely engrossing and quite satisfying. Several friends who have not read the books reported enjoying the movie immensely; the edited story hangs together well. Harry, Hermione, and Ron have matured into their roles, and the romantic themes that run through this movie add a new dimension to their characters. The adult Voldemort is absent from this film, but Helena Bonham Carter is deliciously evil as Bellatrix Lestrange, and the two boys who play Voldemort as a child and teenager deliver chilling, effective performances. If anything, the film whets the appetite for the final two installments. If only we didn't have to wait so long!

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Public Enemies

Review: Public Enemies

Rating: **

Nonna's Rating: $

Rotten Tomatoes: 64%

I was not bored by Public Enemies, the story of John Dillinger, but I was not engaged either. As the movie unfolded, the story was more episodic and disjointed than one might expect.

And then there are the inevitable comparisons -- to Bonnie and Clyde and The Untouchables. But Johnny Depp and Marion Cotillard, adept actors though they be, are colorless and two dimensional when compared to the charismatic lead characters of Arthur Penn's film. And Christian Bale, another gifted actor, seems trapped in a narrow role overshadowed by that of J. Edgar Hoover, played subtly with a hint of perversity by Billy Crudup. Needless to say, the film is also missing the vibrant supporting performances of the two earlier movies: those, for example, of Michael J. Pollard, Gene Hackman, Estelle Parsons, Sean Connery, Charles Martin Smith, Patricia Clarkson, Andy Garcia, and, oh yes, Robert DeNiro. In Public Enemies, the minor characters all seem interchangeable. Pretty Boy Floyd and Baby Face Nelson fuse together; you need a scorecard to keep track of who's who.

When all is said and done, I don't care about these characters, and I ask, "Why was this film made?" At the end of the movie, Dillinger sits in the Biograph Theatre watching (memorize this for Trivial Pursuit) Manhattan Melodrama starring Clark Gable and Myrna Loy. In the few seconds that those two appear on the screen, they emanate more charm, charisma, chemistry, and sex appeal than Depp and Cotillard manage to generate in all of Public Enemies.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: My Sister's Keeper

Review: My Sister's Keeper

Rating: **

Nonna's Rating: $

Rotten Tomatoes: 44%

In the past three years, while I was focused on things like theology and biblical exegesis, a whole genre of fictional literature passed me by: chick lit. Jodi Picoult, it seems, has churned out several novels which focus on children in peril and parents in extremis. One is now a film: My Sister's Keeper.

I have not cried so much during a movie in a long time. It's a six-hankie weeper for sure. I don't mind a good cry, but I do mind feeling manipulated by what one critic called, "clunky voice overs, corny music, and maudlin montages."

The story, however, does present a solid ethical problem: Anna, the youngest child has been genetically engineered to supply her leukemic sister the stem cells and bone marrow necessary to keep that sister alive. When it becomes clear that Anna's sister needs one of her kidneys in order to survive, Anna balks and hires a successful litigator to argue that she alone has the right to decide how her body will be used. It's a compelling dilemma, but, in the end, through a plot twist, the movie does not contend with that ethical issue head on. I am told that as dissatisfying as this manipulation might be, it is not as frustrating for readers of the book as is the rewrite of the novel's original ending in the film. However, now that I know what that original ending is (I won't spoil it just in case you want to read the book), I'm really glad the film didn't go there. I think I might have thrown popcorn at the screen.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Coming Attractions: Alice in Wonderland

I certainly have been known to get excited about upcoming films. I'm eagerly awaiting the new Harry Potter, and I'm looking forward to Julia and Julie, The Time Traveler's Wife, and Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg. I just came across these beautiful pictures from Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland which will be released in 2010. The first picture of Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter just takes my breath away -- as did Anne Hathaway as The White Queen. Alice is played by Mia Wasikowska, whom some of you may know from HBO's In Treatment, where she played a precocious teenage gymnast. Helena Bonham Carter is The Red Queen. The promising cast also includes Stephen Fry as The Cheshire Cat, Alan Rickman as The Caterpillar, Crispin Glover as The Knave of Hearts, and Christopher Lee as The Jabberwock.

Review: Every Little Step

Review: Every Little Step

Rating: ***

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 91%

Put this documentary on your Netflix list because it didn't enjoy wide distribution and only remains at a few theatres (The Glen in Glen Ellyn being one). The documentary tells the story of (initially 3,000) dancer-singer-actors auditioning to appear in a musical (A Chorus Line) about dancer-singer-actors auditioning to appear in a musical. I am a sucker for dance movies -- probably because I have no terpsichorean talent whatsoever. That muse passed me by.

Features that make this film a delight: 1) archival footage of Michael Bennett's original interviews with Broadway dancers -- interviews that inspired the dialogue in the musical; 2) initially ragged-around-the-edges dancing, singing, and acting that becomes glorious by the end of the film; 3) the professionalism of the auditioning director et al.-- watching them make tough decisions and watching them handle the fragile egos of the dancers with care and sensitivity; and 4) the impassioned devotion to their art that so many of dancers exhibit.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth putting on your Netflix list
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Review: X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Rating: *1/2

Nonna's Rating: $

Rotten Tomatoes: 37%

Let me 'f'ess up to the truth right away. I went to see this movie for one reason only: Hugh Jackman. The reviews have generally been pretty awful, but I thought I'd give it a chance because I'd enjoyed the first two offerings in the X-Men series so much. Unfortunately, the reviewers have delivered very defensible negative evaluations of the film. The special effects are there; there's nothing schlocky about the production values, but the movie just doesn't have the heart and center of the first two films. In fact, my interest tellingly perked up at the end of the film when Patrick Stewart appeared as early mutants escaped to his protective care. The lesson learned is that one X-man does not a movie make: even if he's buff, beautiful, and a good actor.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Wordle Sermon

As a linguist, I am delighted whenever words are bent, broken, twisted, and otherwise delightfully tranformed -- and especially visually. I can't get enought of Visuwords, the visual thesaurus: http://www.visuwords.com/?word=happy. So, Wordle (http://www.wordle.net/)is my idea of the bees knees. I submitted my first Seabury sermon to the website, delivered on 2-22-08 -- one week after the traumatizing announcement that Seabury-Western Theological Seminary was ending its 150 year run of educating residential M.Div. students for the priesthood. We had no idea about our futures -- all of us: staff, faculty, and students. Since then, Seabury has begun to rise from its ashes like the proverbial phoenix -- solvent and healthy -- with a new mission and purpose.

Click on the image below for a better view:

Review: The Brothers Bloom

Review: The Brothers Bloom

Rating: ***

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 62%

I have always loved movies about the long and short con: The Lady Eve, The Music Man, Paper Moon, The Sting, The Grifters, House of Games, The Spanish Prisoner, Catch Me If You Can, and, oh, of course, Steve Martin's Dirty, Rotten Scoundrels. These are only a few of the titles in this surprisingly ubiquitous genre. Unfortunately, however, these films have predisposed us to skepticism whenever we watch a new film about a con artist. We know to take nothing at face value; we assume there is always more than meets the eye. Is a character dead? Probably not. The Sting ruined that surprise for us.

So, offering a new film in this genre is not for the faint of heart. The viewers expect to be surprised. We really don't want to figure it all out. We want to be conned. David Mamet did just that in House of Games. We didn't want to believe the ending. After all, the dead guy gets up, doesn't he? It's all a con, isn't it?

The Brothers Bloom does manage to surprise us -- to con us. We are finally amazed that we have been watching a love story all along, a story about the love of brothers as well as the love of a man and a woman. The director, Rian Johnson, manages the con predominantly through the stunning performances of his remarkable cast: Adrien Brody, not knowing what it is to live a life unscripted by his brother, Mark Ruffalo, a brilliant con artist, Rachel Weisz, a true, but entirely believable, eccentric, Rinko Kikuchi, silent and deadly, Robby Coltrane, a million miles from Hagrid, Maximilian Schell, diabolical and compelling, and Ricky Jay, the perfectly cast narrator.

The film loses some steam in the second half, but, overall, the con works. I'd like to see it again.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Up

Review: Up

Rating: ***1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 98%

A lonely old man and a pudgy little boy travel by balloon-house to South America and . . .

Does this sound like a sure-fire plot for an animated film? Hardly. But it all works so beautifully. As we've come to expect from Pixar, the animation is stunning; the colors vibrant. My grandson Max and I chose to forgo the 3-D version, and we weren't sorry.

The "adventure in Venezuela" part of the plot is great fun with talking dogs, an exotic bird, a marvelous airship, and an evil nemesis. But it is the beginning of the film that I found most compelling. With few words, the movie recounts the story of the meeting, courtship, and marriage of Carl and Ellie Fredricksen: a union marked by unrealized mutual dreams and the sad absence of children. Ellie and Carl grow old together and Ellie dies, leaving Carl to his profound sadness. This story is told directly with the absence of sentimentality. To Pixar's credit, the film recognizes that Carl's sadness does not disappear, that it surfaces from time to time. Carl, however, is not paralyzed by his grief; he moves on to fulfill his and his wife's dream.

