'There Will Be Blood' Movie

Watch the trailer:  http://movies.aol.com/movie/there-will-be-blood/25014/main

I don't know where to start in my praise for this extraordinary film. I read reviews and articles in anticipation of seeing it.  There Will Be Blood is winning many awards and will be a heavy hitter for the Oscars. Everything goes together here in this absorbing masterpiece: Acting, photography, sets, costumes, and an eerie music score that will sometimes remind you of Bernard Herrmann, especially the scratchy strings from Psycho.  Did I say masterpiece?  Yes indeed!  I don't use that term lightly and I will swear to it.

 

Every good thing you've read or heard about TWBB is on the money. If Daniel Day Lewis doesn't get another Oscar, I'll be shocked. He commands every scene as he's onscreen most of the time.  He's very choosy in his roles and goes for long periods without work. This part was worth his wait and ours' too. The other actors including Paul Dano are very good and all fit into the director's mosaic. I don't know how Paul Thomas Anderson accomplished this amazing feat but he surely deserves an Oscar too. The film slowly builds with exquisite details still reverberating in my head. I'm still in awe of this overpowering film and I don't think I can say it any better than in the following review:  http://movies.nytimes.com/2007/12/26/movies/26bloo.html?em&ex=1201842000&en=6976edbdec852973&ei=5087%0A

'Untraceable' Movie

Colin Hanks and Diane Lane in Gregory Hoblit’s Untraceable.

Watch the trailer: http://movies.aol.com/movie/untraceable/27203/main

Why do I offer links to reviews?  It's not that I don't trust my own thoughts but sometimes somebody can say what I'm thinking better than me. I'm not one to regurgitate or paraphrase another's work so it's better to give credit where credit is due.  I will read some reviews before seeing a movie because I want to know why the reviewer liked or hated it.  You can learn a lot from a good review or a bad one if the reviewer backs his reasons. Sometimes I've seen movies that received poor reviews just to see if I agreed with them. Some were better than expected. I've also seen movies that I thought were overrated. However,  If the reviewer sparks my interest to make me want to see the movie, then he's done his job. 

 

Untraceable has been getting mixed reviews so I decided to see for myself.  It's easy to dismiss this as a Silence of the Lambs clone but you can say that about almost every one of these cat & mouse, psycho-killer thrillers that followed it. Some are better than others and this one is no better or worse in plot and suspense.  The gimmick here is the killer's website where the more viewers logging in to watch his grisly executions, the faster they proceed online in real time. Diane Lane gives a routine but likable performance as an FBI agent tracking the killer and her best moment is saved for the end as she shows us she's one tough cookie who will not let the killer have his way. The rest of the cast is perfunctory in filling out the needs of the story.

 

I was hesitant to see a movie that sounds like torture porn. Luckily the filmmakers don't swell on these scenes and there was enough suspense to keep me interested to the end.  Much of the plot and characters in Untraceable  are predictable as you've seen this type of story before and on network TV every week, but that's to be expected in this kind of movie. Here's a review that tweaked my interest in seeing it:  http://movies.nytimes.com/2008/01/25/movies/25untr.html?ref=movies

'27 Dresses' Movie

Katherine Heigl in Anne Fletcher’s 27 Dresses

Watch the trailer: http://movies.aol.com/movie/27-dresses/29782/main

I usually wait for romantic comedies to come to DVD. I do enjoy them but I'd rather see other genres on a theater's big screen. Lately I take my elderly mother to the movies and have to pick ones that don't have too much sex or violence.  She also likes a good mystery and action comedies so we usually find something worthwhile.  When we saw the previews for 27 Dresses, it looked like it would pass the Mom Test.  Well this movie sure passed her test and is becoming a crowd pleaser. It's a nice little romantic comedy with a feel good ending. The trailer is self-explanatory and how it all works out is the question.

