Nonna's Review: Glee: the 3D Concert Movie

Review: Glee: The 3D Concert Movie

Rating: ***

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 60%

Audience: 70%

If you like the TV show, go see the movie. It's as simple as that. The cast stays in character and sings some of the best songs they've performed over the past years.

And that's when the film is in top form -- not when it's playing documentary concert film and interviewing fans to show how affirming the TV show has been for kids who don't feel they fit in and admit they have big "Ls" on their foreheads. Those add-on stories just don't work -- even though Glee's message every week is that same affirming, love-who-you-are theme. More singing and dancing would have been better.

Each cast member gets his or her moment in the spotlight. Some more than others. I really wanted to see more of Chris Colfer. At least he sang "I Want To Hold Your Hand." The small audience with whom I saw the film made it even more fun: very vocal teenagers, who obviously had crushes on several cast members, squealed, sang along, and clapped spontaneously with gusto. I even spied one of the finalists in The Glee Project, Damian, in the crowd. I do hope that's a good sign because I think he'd be a great addition to the cast with all his Irish charm.

Nonna's Rating

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price

$$$ = Worth paying the Matinee price

$$ = Worth a rental

$= Wait for cable

# = Skip it

Review: The Help

Review: The Help

Rating: ***1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$$

Rotten Tomatoes: 73%

Audience: 93%

I actually liked it better than the book. I was prepared for disappointment, but the movie surprised me -- primarily because of a very powerful performance by Viola Davis as Aibileen, a woman who suffers with dignity. There is already Oscar buzz about Davis's performance. She doesn't have to say anything to convey the hurt, anger, and sorrow she feels as a black woman serving the needs of spoiled, clueless, racist white women in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960s.

Some have criticized this film (and the book) because it doesn't portray the mindless, vicious violence perpetrated on blacks in the south fifty years ago. I can't agree with that criticism. That's not the kind of vile racism this film depicts. Instead, it illustrates the subtle, genteel racism of privileged white women who would never think of pointing a gun at one of their servants. Instead, they denigrate these women, assume they're diseased, accuse them of thievery, exploit them financially, deny them their families, prevent them from getting an education, give them unlimited access to children they've come to love, and treat that relationship as meaningless. And all for only one reason: they can. Yes, it's as if the 13th Amendment had never been passed.

There are funny moments in this movie. There are little triumphs, but, when all is said and done, there remains injustice masquerading as Christianity. All in all, it's horrific.

Octavia Spencer as Minnie delivers a fine performance as a woman who is mad as hell and won't take it any more. Emma Stone (Skeeter) is the amanuensis of this group of Southern black maids poised to step into the complex second half of the 20th century.

Movies have been pretty horrible this summer. Along comes one worth watching -- and talking about.

Nonna's Rating

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price

$$$ = Worth paying the Matinee price

$$ = Worth a rental

$= Wait for cable

# = Skip it

Review: Crazy, Stupid, Love

Review: Crazy, Stupid, Love

Rating: **1/2

Nonna's Rating: $$

Rotten Tomatoes: 75%

Audience: 86%

Crazy, Stupid, Love is a ** movie, but earns another half star when compared to other recent romantic comedies -- most of which have been formulaic, predictable, and boring. At least this film surprises us. Steve Carrell (Cal), who currently owns "sweet, lovable guy" roles, Ryan Gosling (Jacob), and Emma Stone (Hannah) all portray characters more authentic than those generally seen in romantic comedies. The supremely talented Marisa Tomei (Kate) could have been just as authentic but her over-the-top (over-directed?) performance is out of sync with the rest of the film. There was one very sour note at the end of the movie which spoiled the film for me. Not wishing to give the scene away, I only note that an older underage girl gives a gift to a younger boy which is, well, just inappropriate.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price

$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it

Review: Seven Days in Utopia

Review: Seven Days in Utopia

Rating: **

Nonna's Rating: $

Rotten Tomatoes: 9/2/11 Release Date

Audience:

I attended a screening of Seven Days in Utopia on August 4. Pastors and church leaders were invited. All I knew was that the film starred Robert Duvall (Johnny Crawford), Melissa Leo (Lily), and Kathy Baker (they're reason enough to attend) -- and that it was about golf. The acting was excellent. Duvall, as always, gave a subtle, nuanced performance. Leo and Baker did their best with mediocre material. Lucas Black, who plays a young golfer who has recently experienced a competitive meltdown, held his own with these stars and managed to be endearingly charming.

But the story just didn't work for me. Too formulaic, too similar to films like Bull Durham, The Legend of Bagger Vance, and Karate Kid; i.e., promising young athlete receives invaluable instruction from wise, seasoned veteran. Also, Lucas Black's character (Luke Chisholm) transforms effortlessly in a matter of seconds from a total jerk having a meltdown to a pleasant, humble guy willing to go along with Duvall's eccentric tutorial. Pretty unbelievable -- as was his all too easy reconciliation with his controlling father/caddy at the end of the film.

Finally, the movie was being promoted as a "Christian film"; however, I thought the Christian elements were tangential and included praying before meals, going to church, and generally being very kind and respectful to one another. Nothing to complain about, but the heart of the movie really is Johnny Crawford's seven step process to self-mastery (here applied to golf) which is more standard self-help fare than a Christian-based rule of life .

Instead of paying to see this film, rent Bull Durham.

Nonna's Ratings:

$$$$ = Worth paying the Friday evening price
$$$= Worth paying the Matinee price

$$= Worth a rental
$ = Wait for cable
# = Skip it