Death at the beginning of a Disney film has been almost formulaic historically, especially the death of a parent as in Bambi, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and Finding Nemo. In Up, death is treated realistically and appropriately for its intended viewers: impressionable children.

Max, by the way, thought the movie was terrific and far superior to Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

Review: Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

Rating: *1/2

Nonna's Rating: $

Rotten Tomatoes: 44%

When Max, my grandson, and I saw the original Night at the Museum movie, I went with low expectations. The film had only received a 44% Rotten Tomatoes rating. As we watched the movie, I thought, "Well, this isn't Citizen Kane, but I think it's going to be a big hit." Just the concept of being privy to historical figures coming alive in the night at a museum was enough to win me over. Yes, some of the jokes were sophomoric, but Max, then nine, was thoroughly delighted and I was thoroughly entertained. It was that rare thing, a live action movie for children that adults could also enjoy.

So, when the second movie, Battle of the Smithsonian, was released, I was eager to see it -- even though it again received only 44% approval from the Rotten Tomatoes reviewers. This time, I have to agree with the reviewers. The film, transplanted from New York to the Smithsonian, is a pale copy of the original. The new venue, so full of possibilities, simply offers nothing new in the way of plot or delight. The movie was tired and tedious. Although, to be fair, I must report that Max liked it -- and I do love Hank Azaria doing funny voices.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Entre Les Murs (The Class)

Review: Entre Les Murs (The Class)

Rating: ***1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 97%

In the past few years, I've gone to several French movies on the strength of almost universal acclaim from critics -- and I've been stunned by how much they overpraised the movies (see, for example, my review of Un Conte de Noel --A Christmas Tale). So, I approached this film with much trepidation, knowing only that 97% of 129 reviews reported on Rotten Tomatoes were positive, if not glowing.

My unequivocal admiration for this film has come in two stages. In the first phase, I found the film totally engrossing. Yes, in a past life, I was a teacher, so, like most teachers, I love to watch classroom-centered dramas. But this is a school story different from any I have ever seen. Set in a multi-ethnic Parisian high school replete with belligerent students, we might expect To Sir, With Love or Dangerous Minds -- dramas in which the earnest young teacher struggles at first but eventually wins the hearts and minds of his or her recalcitrant charges. Francois, the film's young teacher does struggle -- and he continues to struggle at the end of the film. There are small triumphs; there are probable tragedies. He's a good teacher, teasing marvelous stuff out of his students. He's a human, flawed teacher, engaging too often in verbal battles with his class and, on one utterly frustrating occasion, saying something he never should have said.

There are also scenes in the teacher's lounge where the faculty talk about their students and their frustrations. We here see that Francois is probably selling his students a bit short. The history teacher tells him he's covering the Ancien Regime in class and suggests Francois' students might read a little Voltaire, possibly Candide. Francois rejects the idea; he believes they are not capable of dealing with such texts. Yet later, one of Francois' least erudite students reports ingenuously that she has been reading The Republic. In scenes in which teachers formally review their students' performances, two students sit on the review council (actually mandated by French school policy). This representation is borne of good, if muddleheaded, intentions, certainly, but the bad behavior of the representatives has long range disastrous consequences.

On a personal note, I was naively surprised by how difficult it was for me to understand the French spoken in the film As a linguist, I should have been particularly aware of how much any language changes in 40 years -- the last time I studied French. On top of that, I only studied literary French (so when the students read from The Diary of Anne Frank in class, I had no trouble understanding the language). What this underscored for me was how futile it is for the French school system to persist in emphasizing the teaching of the conjugation of verb tenses that "only snobs use"-- imperfect subjunctive or passe simple, for example -- in the face of their natural disappearance from spoken language. (Note: I apologize I have not figured out how to make accents appear in this text.)

Well, enough of a linguistic rant. The second phase of my admiration for this film occurred when I read how it was made. The teacher, Francois Begaudeau, who "stars" in the film actually wrote a book about his experiences in the classroom. The director, Laurent Cantet, spent a year filming him, his fellow faculty, his students, and their parents (cinema verite style), but this isn't exactly a documentary -- even though everyone in the film is using his or her own name. The director had them all improvising their interactions. What results is a remarkably honest, compelling portrayal of a year in the life of a Parisian high school. At no point do we note self-consciousness on the part of the "actors." See it. It's a treat.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Angels and Demons

Review: Angels and Demons

Rating: *1/2

Nonna's Rating: $

Rotten Tomatoes: 37%

I'm really glad I haven't read the book this film is based on. I'm sure it's similar to The DaVinci Code. Long on plot, but short on substance, character development, accuracy, and logic. Because the film relies so heavily on plot twists, however, it did hold my interest. I never knew what to expect -- beyond deep, meaningful clues hidden in Bernini sculptures and obelisks.

Here's my issue -- and I'm trying not to incorporate SPOILERS: When we finally find out what REALLY IS GOING ON, the byzantine plan is so unnecessarily complex and dependent on a myriad of coincidences that it truly strains credibility. I mean, there must have been a simpler way of getting what he wanted. Donchathink?

Wait for cable. Or go see Star Trek again.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Star Trek

Review: Star Trek

Rating: ****

Nonna's Rating: $$$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 95%

Those of you who know me will probably be disposed toward discounting my hyperbolic praise of this movie. After all, I do have a home office with Trek action figures on the walls. And, yes, I have been-- and always shall be -- a Trekker

But WOW! I kept realizing my mouth was hanging open during every exciting sequence in the movie -- and there were plenty of them. And I was with two friends who are not Trek fans, but they truly enjoyed the film.

Refreshing the franchise by playing with time travel and the timeline, J. J. Abrams, the director, manages to satisfy both viewers new to the series and those of us intimately familiar with the details of five separate television series and ten (I think) movies. Who among Trekkers didn't delight in Kirk besting the Kobayashi Maru scenario? (If you don't know what I'm talking about, don't worry. You don't have to know.)

The new (old) Enterprise crew manages to capture the idiosyncrasies of the original actors without becoming a trite parody. Zachary Quinto as Spock is particularly adept at conveying a Spock a bit green behind the ears -- if not his blood. There are new layers of complexity and a fascinating backstory here. Chris Pine as Kirk is even more impetuous than Shatner as the young captain. The predictably awkward beginnings of his storied bromance with Spock are handled with aplomb. Both characters grow and learn in this installment -- the first, I'm sure, of several.

See it on the big screen. Going to warp has never been so marvelously gut wrenching.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: The Soloist

Review: The Soloist

Rating: **1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$

Rotten Tomatoes: 55%

My, how I wanted to love this movie. It had two marvelous things going for it: Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey. And they do deliver. I couldn't take my eyes or ears off Foxx whenever he began to speak. His verbal gymnastics recalled for me painful, frustrating experiences with two homeless schizophrenics whom I had known from their youth: there again was the brilliant connectivity of seeming gibberish describing the world through the lens of mental illness. And Downey inhabited his role as a reporter the way he always does -- with subtle nuances and doubtless sincerity.

Ironically, the problem with the movie is its verisimilitude, its unrelenting attestation that life is just more complicated than that. Downey's character (Lopez) sets out to rescue Foxx's (Ayers), a brilliant cellist derailed by his schizophrenia. Lopez's intentions are good; he does everything he can. He believes he can make a difference. But, in the course of the film, he learns that he has no control of the outcome of his actions: Ayers is not "fixable." Finally, Lopez recognizes that all he can really do is simply be there for Ayers with no hidden agendas, no desire to fix him. The film is worth watching for that insight alone, but, unfortunately, that story doesn't make for compelling drama. So, be prepared for a somewhat unusual movie-going experience. Instead of being entertained, you will be asked to ponder and learn. And is that so bad?

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: City of Ember

Review: City of Ember

Rating: **1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$

Rotten Tomatoes: 50%

I'm giving this movie a strong 2 1/2 stars -- and, if you're viewing it with a pre-teen, taking him or her to a matinee is a fine idea. Serious films for children are far and few between lately. This one presents a post-apocolyptic world filled with children who have learned to adapt to dire circumstances. It's a film that challenges older children to confront the consequences of profligate use of resources -- but the final message is one of hope.

The stunning visuals will captivate kids and keep adults interested if not mesmerized. Supporting performances by Tim Robbins, Martin Landau, and Bill Murray contribute to the solid story -- headlined by Saorise Ronan and Harry Treadaway, children who can carry the movie. Released last October, it makes for a good family night rental now.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: State of Play

Review: State of Play

Rating: **

Nonna's Rating: $

Rotten Tomatoes: 85%

Obviously, I'm the contrarian on this one. My expectations were high for this film. After all, Russell Crowe, Helen Mirren, Harry Lennix, and Jeff Daniels -- think of the possibilities. And, yes, Ben Affleck delivers a less than stellar performance, but he's not responsible for ruining the movie. The writers are.