 

Katherine Heigl of TV's Grey's Anatomy  offers a funny and sweet performance as the older sister who is always a bridesmaid but never a bride. She can't resist planning her conniving sis's wedding to her boss, a somewhat wooden Edward Burns, the secret object of  her affection. Here the plot takes off with some funny results for the audience but not for some of the characters as years of sibling rivalry and buried resentment come to fruition. James Marsden, who was so good in Hairspray and Enchanted, is appealing as the reporter who exploits Heigl for a story but slowly falls for her.

 

There's plenty of chuckles including a nice bit as a stranded Heigl and Marsden  drunkenly sing 'Benny & The Jets' on top of a bar as the other patrons join them. Also watching her model all of her 27 gawd-awful bridesmaid's outfits from her crammed closet for Marsden is good for more laughs. Will the marriage go through? Will Heigl finally find happiness with the man of her dreams?  The rest of the plot may seem predictable but there's nothing wrong with seeing nice people come to a happy ending for everyone including the audience.

'Mad Money' Movie

Queen Latifah, Diane Keaton and Katie Holmes are co-conspirators in a scheme to steal cash from a bank in “Mad Money.”

Watch the trailer: http://movies.aol.com/movie/mad-money/29986/main

Mad Money was better than the reviews. It's not a great comedy but it hits its mark. Three women from various backgrounds and working at the Federal Reserve decide to steal old worn-out money ready for shredding. Diane Keaton is the brains who concocts the plan and enlists Queen Latifah and Katie Holmes (Mrs. Tom Cruise) who also want to rise above their economic plight. Ted Danson plays Keaton's uptight husband who opposes their scheme but eventually gives into temptation and assists them

 

This movie won't give people living on hard times any ideas because I doubt the premise can be repeated. However you get to see the characters' frustrations that led up to their decision.  Keaton, a college graduate with no sellable skills in the job market, is reduced to janitorial work. Latifah, a single mom, wants a better life for her children and succumbs to the thievery. Holmes plays a goofball who wants to travel and is aided by her equally goofy boyfriend in their plan. She's does a likable job with her sketchy character; the other female leads overshadow her but that's because of the script.

 

Will they succeed won't be revealed here. Keaton is the center of this film with Latifah a close second while the rest of the admirable cast orbits around her star. You can almost read her thoughts as she struggles to keep her partners from backing out of her plan and makes mincemeat of those who oppose her. She commands every one of her scenes. We're not supposed to cheer for people who steal but you can't help it because of these appealing characters. This reminds me of the moral dilemma of another Keaton film of years ago. In The Godfather, we cheered for the Corleones who were the 'good' bad guys as they struck down their opponents, the 'bad' bad guys.  This time she's a comic version of her husband Michael Corleone and has learned her lessons well from that master crafter.

 

'The Orphanage' Movie

 

Belén Rueda in “The Orphanage,” a psychologically involved ghost story out of Spain from the director Juan Antonio Bayona.    Watch the trailer: http://movies.aol.com/movie/the-orphanage/29692/main

If you weren't spooked out by the trailer, the movie will certainly give you enough chills. This acclaimed Spanish film was produced by Guillermo Del Toro who directed Pan's Labyrinth, one of the best foreign films in years. Both feature children struggling in strife filled situations and whose unhappy lives are redeemed by 'happy' endings. The moody music for the opening credits immediately prepares you to be sucked into The Orphanage's twisted plot. If you're expecting a gore fest, it's not in this movie which relies heavily on suspense and a few jump-out-of-your-seat moments.  And the surround sound is pretty good in enhancing the mood of impending doom.

 

The story unfolds slowly to allow you to pay attention to details that return to haunt you and the lead character played by Belen Rueda, an actress unfamiliar to me but quite convincing. In searching for her missing son, she relives strange  incidents from her past as a resident in the orphanage that's now her present home.  Her search leads her into another kind of labyrinth filled with maternal fears, forgotten memories, and frightening discoveries. She's living through an endless nightmare that gets worse as the plot progresses.

