Man of the Year (R)

I think I passed out for a moment and came home with this silly little Robin Williams movie. Really? Christopher Walken has been reduced to this crap?

Felt more like TV than a film. Harmless but ... worth the 90 minutes?

2.5 thoughts provoked out of 5

The Departed (R)

I generally avoid violence-for-the-sake-of-violence type movies but I've had a little thing for mob/mafia/goodfella movies since way back when. The Departed falls into that category, following a certain Boston Baddie through the years as he trains up rats and drops them into the Boston PD and learns that rats have infiltrated his own organization.

It's a movie about trust and who you can and who you can't. It's a movie about good guys and bad guys and figuring who is what and where the line blurs. It's a movie about justice beyond the badge.

It's also a movie about cell phones (could they have made it without them? what did baddies do before them?) and angry Bostonians.

My favorite player was Martin Sheet in his calm, cool, collected, Captain-y way. Leonardo DiCaprio was damn good, walking the line between goodie and baddie and losing his mind along the way. Matt Damon was pretty one-dimensional ... maybe two. It was hard to really get with him, but maybe that's because he's Irish and he doesn't open up (his own admission). Markie Mark lost me and Alec Baldwin lost out on an opportunity for that beefy, snarky, too-good-for-you bit he does so well. And Jack Nicholson ... well, he was Jack Nicholson. No surprises there.

Watch out for the length -- we watched it over two nights -- and the falling scene at 244 Wash. Ignore the silly technology (um, delete key? really? it's that easy?). Otherwise, turn off your cell phone, sit back, and enjoy it!

4.5 staties out of 5

The Devil Wears Prada -A

So fun for a chick flick! Meryl Streep is great in this movie, just love to hate her! It turns out the way you think, and Hollywood put their touches on it but I still really enjoyed it. I did not read this book so I had no preconceived notions of the story, only what I heard about, based on a book, based on real people, takes place in the fashion world. If you are looking for a light fun watch, please rent this. 3.5 Prada's out of 5.

Saw III --A

um....gore, gore and more gore. I thought the other 2 were at least somewhat clever in the torture. This one, not so much. They went right to the ripping flesh and graphic bone breaks. It didn't get clever until the end and by then it was too late. They did leave it wide open for Saw IV though! 2 creepy, clown videos out of 5.

Trust the Man --A

Julianna Moore (love her), David Duchovny, Billy Crudup, and yes, Maggie Gyllenmybrotherishothall. I did not pick this becuase she was in it, it just happened that way. About 2 couples, one married, one together 7 years. It wasn't bad and I found it entertaining at times. If was kind of predicatable but I still continued to watch. I laughed out loud at a couple of scenes and at other times wished I could hav reached into the screen to straggle the character. I give this 3 assmans out of 5.

Hollywoodland (R)

I went in a little hesitantly after that 2-hour fiasco that was the new Superman movie a couple of months ago and after the fiasco that has been Ben Affleck the last few years. I knew this would be different, though; I'd heard such good things about it. It's great! G snoozed a bit but I was riveted to the screen until the very end, questions like "Was it her? Or her?" "Was it him?" "Did he do it himself?" swirling around in my brain. I won't give away the ending but will say that when the connection between George+Dad and Simo-as-Dad finally clicked for me I was very impressed by threads holding the film together. G woke up during the end credits and asked how it ended and I had to shake my head and say, "I'm still sorting it out."

Good stuff. 5 $12,000-dollar houses in LA out of 5.

L4YER CAKE (R)

While I'm not officially a poster-havin' member of the Daniel Craig Lust Society, I do officially have a mad crush on his blond, British arse.

Great little gangster film. I enjoyed it very much even aside from the aforementioned crush.

5 heads in a personal Coleman cooler out of 5

The English Patient (R)

Can you believe I'd never seen this? I finally filled that hole in my soul and rented this cinematic masterpiece. Wow.

5 tins of desert rations out of 5

An Inconvient Truth -A

This is the Al Gore global warming movie. Why do I watch these in my state. Don't get me wrong, the movie was compelling and scary and eye opening and frustrating and a whole bunch more. But when he started talking about polar bears and now knowing that they are endangered it pulled the heart strings and the pregnancy hormones and emotions started and (big sigh). So I voted for Al Gore in 2000 and I think the man was intellegent enough to run this country, with that being said, I have a new found respect for him in his fight for the environment. What I didn't know is that he has been in COngress fighting for environmental laws since he started in politics (late 70's/early 80's), he didn't just decide 'well since I can't be prez I will protect the polar ice caps'. He poked fun at himself and other politicians but he kept to the topic at hand for the most part. 4 melting glaciers out of 5.

Sherrybaby - A

Maggie GyllenIHaveAHotBrotherhall and didn't recognize anyone else. Indy Film. Sherry is released from jail after 5 years. Her brother and SIL have been raising her daughter. She needs a place to live, a job, and to stay clean. Maggie was great in this! The film is very good but be prepared for a drepressing theme. 4 pair of high heels out of 5.

Stranger then Fiction - A

Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson, Queen Latifa, Maggie GyllenIHaveAHotBrotherhall, Dustin Hoffman. Wanted to see this in the theaters, not sure how it did. I really liked it. Will Ferrell was on the more serious side but there were laughs throughout. It kept me intrigued until the end. About the author who is writing a story and unknowingly her character is a real person. 3.5 cookies out of 5.

The Contender (R)

We breezed by the crappy new releases (see last two entries) and headed for a good drama. We found it in The Contender, a movie I'd seen once before while on a plane but was eager to actually hear it this time. Joan Allen is great, Jeff Bridges is great, Gary Oldman is great, Kermit (don't know his real name but it's Jeff Bridges primary aide) is wonderful. You've probably seen it already, but if you haven't ...

5 soroity initiations and scorned ex-wives out of 5

The Night Listener (R)

Sucked. (The decline of Robin Williams is very sad.)

2 crazy ladies out of 5

Flight Plan (R)

Sucked. (But Peter Saarsgaard is a lovely man.)

2 chenille teddy bears out of 5