It's a newspaper movie -- in the great tradition of All the President's Men , but falling far short of it. Crowe, paunchy and shaggy, plays a dissolute investigative reporter to a "T." Rachel McAdams does a passable job as the young, upstart blogging reporter. Helen Mirren is the crusty -- aren't they all?-- newspaper boss. The subtext of the byzantine plot is the speedy dissolve of the American newspaper as we know it and the rise of the Internet as the preferred source for news. But the film pays scant attention to this issue, resolving it by having Crowe and McAdams overcome their reporting-style prejudices and learning to cooperate to solve the mystery of "what is Ben Affleck up to anyway?"

At least, I guess they solved it. The ending left me with questions -- especially (and this is not a spoiler really) what the heck was that $26,000 about anyway? In a film like this one, ambiguity at the end is problematic; utter confusion is inexcusable. Wait for cable.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Changeling

Review: Changeling

Rating: **

Nonna's Rating: $

Rotten Tomatoes: 61%

I decided to withhold judgment on this movie. After all, it was a Clint Eastwood film -- nevertheless, it did star Angelina Jolie, and I've never been wowed by her histrionics. And she did pull out all the stops (organ reference) for this one. After all, she plays the single mother of a kidnapped child -- a role made for scenery chewing cinema. When the child is returned to her with great fanfare by the LA Police Department, she insists that he is not her child while all around her insist that he is. An incredible nightmare. The story plays out and focuses on the venal, unbearingly corrupt LA Police, immortalized for their lack of a moral compass in films such as Chinatown, Mullholland Falls, and L.A. Confidential.

There are at least three places where the film should end -- but it goes on -- and on. Eastwood is faithful to the actual story; unfortunately, that doesn't make for good cinema. I found myself waiting to see what would happen next but ulitmately found the film dissatisfying -- like a too light lunch.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: I Love You, Man

Review: I Love You, Man

Rating: ***1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 80%

I heartily recommend this movie. Yes, the humor can be crude and tasteless, but it is balanced by a pervasive sweetness. Peter, played by Paul Rudd, is engaged to Zooey (Rashida Jones of The Office). Zooey has a small crowd of friends who will be her wedding attendants; Peter, unfortunately, has no strong friendships with other men; he's not even close with his father or brother. So, Peter sets out to make some friends.

Some critics have said that this situation is totally unbelievable. I beg to differ. Most definitely, I have known men who were more comfortable around women, who enjoyed their company and felt socially inept around other men -- especially men who can be described as "guys' guys." Such women-loving men are not adept at sportstalk, the guy language of choice. They also don't spend much time complaining about women and their idiosyncracies -- or bragging about sexual conquests, the provence of men's men.

So, Peter decides to befriend a man, and his attempts provide a great deal of comic relief. He finally hooks up with Sydney, a guy secure enough to wear shorts and Uggs to walk his dog. As one critic points out, Sydney (Jason Segal) is a little bit like "The Dude" in The Great Labowski -- just not living so close to the edges of society.

By the end of the movie, Peter has learned more about himself and about his relationship with Zooey. Syndey also manages to grow up a bit. It's a delightful 90 minutes.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Monsters vs. Aliens

Review: Monsters vs. Aliens

Rating: **

Nonna's Rating: $$

Rotten Tomatoes: 73%

This one I did see in 3D -- and the effects were excellent. I heard on NPR that we can expect most feature-length cartoons from the big studios to be in 3D from now on. That will be fun -- but expensive because afternoon bargain prices do not seem to be operative for 3D movies. Eleven or twelve dollar admission is typical -- even for four-year-olds.

The film was entertaining enough for me, but my 11 and 4 "and a half" year old grandsons thought it was quite wonderful. To clarify their evaluations, I asked, "Was it better than Kung Fu Panda?" "No," they said. Panda is the gold standard in movies as far as they are concerned.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Adventureland

Review: Adventureland

Rating: ***

Nonna's Rating: $$

Rotten Tomatoes: 88%

One critic complained that movies about boring people with boring lives are boring -- and not worth making. Probably true, but I certainly didn't find these character boring people. Adventureland is a coming of age story. Like any bildungsroman, it is necessarily formulaic. A callow youth will grow from child to adult. He will be restless at first, discontent and somewhat cynical about his life as it is. As time passes, he will grow, usually making mistakes along the way. He will spend a good deal of time bashing his head against societal mores, but, eventually, he will be incorporated in that society in some meaningful way -- finally at peace. Well, maybe I'm claiming too much for this film, but I did not find it boring. It's a sweet, funny story with a great 80s soundtrack.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Duplicity

Review: Duplicity

Rating: ***

Nonna's Rating: $$

Rotten Tomatoes: 66%

OK, I confess. I had no idea what was going on in this movie. Don't ask me why they did this or that. I probably won't have an explanation. I could follow it well enough, but, when it was over, I started to ask questions like "Why didn't they just . . . ? Wouldn't they have accomplished the same thing if they'd only . . . ?"

The fact is that you don't really care about the answers. The film is only worth watching for two good reasons: Clive Owen and Julia Roberts. Both their delightful selves exude all over the screen. When they're not on camera, you really don't care. I guess that's star power. Without them, this film would never have been made. After all, they're spies who used to be in the CIA and MI5. Now, they just spy for corporations. No, not arms manufacturers. Pizza and beauty product manufacturers. Who else but these two could have made that interesting?

But I must mention one other standout performance in the film -- that of Paul Giamatti. Mr. Giamatti is the male Meryl Streep. He embodies his characters to the extent that we forget that Giamatti inhabits them. In this movie, he plays a corporate CEO for whom business is war. He should be nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor Oscar for one unforgettable scene in which he addresses his troops as effectively as Henry V at Agincourt.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: In Bruges

Review: In Bruges

Rating: ***1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 80%

Two professional hitmen hide in Bruges after a tragically bungled hit. One of them, played by Brendan Gleason, is a world-weary, experienced caretaker of sort (and I use that term in the broadest of senses). The other, played by Colin Ferrell, is the bungler -- and a liability as far as their boss, played by Ralph Fiennes (very much against type), is concerned. I hesitate to reveal any more. The plot is full of twists and turns as well as blood and comedy.

The juxtaposition of gore and extremely funny situations works somehow. And the director and writer, Martin McDonagh, manages to deliver a story in which we actually find ourselves caring about a couple of hitmen. Of course, credit must also go to the actors. We learn very little about their histories, but we know their stories just by looking at their faces. Brendan Gleason's existential angst is palpable; his altruism is almost saintly -- in a world where Satan is god. Colin Farrell's performance is nothing short of brilliant. His eyebrows could win an Oscar. And Ralph Fiennes is one scary dude -- a devoted English family man in the tradition of Tony Soprano.

A few critics have found the ending contrived and artificial. I found it believable and satisfying. What goes around comes around.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Coraline

Review: Coraline

Rating: ***

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 88%

Coraline is a stunningly beautiful animated work -- and I didn't even see it in 3D. The stop-motion animation is far beyond herky-jerky earlier efforts like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

If there is any drawback to this film, it is that it's really not appropriate for children -- perhaps even nine and ten-year-olds. Coraline is a little girl whose workaholic parents basically ignore her -- they practice a benign neglect. Coraline wishes for a different sort of life, and, yes, she gets what she wishes for. And it's one scary world through that secret door. Like Alice, she moves through the looking glass into an alternate reality. At first, it's heaven. Super-attentive parents indulge her every whim -- and her "mother" actually prepares elaborate tasty meals. Coraline, however, chooses to ignore the fact that these dream parents have buttons for eyes. All turns very dark when Coraline understands that she is trapped in this new world, and that she, too, must have buttons for eyes. I don't know about you, but that really creeps me out. Needles. Eyes. Yuk.

But I loved it.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Marley and Me

Review: Marley and Me

Rating: **1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$

Rotten Tomatoes: 60%

This film earns **1/2 not because it is exceptionally well written or well-acted, but because it's one of those rare movies adults can actually enjoy along with their children -- well, at least children who are a bit older and can handle some scenes guaranteed to get the tears flowing . It's engaging enough. Jennifer Anniston dutifully delivers her lines in a part (the wife) that's not particularly challenging or very different from anything else she's played. Owen Wilson, who seems to inspire either a "love him" or "hate him"response from moviegoers, manages to be his charming self and sets us up for a surprisingly philosophical -- and close to profound -- ending. Even though I'm not a dog owner, I was sucked into the sentimental appeal of the frustrating-but-lovable-puppy story. For about 20 minutes after the movie, I thought seriously about getting a dog -- that's how charming the film is. I was able to overcome my temporary insanity however.

Marley and Me has managed to do almost $150 million in U.S. box office receipts since its release at the end of 2008. Certainly, there's a natural appeal to dog owners, but that alone doesn't explain the film's success. When all is said and done, it's simply a charming film -- the kind people will buy for their video libraries. And they'll tell themselves they know what's coming, so they'll be convinced they won't cry. And then they'll find themselves weeping through the end -- the same way they do every time they view it.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Last Chance Harvey

Review: Last Chance Harvey

Rating: **

Nonna's Rating: $

Rotten Tomatoes: 69%

Ironically enough, here's a movie I really wanted to like and recommend -- but I can't. Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson do an amazing job with an incredibly mediocre, trite, derivative script, but they can't pull off a miracle. I groaned audibly when Hoffman's character was prevented by circumstances beyond his control from showing up at their "Affair-To-Remember"-type rendezvous.