 

 Geraldine Chaplin, who's fluent in Spanish after living in Spain for years, almost steals the film as a medium brought in amid the eerie doings to help the desperate mother find her son whose disappearance might be linked to past events from her childhood.  You may remember her from years ago as Dr. Zhivago's wife. Now that she's older, she more resembles her famous parents, Charlie Chaplin and Oona O'Neill, daughter of playwright Eugene O'Neill

 

This is a thoughtful film that might need a second look to pick up all the pieces. Be prepared to discuss this movie after it's over.

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'The Bucket List' Movie

The title's meaning is explained in the trailer:  http://movies.aol.com/movie/the-bucket-list/27000/main

This movie was better than I expected in terms of the plot. as it maintained a good balance between comedy and pathos.   Jack Nicholson was his usually hammy/funny self but quite moving in the dramatic moments. Morgan Freeman gave his usual good performance, once again proving he's one of our finest actors. What a team they made as they learned to trust and help each other to accomplish their goals - the bucket list - before their time runs out. There's some life lessons here that aren't buried under the laughs aplenty.

 I have to admit that I cried during a Jack Nicholson movie. It hit home for me because the Freeman character reminded me of my father who passed away in 2006. Both quit school at a young age and were self-educated, became mechanics, loved racing cars, crossword puzzles, and watched Jeopardy all the time. We took Mom with us but I hid my tears and didn't mention the similarities, and neither did she. I was afraid of her reaction since they were married for 63 years but she enjoyed the movie too. It's not every day you see a film that makes you laugh and cry at the same time. But isn't that what a good movie (and life) is all about?

Some Of The Best Movies of 2007

It was easy to choose 2007's worst movie from those I've seen. Picking a best one from theatrical releases is difficult because I liked so many for different reasons. I haven't seen as many as I wanted and those neglected ones will have to wait until offered on DVD. I'm not fussy about genres but I avoid films like Saw where victims are terrorized, tortured, and dismembered. These films are labeled Torture Porn and certainly not my idea of entertainment.. Alfred Hitchcock, the Master of Suspense, must be rolling over in his grave knowing how his legacy was distorted & degraded.

I'm not a snob in watching only small, arty (sometimes arty-fartsy) movies or foreign films. I enjoy the commercial/blockbuster too - as long as they're entertaining.  I think entertainment is the key word.  There are different ways to entertain an audience. Any movie that makes you laugh, weep, scared, think, and most important, makes you talk about it in a positive way after you watch it is worthwhile. And that includes talking about a bad movie. Sometimes you will spend more time trashing a bad movie than praising it since you can't get a refund.

It's easier to write a bad review but I'd rather write a good one. I do read reviews because even bad ones offer some insight into the subject or the writer. I've gone to see movies that were trashed just to see if I agreed with the writers. Sometimes these movies aren't as bad as warned (Goya's Ghosts...  actually good/not great)  and sometimes they are worse ( Other than Georgia Rule, an example escapes me... Was Aeon Flux released in '07?)  Nobody ever sets out to make a bad movie.  Sometimes things go wrong during the creative process (casting, script, direction, personnel problems, etc.) and we pay for the result. But I love movies and go to them with good expectations and try to be open-minded even after reading negative reviews.

I compiled a mixed list in no particular order and NOT from earlier entries that I think are better than average and issued on DVD or soon. Watch the trailers:

1. La Vie En Rose    French film about the legendary singer Edith Piaf  featuring one of the greatest performances by any actress and who deserves all awards. Possibly my choice for best film of 2007. Not a linear biography but quite moving. Even my 89-year-old mom had no trouble reading subtitles and following the story of Piaf's tragic life & lovelife and early death:  http://movies.aol.com/movie/la-vie-en-rose/26837/main

2. Breach     A cat & mouse drama about a rookie agent, Ryan Philippe, smoking out a high level traitor in our government so chillingly played by Chris Cooper: http://movies.aol.com/movie/breach/26295/main