One insurmoutable problem in the film is that I sensed no chemistry between the soon-to-be-70 Hoffman and the soon-to-be-50 Thompson. But I don't fault the actors. The script calls for Thompson's character to fear emotional entanglements, to always withdraw from intimacy. Hoffman's character isn't exactly a relationship builder either.

Nevertheless, Hoffman especially still manages to have a few moments in which he takes this mediocre material and makes it soar.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Revolutionary Road

Review: Revolutionary Road

Rating: ***1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 71%

I had decided not to like this movie. Several friends told me it was depressing -- a downer. And I expected it to be imitative of Mad Men, the outstanding AMC series about the secret lives of ad executives in the early 1960s. In a way, it is like Mad Men. The story focuses on a marriage in trouble and people smoke and drink incessantly -- even while they're pregnant. But the movie transcends all this.

The story proceeds in a straightforward manner: a young couple meet, get married, move to the suburbs, discover that their dreams have dissolved, try to recover them,and fall apart. It sounds ordinary. It sounds dull and boring. It's not -- in part because Kate Winslet and Leo DiCaprio deliver excellent performance; in part because their story is the story of 50% of American marriages.

There is also a special time-long-gone poignancy in watching the lives of men and women of the mid-fifties -- men who had returned from war and women who wore dresses and heels to do their housework. I could not help but think of the lives of my parents and their friends -- their dreams and disappointments

My friends were correct. It's not a happy movie, but it is balanced in the way it refrains from assigning blame for what occurs to the husband or the wife. They are both culpable.

Kathy Bates as their neighbor/realtor is her usual marvelous self, but it is the performance of Micheal Shannon that is truly mesmerizing. Into the ordinary, suburban world of Kate and Leo, Shannon drops like an atom bomb, telling truth, pointing out inconsistencies and subterfuge. He definitely deserves his Academy Award nomination.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: The Wrestler

Review: The Wrestler

Rating: ***1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 98%

I'm sure you've had the experience. You see a movie, and for a day or so, you can't get it out of your head. The images haunt you. You feel compelled to discuss it with others who've seen it; you feel compelled to recommend it to those who have not. The Wrestler has been such a picture for me -- and I'm still thinking about it after one week. Mickey Rourke's painfully authentic performance, his ability to inhabit the character he portrays, continues to remind me of -- of all things -- the gift of free will. God gave us the gift of choice and, everyday, we make one choice after another.

"The Ram," as Rourke's once-famous character is known, has made those choices, one after another, in his years of taking part in the bizarre ballet of choreographed professional wrestling. He had made those choices in his relationship with his wife and his child. And, yes, in his later years, in the movie, he still can choose one way or the other, but something deeper and more compelling than simple habit steers him toward choices that continue to chip away at his soul. We can pretend he's a "fringe" person, someone who lives outside of whatever "normal" is, but he isn't. He's an Everyman transmogrified by a myriad of addictions, including one to the idea and the glory of what it is to be "The Ram."

This isn't an easy film to watch. The wrestling scenes are brutal and bloody, made doubly horrifying by the obvious good will, affection, and camaraderie the wrestlers show one another in their dressing room. Rourke's performance is the reason to see the movie. His often subtle emotions play across his face, a face hardly recognizable to that of the young man who starred in The Pope of Greenwich Village. Some critics have said that Rourke's performance is not remarkable, that it only mirrors his own life experiences, that it is just Mickey Rourke on the screen.

Well, I say, that's enough for me.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Gran Torino

Review: Gran Torino

Rating: ***

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 77%

Clint Eastwood's latest offering, a meditation on racism, is as startling as it is familiar. As one critic pointed out, this film answers the Dirty Harry corpus in the same way Unforgiven answered Outlaw Josey Wales.

In this movie, Eastwood introduces us to Walt Kowalski, a racist, unhappy, unhealthy resident of a changing Detroit neighborhood. Like Dirty Harry, he seems ready to pull out a gun and be a vigilante in order to preserve his values -- and a way of life that has died with his wife. But the film soon departs from the old worn formula. Walt allows himself to see his Hmong neighbors as human beings. He transforms himself, not into Dirty Harry, but into the Good Samaritan, recognizing that all who are oppressed are his neighbors.

Gran Torino is the kind of film you see with thoughtful friends and then you go out to dinner with them and talk about it for two hours. It's the kind of film that has disturbing images that haunt you for a few days -- prompting you to question and reassess your own values.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: A Christmas Tale (Un conte de Noel)

Review: A Christmas Tale (Un conte de Noel)

Rating: *

Nonna's Rating: #

Rotten Tomatoes: 90%

OK, I'm an American boor. I found this French movie (which all the critics seemed to love) pretentious, tedious, and ultimately silly. I do agree with them, however, that Catherine Deneuve is absolutely "luminous" (everyone seems to use that word) and her acting is flawless. Jean-Paul Roussillon, as her husband Abel, is equally commendable. The other actors do well enough but some, like Elizabeth (Anne Consigny), are drawn so grotesquely they have no chance of achieving credibility.

The plot is disjointed and limps along. We wait for some revelation that will begin to explain some of the strained relationships in the family, but it never comes. When all is said and done, what disturbs me most about this film is that just about everyone but the children smokes incessently. By the end, I was seriously concerned about second-hand fumes.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Frost/Nixon

Review: Frost/Nixon

Rating: ***1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 91%

Finally, I agree with the critics on a film. Frost/Nixon fascinates and mesmerizes --even for those of us old enough to remember Frost interviewing Nixon and, thus, knowing exactly what happened. A couple of factors come together to make this film memorable. First, the performances of the lead and supporting actors, a remarkable ensemble, is spot on. Frank Langella inhabits Nixon, capturing his history of pain, hate, and vengeance in each small gesture. As Frost, Michael Sheen communicates the simultaneous chutzpah and insecurity that accompanied his courting of and ultimate questioning of Nixon. Sam Rockwell and Oliver Platt, as James Reston, Jr. and Bob Zelnick respectively, provide clever comic counterpoint to Sheen's sometimes fumbling persona. Kevin Bacon, as Nixon's aide and protector, Jack Brennan, actually manages to elicit our sympathy as he dissolves while watching Nixon's meltdown. There are also small performances, like those of Toby Jones as Swifty Lazar and Rebecca Hall as Caroline Cushing, that complement the lead actors perfectly. The acting -- and, second, the deft editing -- make this movie.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Rating: **1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 72%

I'm going to play the contrarian here. I honestly don't understand all the accolades piled on this film. I'm not saying it's a bad film-- it is entertaining. It's worth the price of a matinee ticket -- but you won't miss much if you wait a few months and rent it. It's another film with big stars and a big budget that just doesn't quite make it. I confess, with a certain amount of embarrassment, that I fell asleep for about 20 minutes in the middle of the movie. I wasn't tired; I was bored. I missed the whole Tilda Swinton section--and I understand her performance was a highlight. Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett did deliver competent performances. Taraji Henson,who has been nominated for Best Supporting Actress, transformed her rather traditional role as Button's adoptive mother into a an above average performance.

Many critics have written about the lyrical, fairy tale quality of the film -- that it somehow "washes over you in an almost hypnotic way" (Mike McGranaghan, The Aisle Seat). Unfortunately for me, so hypnotic I fell asleep. There definitely is a fairy tale aspect to this movie, but it doesn't come anywhere near the magical fairy tale quality of a film like Big Fish. Button is one of those big budget, big star movies that somehow misses the mark. Some critics have praised the film because it reminds viewers of their own mortaility and goads them into recognition of how precious are the seemingly insignificant moments of their lives. Perhaps -- but the movie is ultimately manipulative and deftly crafted to push our buttons.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: The Reader

Review: The Reader

Rating: ***1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 60%

I was glad to see this morning that The Reader has been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar and Kate Winslet has been nominated for Best Actress. The film deserves that kind of recognition. After reading some of the negative reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, however, I've come to the conclusion that many of the reviewers seem to have missed what the movie was about. I find it interesting that although many of the reviewers mention the nudity and eroticism of the film, none seem to note the many bathing and scrubbing scenes that accompany the nudity. In one way, these omissions are good because these scenes could be viewed as heavy-handed, metaphor-laden episodes. But, obviously, they're not because most reviewers don't even mention them. In another way, however, not noticing these scenes means that reviewers miss the import of the imagery: a futile attempt to scrub away the dirt and guilt of atrocities committed in the concentration camps during World War II. Winslet's character, as a former SS Guard, stands for all those who were directly responsible for the genocide. Ralph Fiennes' character, in one sense, stands for those who turned away and stood silent. But, more than that, like Winslet's character, his makes a choice -- a choice that causes harm. It's a movie about capital "E" ethics and the decisions we make. It's a movie about violence begetting violence and about sins of commission and sins of omission. Kate Winslet's performance is ultimately profoundly disturbing and enigmatic. She deserves the recognition she's getting.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Doubt

Review: Doubt

Rating: ***1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 75%

Four excellent performances grace Doubt: Meryl Streep, brilliant as always; Philip Seymour Hoffman, chillingly confident; Amy Adams, doing her naive ingenue -- this time in a habit; and Viola Davis, a complex revelation. The fifth excellent performance is that of the cinematographer Roger Deacons, especially in a pivotal scene between Streep and Davis where dialogue and camera are perfectly paired. Streep is no ordinary nun -- and halfway through the film we find out why. Unlike most nuns of that era (the 1960s) she didn't go straight from high school (or even grade school) to the convent.

The subject of the film is the possible molestation of a child by a priest but the subtext is the nature of power and authority. In one marvelous scene, Hoffman comes to Streep's office and sits behind her desk in her chair asserting his power and dominance. This action sets off a battle for control of the room that doesn't end until the film does.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Seven Pounds

Review: Seven Pounds

Rating: ***

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 29%

I liked this film a lot better than 71% of the critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Generally, the naysayers thought the film was plodding, predictable, and sentimental. Some of them praised Will Smith's performance; others panned it. One reviewer criticized Smith and Rosario Dawson's respective appearances, commenting they certainly didn't look terribly attractive. Well, no, they didn't. Rosario's character was dying and Smith's character was living an extremely stressful life. The plot is somewhat predictable; it's mysterious at first, but it doesn't take long to figure out where it's going. This doesn't detract from the film, however. Will Smith's performance is one of his best.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Nim's Island

Review: Nim's Island

Rating: **1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$

Rotten Tomatoes: 49%

Recommendation: Watch this film with a pre-teen and get a break from frenetic animation features. You'll enjoy the narrative pace and Jody Foster acting against type as a neurotic, agoraphobic klutz. It's a sweet story with very little at stake -- sort of an Enchanting the Stone for kids.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Australia

Review: Australia

Rating: **1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$

Rotten Tomatoes: 54%

It's a long movie (2 hrs. 35 min.), but the time flew by. The narrative is strong, if derivative. I want to like this film a lot more than I did -- mostly because of Hugh Jackman -- who is so much fun to watch. I also want to like it because my friend Jan Harris, who is from Australia and grew up on a sheep farm, loved this movie. She thought Americans should all see it because it would show them a period and place in Australian history with which few Americans are familiar. That's true. It's Australian Big Valley with Nicole Kidman in the Barbara Stanwyck role. Yes, it is derivative. It's also African Queen and, believe it or not, Lawrence of Arabia, with Jackman as Lawrence and Nicole as his camel boy. And, I confess, I did need an Australian history lesson. Up until seeing this film, I would have sworn that no part of Australia was attacked by the Japanese in World War II. Well, I'm embarrassed. Not only was Darwin bombed on 19 February 1942 (with more bombs than the number dropped on Pearl Harbor), but there were about 100 more attacks of a lesser scale during the war.

Another good reason to see this movie is the beguiling performance of Brandon Walters who plays a mixed race child doing his best to avoid the authorities. At this point in Australian history, half-Aboriginal children were separated from their families and placed in institutions where they were prepared for integration into white society as laborers. Of course, if you're really interested in seeing a fine movie on this same issue, see Rabbit Proof Fence.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Slumdog Millionaire

Review: Slumdog Millionaire

Rating: ****

Nonna's Rating: $$$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 94%

The best movie I've seen this year. Hands down. And gentlemen, don't let anyone tell you that it's a "chick-flick." It is a love story, but it's more that. The narrative structure of the movie is clever and original, but the film would only be an interesting curiosity if it weren't for the power of the story and the compelling performances of a bevy of young first-time actors. It's rated "R," but that's not for sex or language; it's for violence -- and there are some very intense scenes depicting the cruel, tenuous life of orphans in Mumbai. Several critics have called the film "Dickensian," but Fagin's troop of orphans is sheltered and loved in comparison to the children in this "orphanage" in the streets of impoverished India.

And, make sure you stay when the credits start to roll for the joyful coda.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Bolt

Review: Bolt

Rating: ***

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 85%

Bolt is the perfect animated feature for children AND adults. Children love Kung Fu Panda, but animated martial arts don't hold my attention for long. On the other hand, Wall-E delights most adults but is too much in the head for many children and downright frightening to the smallest ones. Bolt isn't one of the great animated films, but it provides for an afternoon of solid entertainment. John Travolta's rendering of the deluded canine is sweet and innocent. Susie Essman as his sidekick, Mittens, provides balance with her worldly cynicism (and added fun for adults). The digital animation is beautiful and the plot, fairly predictable, is nevertheless engaging.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: W

Review: W

Rating: **1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$

Rotten Tomatoes: 58%

W. hits too close to the bone, I'm afraid. This narrative of Bush's life begins, ends, and is sprinkled in between with scenes of the President and his cabinet deliberating whether or not to invade Iraq. As Cheney, Rumsfeld, and, especially, Rove manipulate Bush and the situation, I found myself profoundly uncomfortable. Everything I've read about Bush's relationship with his staff indicates that these staff scenes portrayed the interplay of personalities fairly and as close to reality as is possible on film. It's not a pretty picture.

Everyone in the film does a fine job. Brolin suggests Bush more than he impersonates him. Nevertheless, he manages to pull off an uncanny resemblance, choosing to duplicate the Texas cadences of Bush's voice and his physical presence from the neck down. Richard Dreyfuss as Cheney and Tobey Jones as Rove deliver chillingly accurate performances. James Cromwell plays Daddy Bush, a stern, unemotional father who prefers son Jeb to ne'er-do-well George W.

Oliver Stone shows more restraint in this film than in many of other works. His portrayal of W. is so balanced many critics have commented that W. would probably be pleased with the way he's portrayed.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Rachel Getting Married

Review: Rachel Getting Married

Rating: ***1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 87%

Anne Hathaway has spent most of her acting career in family films like Ella Enchanted and The Princess Diaries. She was always charming, but the roles weren't -- well-- challenging. The Devil Wears Prada stretched her a bit; she was, after all, acting with Meryl Streep. But, in this film, she moves into entirely different territory, delivering a performance which consistently portrays a tense young woman barely able to control her emotions. Unpredictably, she lashes out like a viper from time to time, disturbing everyone in her dysfunctional family. She is a woman in the middle of her recovery from addiction, and she has all the prickliness we can expect in such a state. It is impossible to tell whether she will move forward in recovery or slip back into her addiction. It's a remarkable performance. If you've ever been close to someone in the middle of his or her recovery journey, you will recognize the symptoms.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Ghost Town

Review: Ghost Town

Rating: ***

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 83%

Ricky Gervais delights me. The original British version of The Office, which he created and starred in, never ceases to amuse me. His portrayal of the office manager, David Brent, has an edge that just doesn't exist with Steve Carell's Michael Scott. Also, there's something weirdly endearing about Michael Scott; David Brent, on the other hand, has almost no redeeming qualities. He's delicious.

Gervais' character in Ghost Town, Bertram Pincus, D.D.S., is another unlikable guy -- but, in this case, he manages to grow and learn by the end of the movie, winning our hearts for a change. The film is a romantic comedy crossed with Ghost. This may sound derivative and predictable, but it's not. Tea Leoni's sensible sweetness is a perfect foil for Gervais' caustic humor. A more traditional comic lead here, say Owen Wilson or Vince Vaughn, would have made this a very, very ordinary movie. Put it on your Netflix list.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: The Secret Life of Bees

Review: The Secret Life of Bees

Rating: **1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$

Rotten Tomatoes: 56%

I loved the book, but, as you probably know, I don't expect movies to follow their book source slavishly. (The exception that proves the rule was Lord of the Rings.) And this movie actually followed the book quite closely -- well, as closely as I can remember. (I have a terrible memory for the details of plot in novels. Thus, novel was definitely not my speciality in my English Lit grad program.). So, I found the movie fairly satisfying, but, unfortunately, it lacked the whimsy of the book. The acting was fine; the stars appealing. Dakota Fanning is always a revelation and Queen Latifah was her charming self. It's a great rainy afternoon movie, and, yes, definitely it's a chick-flick.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Frozen River

Review: Frozen River

Rating: ***

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 86%

Frozen River is not a feel good movie. Even winter in Chicago looks balmy in comparison to the frozen moonscapes of northern New York and Quebec. There are glimmers of hope by the end, but, at that point, we know too much about the characters and their circumstances to foresee any dramatic changes in the way they approach life or make decisions.

This is the story of two single mothers: one (Melissa Leo) trapped by her gender and lack of education; the other (Misty Upham) trapped by her gender and race -- and both are trapped by their poverty, living from week to week on minimal wages and illegal earnings. And, oh yes, this is a thriller of sorts -- a hold-your-breath kind of movie. There's nothing like driving over a frozen river to Canada on smuggling runs. I probably haven't succeeded in making you want to see this movie, but, trust me, it's worth it -- not the least because of the compellingly real performances of the two leads.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Burn After Reading

Review: Burn After Reading

Rating: **

Nonna's Rating: $$

Rotten Tomatoes: 79%

I can not begin to tell you how much I love the Coen Brothers' movies. I've seen them all. I love them all. I own the script of Big Lebowski. After seeing O Brother, Where Art Thou? I wrote an essay on the film's motifs, imagery, themes, characters, and situations -- all compared to the Odyssey -- for myself! I love the Coen Brothers.