3. The Host   A Korean horror film about a sea monster attacking a village. A scary & funny warning about ecological disasters and government mishandlings. Better than a Godzilla flick:  http://movies.aol.com/movie/the-host/27267/main

4. Eastern Promises    Another pairing between Director David Croneberg & Actor Viggo Mortensen.  A Russian Mafia in London drama featuring one of the most gruesome fights even filmed:  http://movies.aol.com/movie/eastern-promises/25300/main

5.  Stardust.   A wonderful fantasy for all ages about finding your goals, highlighted by Michelle Pheiffer as a witch seeking to regain her youth and Robert DeNiro as a pirate with a 'secret.'  Whimsical & charming and filled with magic spells:  http://movies.aol.com/movie/stardust/24289/main

6.  Hairspray    A fun musical with terrific dance numbers. Pheiffer plays another kind of witch here. John Travolta in fat drag playing mom to a powerhouse of a newcomer, Nikki Blonstein, is a hoot. The rest of the cast is great. A totally entertaining & energetic movie:  http://movies.aol.com/movie/hairspray-2007/22983/main

7.  For an action/chase film, it's a toss between The Bourne Ultimatum http://movies.aol.com/movie/the-bourne-ultimatum/22994/main    and Live Free Or Die Hard  http://movies.aol.com/movie/live-free-or-die-hard/26383/main   Both prove that some sequels are just as good or better than the originals. Both Matt Damon & Bruce Willis are at the top of their game. Bourne3 has edge-of-your seat suspense and claustrophobic fights. Die Hard4 has impossible action scenes mixed with Willis's comic quips so take your pick.

8.  Evening    An all-star cast headed by Claire Danes, Vanessa Regrave, Meryl Streep & Glenn Close in a sensitive movie that was better than the novel. All about friendship, lost loves, and secrets spanning the years.  Not to be dismissed as a chick flick since I wept at the end. Forget the Spice Girls; this is the real "Girl Power":  http://movies.aol.com/movie/evening/26788/main

9. Moliere    A French film based on the playwright's life using 'incidents' from his youth that became part of his plays. A witty, clever, and funny costume drama as only the French know how to make:  http://movies.aol.com/movie/moliere/29673/main

10.   Dreamgirls    I saw the original Broadway show & cast in '81. The movie grounds the drama about the rise of a Diana Ross/Supremes-like group in a more historical setting.  The musical numbers are always moving as well as the cast, including Eddie Murphy as a James Brown/Wilson Pickett/etc.-like singer and another powerhouse of a newcomer, Jennifer Hudson, whose big showstopping number almost blew me out of my seat and earned her a Best Supporting Oscar. Many thought Murphy was gypped of one in that catagory:   http://movies.aol.com/movie/dreamgirls/25733/main

'National Treasure: Book of Secrets' Movie

Watch the trailer:  http://movies.aol.com/movie/national-treasure-book-of-secrets/28115/main

For a movie lasting over two hours, it was well-paced and the time flew by without dragging.  I never saw the first National Treasure so I didn't know what to expect but it wasn't necessary since you learned enough about the characters in the first few minutes. It's easy to dismiss this movie as an updated Indiana Jones clone and that's why I avoided seeing the first one, but there's plenty of thrills and laughs for it to stand on its own. The plot about a missing page from John Wilkes Booth's diary is far-fetched but hey it's only a movie! So sit back and let the fun begin.

Nicholas Cage is charming as the brainy hero and lets his co-stars share the spotlight and funny lines. I haven't seen Diane Krueger since Troy where she played a Helen more wooden than the fabled horse. She got into the spirit of the story and her character well enough to hold her own against the seasoned cast including Jon Voight and the always superb Helen Mirren as Cage's squabbling parents.

OK OK I was wrong about avoiding the first National Treasure. Now it's time to rent it.