But I disliked this film. I wanted to like it. I tried to like it. But I couldn't. A great cast miscast. Clooney plays the same kind of grinning nitwit he portrayed in Intolerable Cruelty -- a Coen film which, in truth, I almost hated. Brad Pitt plays against type as a pretty boy nitwit working in a health club. And Frances McDormand plays a another type of nitwit so poorly I can't believe some people are suggesting she be nominated for an Academy Award.

The story was mindless. I found I really didn't care what happened to any of the people -- which was a good thing because dire things occur. Other people have loved this film. You may love it. But, if you don't, don't blame me. I told ya so.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Flash of Genius

Review: Flash of Genius

Rating: *1/2

Nonna's Rating: $

Rotten Tomatoes: 57%

Before I saw this movie, I asked myself why I would want to sit through the story of the college professor who invented intermittent windshield wipers and spent twelve frustrating years in a patent dispute. Well, Greg Kinnear is a good enough reason. Then I saw the movie. It was . . . well . . . pretty ordinary. Someone must have seen a great story here at some point, but that story was never realized. Instead, the characters are two dimensional and there's too much of an emphasis on technical jargon. My eyes glazed over on a regular basis. It might not seem so tedious if you're watching it "free" on cable, but don't rent it -- not unless you really get off talking about circuit boards and transistors. Then this movie may be for you.

Nonna's Ratings:
$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Vicky Christiana Barcelona

Review: Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Rating: **1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$

Rotten Tomatoes: 82%

Vicky Cristina Barcelona has come into its share of good reviews. After a string of mediocre Woody Allen films, critics seemed delighted to have a movie they could discuss without disparagement. The story is well told and the acting is natural and engaging. Javier Bardem, thank the Lord, is not channeling Woody Allen the way Kenneth Branagh did in Celebrity (for my money, Allen's worst film). Bardem is at his charming best. Penelope Cruz does "Penelope Cruz Crazy And Out Of Her Mind" and has earned some recognition (including, with Bardem, a Golden Globe nomination). The picture has also been nominated for a Golden Globe. Why? I'm not quite sure. It's a harmless piece of fluff which, like so many of Allen's films seems to be playing out his fantasy life -- in this case a menage a trois (and then a quatre). The bottom line is that the arrangements don't work. Women get jealous. Not such a huge surprise. Not exactly great revalatory theatre. I don't think the film is worth all the fuss. Woody can do better.

Nonna's Ratings:
$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Tropic Thunder

Review: Tropic Thunder

Rating: ***

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 83%

This movie really made me laugh. The satire was brutal; the dialogue was pretentiously silly. Ben Stiller is one of the best comedic actors out there -- not at all afraid of making himself look absolutely asinine. Tropic Thunder is not a laugh-a-minute-out-loud kind of movie. Instead, it develops a plot which gets increasingly ludicrous, silly, and bizarre. The situation drives the comedy. And the satire focuses on movies themselves -- no holds are barred. Stiller plays a Tom Cruise-type action hero bent on being taken seriously after a disastrous appearance in a "sensitive role" about a retarded man called "Simple Jack." Brandon Jackson plays a hip hop star, harboring a secret, who hopes to be taken seriously as an actor. Jack Black portrays an Eddie Murphy comedian whose films focus on an obese family (all members played by him) whose lives revolve around passing gas. Robert Downey Jr. is a "serious" Australian method actor (a la Russell Crowe) who has undergone a pigment change so that he can play a black soldier in this picture about a group of men fighting in the Viet Nam War. Rounding out this bizarre group is Tom Cruise playing a cameo as a deranged studio exec sans scruples. It's over-the-top (sometimes gross-out) humor and Downey and Cruise deserve their Golden Globe nominations. Don't blame me if you hate it. It's not for everyone, but the send up of the movie industry is priceless.

Nonna's Ratings:
$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants II

Review: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants II

Rating: **

Nonna's Rating: $ or #

Rotten Tomatoes: 63%

There's a definite sequel problem with this film. The freshness and originality of the first movie are missing; the girls are older and wiser and less interesting. What was new and charming in the Part I is old and stale here. And, gentlemen, this is most decidedly a "chick-flick," so fuggedaboutit.

Nonna's Ratings:
$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Brideshead Revisited

Review: Brideshead Revisited

Rating: **

Nonna's Rating: $$

Rotten Tomatoes: 64%

If you've never read Evelyn Waugh's novel of the same name or, especially, if you've never seen the BBC's 1981 11-part, 11-hour version starring Jeremy Irons and Anthony Andrews, and if you enjoy period pieces, then this version of Brideshead Revisited is likely to please you. Now, I'm not one to demand that movies follow the books they are based on religiously. The genres are as different as reality and imagination; each has its strengths and weaknesses. However, Brideshead begs for an 11 hour treatment. The novel, a tale of class and religion, is lush and sensual, steeped in a simultaneously ascetic and erotic Catholicism that demands attention to detail. If I attempt to be as fair as possible to the 2008 release, I find myself agreeing that it's beautifully photographed and well-acted in the way we expect English actors to act. However, Matthew Goode as Charles Ryder and Hayley Atwell as Lady Julia Flyte just don't convey the passion and guilt of their relationship in the way Jeremy Irons and Diana Quick do. So, you might rent the 2008 film for a rainy afternoon and enjoy it, but I suggest you consider renting the 11-part series and invest the time to appreciate why it almost always makes critics' lists of the 10 best series on television.

Nonna's Ratings:
$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Hellboy II

Review: Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Rating: ***

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 88%

Yes. Critics liked this one 88% of the time -- and they weren't wrong. I'd seen Hellboy I on cable and enjoyed the irreverent humor and ironic twists on the comic book genre. I generally don't have high expectations for sequels, but this one truly blew me away. Guillermo Del Toro's direction was downright phantasmagorical; he used myth and magic with a sure hand. His creatures echoed those in Pan's Labrinth, but were entirely appropriate to this genre, so very different in tone and story. Ron Perlman turns in a commanding performance as Hellboy, full of heart and swagger, and Selma Blair, his love interest, develops a third dimension (i.e., a true personality) in the sequel. Doug Jones as Abe Sapien (and other characters) has more screen time in the sequel and uses it well. Missing, however, is Abe's "voice" in Hellboy I, the inimitable, uncredited David Hyde Pierce.

Nonna's Ratings:
$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Rating: **

Nonna's Rating: $$

Rotten Tomatoes: 76%

After viewing Journey to the Center of the Earth, I was ready for a rousing adventure film -- one with a charismatic hero and plenty of action. I couldn't have been more disappointed with this latest offering in the Indiana Jones franchise. I got the feeling that a studio exec had said to Harrison Ford: "Listen, all you have to do is put on the hat and the jacket, wield that whip a few times, and we'll pay you a zillion dollars." And that's just about what Ford does. He's Indy without the passion and the energy. I wanted to give him a bottle of Extra Strength Tylenol for all his obvious aches and pains. I hate to say this, but he's too damn old to play the part, and the plot, a cold war version of Raiders of the Lost Ark, seemed tired and worn. Karen Allen, on the other hand, managed to inject her energy and spunk every time she was on screen. Rent this one on a cold winter night.

Nonna's Ratings:
$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Journey to the Center of the Earth

Review: Journey to the Center of the Earth

Rating: **

Nonna's Rating: $

Rotten Tomatoes: 61%

It's a bad sign that all I can remember about this movie are the scenes I preferred from the 1959 James Mason/Pat Boone classic. The 2008 version is fast-paced, replete with special effects, and blessed with the presence of the always entertaining Brendan Fraser, but the whole thing seems decidedly flat as it careens toward its final scene. The movie just does not convey the magic, the awe, and the wonder I experienced as a child watching the earlier version. Max, the 10 year old critic was not terribly impresssed with the film -- a good reason to wait until it appears on cable.

Nonna's Ratings:
$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Dark Knight

Review: Dark Knight

Rating: ****

Nonna's Rating: $$$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 94%

Much has been written lately about how this film has been ignored for the most part by award givers. So far, only Heath Ledger's performance has received recognition. Maybe there is something sensible about film distributors not releasing films until Christmas. It does seem as if evaluation committees have forgotten this remarkable movie released last summer. Heath Ledger's performance is, however, outstanding and, definitely, disturbing. Early on in the film he gives an explanation for his depraved behavior. Its triteness should be a tip off. What we begin to understand about his motivation becomes more and more unsettling as the film moves inexoracbly to its close. This is a film about evil; it's a film about sin. Almost everyone, including Batman, is guilty of some ethical breach -- some less so (Morgan Freeman's character); some more so. In the space of a week, I saw this film twice. I haven't done that since Doctor Zhivago (3x). What still remains for me the most compelling scene is Batman with his phone standing on the corner of the Sears Tower in the hazy night. It wasn't CGI. Christian Bale was standing on the corner of the Sears Tower.

Nonna's Ratings:
$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental

$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Mamma Mia

Review: Mamma Mia

Rating: ***

Nonna's Rating: $$$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 52%

I saw this film the first week it was released in Richmond, VA. I realized about half way through, as the audience around me sang every word of every song, that I had been smiling with abandon since the first scene -- and I have never been an Abba fan. The delight in this film was infectious. Even Pierce Brosnan's beyond horrible singing didn't ruin the experience for me. (His discomfort with his role radiates from every stiltled gesture and grimace.) Meryl Streep, however, is a dancing/singing revelation even though, as several critics have pointed out, she is too old for the role. No matter. She pulls it off in the glorious scenery of the Greek Islands. I gave the soundtrack to my son and daughter-in-law for Christmas and we watched it that night. My son and brother began to complain in the first five minutes and gave each other raised-eyebrow "chick flick" looks, but they stayed for the whole film and I caught them singing along more than once. Don't skip the credits. Amanda Seyfried's voice is perfect for "Thank You For the Music"

Nonna's Ratings:
$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Wall-E

Review: Wall-E

Rating: ***1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 96%

Critics' high praise for this film was well-deserved. One observed that the first half of the movie is the best silent comedy since the films of Charlie Chaplin. It's a rare thing -- an animated film that delights adults. My favorite 10-year-old reviewer Max, however, although he liked the movie, judged Kung Fu Panda the superior film. The morality tale aspect has seemed heavy-handed to a few reviewers, but it's a morality tale worth telling over and over -- a dire warning against the abuse of God's glorious creation. If you haven't seen it, make sure you put it on your NetFlix list.

Nonna's Ratings:
$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Kung Fu Panda

Review: Kung Fu Panda

Rating: **1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 88%

As animated features go, Kung Fu Panda fills the bill for 3-11 year olds. Jack Black's Panda never stops moving -- his body or his mouth -- and kids love it. It's not the adult-pleaser that Wall-E is, but I didn't fall asleep either. So, this one is worth the Matinee price if you're with a kid; otherwise, watch it some late night on HBO when you're really bored.

Nonna's Ratings:
$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price
$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Thank you, Cubs

The Cubs rest high on my gratitude list today -- and especially this marvelous guy pictured here: Aramis Ramirez. I belong to a family in which the members practice different religions -- Cubsfanaticism and Soxfanaticism. Needless to say, animosities abound. What a fine weekend this has been! The gloat factor is stratospheric. My, my, my. I do love baseball. If you are a Cub fan, make sure you join Westside Rooters Social Club. (http://www.westsiderooters.com/). And, when they ask you who urged you to join, enter donnarnold@rocketmail.com. Thank you for your support.

Review: The Visitor

The Visitor ***1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 92%

The Visitor has been playing in Evanston for the past two months. I thought it would never come to the Western Burbs, but this week it finally did. It was worth the wait.

The film tells the story of a Connecticut college professor of Economics who clearly is just going through the motions. His syllabi never change from class to class; his sparsely attended lectures are dreary and tired; his latest collaborative paper was actually researched and written by a younger colleague seeking tenure. He attends an academic conference in New York where he has an apartment. He enters his apartment and discovers that a young couple, illegal immigrants, are living there. The man is from Syria; the woman is from Senegal. They rented the apartment in good faith and are more than willing to leave when they discover they have been scammed.

Walter watches them as they leave, walking the street with their baggage. And there the story really begins. He decides to allow them to stay in his apartment. I don't want to reveal anything else about the plot; suffice it to say that there is no pat happy ending. The professor, however, played by Richard Jenkins (the father on Six Feet Under), is transformed, renewed, and revitalized by the end of the film. The change that occurs opens him to the world and to the other human beings who populate it.

The film does an excellent job portraying the plight of hardworking illegal aliens, desperate to stay in this country, but it is Jenkins' performance that makes the film worth watching. His acting is subtle and nuanced. We understand a great deal about him, his life, and his relationship with his deceased wife, but little of this understanding comes to us through dialogue.

Nonna's Ratings:
$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$ = Worth paying the Matinee price
$ = Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Sex and the City

Sex and the City: ***
Nonna Rating: $$$
Rotten Tomatoes: 53%

This review is simple. If you are a fan of the show, male or female, see the movie. You'll love it. If you're female and not an avid watcher of the series, but you're not a hater of the series, see the movie. If you're male and have no relationship of any kind with the series, DO NOT SEE THE MOVIE. Do not even accompany your significant other who is a fan out of love and selflessness. You will not like the film and you will slip and say SOMETHING that just ticks her off. I guarantee. Better to avoid this film than do anything that interferes with the pleasure of a woman who is out to see what is, in essence, five episodes of the most girly TV show in history back to back.

What can I say? It's fun. I'd love to talk about my favorite scenes, but I'd spoil them for all of you who are planning to see the movie. See it with girlfriends. Go out for cosmos afterwards. Celebrate sisterhood!

Nonna Rating System:
$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$ = Worth paying the Matinee price
$$ = Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Four Movies to Consider -- At Least

Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: **1/2
Nonna Rating:$$$
Rotten Tomatoes: 65%

Max, my 10-year-old grandson, loved this movie. For that reason alone, I say "Pay for a matinee and take a kid with you." The film differs from the first one, and, I confess, I liked it better in many ways -- perhaps because, although I've read Prince Caspian, I don't remember much about it, but I did remember The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe very well and had some very specific expectations of that movie. I remembered nothing about Prince Caspian, and so was continually surprised by the storyline. Caspian is much more of an action film -- filled with battle scenes and fewer charming, loquacious animals. It is set hundreds of years in the future, long past the time of the Snow Queen's rule in Narnia. The children all turn in excellent performances and Lucy (Georgie Henley pictured above) is as charming as ever. Anna Popplewell, who plays Susan, actively participates in the final battle and seems to be channeling Legolas from Lord of the Rings with her bow and arrow. Ben Barnes, who plays Caspian, is guaranteed to make many adolescent hearts flutter. I agree with quite a few of the critics who have predicted this will be a breakthrough movie for him and possibly lead to many other meaty roles. Caspian is definitely a movie to be seen on the big screen with its very big special effects.

And, oh yes, Liam Neeson as the voice of Aslan is terrific, but I always feel odd about reviewing Aslan's character. It's like critiquing Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. Just not done.

Persepolis: ***

Nonna Rating:$$$
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%

Every once in a while a movie appears that pushes the boundaries of what we've come to expect from the medium. Persepolis is one of those films. It's a cartoon. In black and white. It tells the story of a young Iranian girl, Marji, who grows up under the repressive regime of the Shah. The Shah is overthrown and everyone around Marji rejoices, envisioning freedom and a new Iran. Instead, soon enough, they discover the new government of religious fundamentalists is even more repressive than the government of the Shah. All this history is interpreted through Marji's innocent, intelligent eyes. Seeing this history through a child's perspective makes it even more ominous and horrifying. But Marji is exactly the opposite of the stereotyped submissive Muslim woman. She is outspoken and ready to fight for her rights. This frightens her parents; they send her to school in Europe where she will be safe. But Western society is no haven for Marji. She doesn't fit there and she doesn't fit in Iran either. Much of the film chronicles her turbulent adolescence and confused coming of age. She marries, is unhappy, and returns to Iran. But neither Europe nor Iran is this a solution to her confusion and angst. She leaves Iran again, a stronger young woman who knows herself and accepts that she must live day by day in ambiguity.

(Note: Anyone else reminded of the Madeleine books and Miss Clavell when you look at the picture above?)

Chicago 10: **1/2

Nonna Rating:$$
Rotten Tomatoes:

In the summer of 1968, I was paying a lot of attention to my newborn son, Peter. My campus activist days were on hold. I was a house-bound nursing mother in Omaha. Before Pete was born, I had worked on the Eugene McCarthy campaign in Omaha. In our office, there was a picture of Robert Kennedy on a dart board. As far as we were concerned, he was a part of THE PROBLEM. Gene was clean. On June 6 the picture came down. Pete was only 10 days old, so I didn't see it happen. I just heard about it.

Even though I had not been a Kennedy supporter, his death and that of Martin Luther King just two months before were emotionally devastating. My wasbund and I followed the news from Chicago about the coming convention. The park filled with demonstrators. Friends became more rabid about "bringing on the revolution" by the minute. We all knew there would be a confrontation in Chicago before or during the convention. It was inevitable. We didn't own a TV, so we rented one for the convention. What I will never forget was holding Pete in my arms, crying, and watching The Today Show the morning after THE riot. They were showing film of the night before, sometimes in slow motion. Over it, they were playing Frank Sinatra singing "My Kind of Town."

Chicago 10 chronicles the trial of those accused of conspiracy to start a riot. There were 8 "conspirators" and two lawyers included in the 10. The trial was, with no exaggeration, a circus. The judge, Julius Hoffman, was as much a buffoon as Abie Hoffman (no relation) was. Each day brought on more outlandish behavior and as many four letter words as possible. For the documentary, the filmmaker, Brett Morgen, uses archival footage, dramatization, and cartoons to tell the story. Interestingly, he chose to use music popular now rather than the golden oldies of the Sixties. This has an interesting effect. The older music would have placed the film firmly in the revolutionary context of the sixties without the perspective of "what we know now." The newer music serves as an ironic commentary and keeps forcing us to face how different these two worlds are. It's a fascinating film. It's not a great film but it deserves viewing -- if only for it's creative use of media in its storytelling.

There Will Be Blood:***

Nonna Rating:$$$
Rotten Tomatoes: 91%

Warning: I am a huge fan of Daniel Day-Lewis. (Long ago, I was actually a fan of his father, Cecil Day-Lewis, once the poet laureate of Great Britain.) I am also a big fan of the film's director, Paul Thomas Anderson, who directed what I still think is one of the great unrecognized films of the 20th century, Magnolia.

Blood is well-written and beautifully directed. The cinematography of the American southwest is expansive and gloriously shot. The supporting actors in the film make significant contributions to its overall excellence. Paul Dano is especially disturbing, prophetic, and magnetic. But, there is really only one good reason to see this film: the performance of Day-Lewis. The first word that comes to mind is complex. Many things, like his character's motivation, are left unexplained in the movie. Day-Lewis' performance complements this ambiguity in the writing perfectly. He truly deserved his best actor Oscar, his Golden Globe, and his other awards.

Nonna Rating System:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price

$$$ = Worth paying the Matinee price

$$ = Worth a rental

$ = Wait for cable

# = Skip it

Three Movies To Avoid

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street: *
Nonna Rating: #
Rotten Tomatoes: 86%

I saw Sweeney Todd at Lyric Opera and hated it. But I went to movie with a relatively open mind, expecting that it might tranlate better to the screen. After all, Rotten Tomatoes' reviewers were approving at a rate of 86%. Well, they were wrong. It's still a dark story about truly despicable human beings. There's no smidgen of hope or redemption. The cartoonish stage violence of the opera gives way to graphically violent murders in the movie, each one more nauseating than the other. (Here, I must confess that, as a matter of policy, I do not attend slasher or horror films. I just don't get why some people find them enjoyable.) Finally, even Sondheim's music does not redeem the film. Only one song, "A Little Priest, is memorable at all.

Here is a film with a marvelous cast: the always fascinating Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, and Sacha Baron Cohen -- and they do their best, but it's not enough.

Whenever I pan a film, I try to recommend another which is thematically similar. In this case, that's pretty tough. There's nothing quite like this movie unless we turn to much less violent films based on Dickens' novels. If you're looking for a violent film that is worth watching, try Eastern Promises.



Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day: *
Nonna Rating: $
Rotten Tomatoes: 76%

Another film with a great cast that, in my estimation, falls far short of the rating it received on Rotten Tomatoes (76%). So, a 1920s English drawing room farce starring two American actresses: Frances McDormand (with an accent) and Amy Adams (playing an American). English farce depends entirely on excellent actors (at least we have that here), impeccable timing (completely absent), and brilliant physical comedy (also absent). English farce should be nothing short of delightful. We should have smiles on our faces during most of the action. When it really works, the upper classes get a satiriacal treatment that's deeply satisfying. So skip this one or watch it on cable. If, after ten minutes, you're feeling sleepy or bored, bail.

Instead, rent Season 1 of Jeeves and Wooster, the brilliant BBC/Granada adaptation of P.G. Wodehouse's novels starring the inimitable Stephen Fry as the archetypcal British butler Jeeves and Hugh Laurie (yes, Hugh Laurie of House , who is definitely very English) as the ultimate English twit, Bertie Wooster. Watch one episode. You'll be hooked and watch all twenty-three.

Leatherheads: *1/2

Nonna Rating: $

Rotten Tomatoes: 53%

Maybe doing movies about the 1920s is the problem. Here's another film that doesn't make the grade. About half the critics were right on this one. Another movie with big stars, a disappointing script, and lackluster acting. I had high hopes for this would at least be a pleasant diversion. After all, George is in it. The problem is that Clooney seems to sleepwalk through the film. And then there's Renee Zellweger who is fast becoming a perpetually annoying actress with her squinched up face (If you've ever seen Tracy Ullmann imitate her, you know what I mean). John Krasinwski is his charming self, but it's a one note performance that certainly can't sustain the movie. The film seems to aspire to the screwball comedy of Howard Hawkes. It doesn't come close.

So, rent His Gal Friday, one of Hawkes most brilliant films. Hawkes direction, Ben Hecht's play, and the suberb acting of Rosalind Russell and Cary Grant combine to make this one of the best comedies ever filmed. And if you acquire a taste for screwball comedy, rent I Was a Male War Bride, It Happened One Night, Bringing Up Baby, Holliday, Some Like It Hot, The Lady Eve, My Man Friday, The Awful Truth, Philadelphia Story, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, To Be or Not to Be, and Arsenic and Old Lace.

Nonna Rating System:
$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$ = Worth paying the Matinee price
$$ = Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Young at Heart

Young@Heart ****
Nonna Rating: $$$

My friends Elizabeth Molitors and Jerry Hinck (independently -- they don't know each other) insist that I've never seen a movie I didn't like. Not true! In fact, I have seven backlogged movies to review in the next few days and several of them were just plain awful.

In my defense, I tend to see movies that have been well-reviewed, so as not to waste time or money at clunkers. I use the Rotten Tomatoes website, which collects reviews from everywhere, so, often there are as many as 100 opinions posted on a film. The neat thing is that the site computes the proportion of positive reviews for each movie. Generally, I've found that movies with a 75% or higher are worth seeing -- there have been exceptions, however. Anyway, the site serves as a good guide. (Yes, there have been a few movies with lower ratings that I have liked. What can I say?)

So here's my review of Young@Heart, which received a whopping 87% on Rotten Tomatoes.

As my friend Linda McCarthy said yesterday after seeing the film with me, "There are a lot of life lessons in this movie." So true, but it's not preachy or sentimental or cloying: it just focuses relentlessly on life with all its joy, humor, and sadness. The film highlights an aging singing group (average age 80) based in Northhampton, MA. They could choose to sing the great romantic ballads of the 40s, but instead they belt out songs by Coldplay, The Clash, Sonic Youth, The Rolling Stones, and Talking Heads to name a few.

The film follows the group as they prepare for a concert in their hometown -- before they take off on another tour of Europe. Along the way, they perform a free concert for the local prison. That segment alone provides reason enough to see the film. The expressions on the faces of the prisoners attest to the power of music to heal and to the joy that it generates.

The film, however, does not portray old age as "cute." Many of the group are dealing with serious medical problems. But these senior citizens are not going gentle into that good night. Their energy and commitment model how to grow old and why it behooves us all to respect and care for the elderly who have much to teach us.

Nonna Rating System:
$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$ = Worth paying the Matinee price
$$ = Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Alleluia

Easter has come and gone. I feel as if I went into the tomb during the triduum and am just now emerging. And now it's ordinary time. Time for tears. I've been damming up my sorrow for too long.

Yesterday heralded the 150th commencement for Seabury. Andrew Shirota and Karen King orchestrated an excellent service at St. Luke's in Evanston. We all talked on the garth and ate a light lunch. Well, we didn't all talk. I just listened and smiled and posed for pictures. I was sad.

I went back to my apartment and began to pack my car. Three times I found myself sitting in a chair staring at the walls. Sadness. It took me three and a half hours to pack my car. I think it should have taken one and a half at the most. People had gathered in the yard behind our building to talk and drink and eat some more. I didn't want to be there; I just wanted to go home. I began to wonder if I might be suffering from a clinical depression.

Today, I don't think so. I'm just sad. Really sad. In the past two months I've been very conscious of putting off grieving for my Dad. Whenever I became sorrowful, I'd allow myself five minutes of wailing and then I got back to work. The result: I managed to get through the semester and finish on time, but I'm sad. Now, I have a whole month ahead of me with absolutely nothing planned. I intend to loaf, read, nap, watch soaps, and be sad whenever I need to be. I expect I will be so bored with this behavior by the end of the month, I will more than ready to plunge into an active June.

And then there's the sadness of Seabury. Yesterday at the commencement service, I felt as if I was finished also -- without the benefit of a diploma. This semester has had one "little death" after another. The "non-closing" closing of Seabury, the layoffs of the staff, the blanket firing of the faculty, the resignations of Frank Yamada and AKMA Adam, Ruth Meyers' sabbatical, and Rosemary Gooden's visiting professorship at Virgina Theological Seminary. Then, there's the dissolving fall schedule and the closing of the bookstore. Sunt lacrimae rerum. I know next year will be sad but I also know that there will be joy and that we will be alright. The Dean suggested the other night that we bless God for what is. I intend to do just that -- and to feel sad when I need to.

And I have a backlog of about seven movies to review. I'll get busy. Most of them are out of the theatres already, but I can always mislead you about whether to rent them or not.