'Before The Rains' Review

Rahul Bose, left, and Linus Roache in Santosh Sivan’s movie Before the Rains.  Watch the trailer: http://movies.aol.com/movie/before-the-rains/31047/main

 I never understand how reviewers can be so far part in watching the same movie. Since everyone does not have the same tastes, critical acumen, or educational background, how is it possible to be objective in forming a balanced and fair opinion?  There is no clear answer but a reviewer should back up his reasoning with examples. To prove my point is a positive review of Before The Rains:  http://movies.nytimes.com/2008/05/09/movies/09rain.html  followed by a less enthusiastic one:  http://www.courant.com/entertainment/movies/reviews/hc-beforerainsrev.artmay30,0,2174637.story

After seeing this movie, I tend to agree with the first review. Both reviews make similar points but the second one is from a bored cynic's view. We thought this was an intelligent drama that wasn't as predictable as the second review would lead you to believe.  There were a few plot twists/surprises amid the fine acting and stunning location photography evoking 1937 India. I wouldn't call the music score 'manipulative' but appropriate in capturing the foreign moods and suspense. Mark Kilian's evocative score leads the audience no better or worse than in any other movie. I'll be adding the CD to my film score collection.

    Linus Roache from TV's Law & Order plays an Englishman whose affair with his native servant while his wife and son are away sparks the plot when they are discovered during a forest tryst.  Cultures and emotions clash for the worst against the seething subplot of India seeking its independence from the British Empire. I didn't feel the ending was as predictable as the second reviewer.  Overall it's a worthwhile adult drama surrounded by grand local scenery and never dull. Even Mom liked it....

'The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian' review

From left, Georgie Henley, William Moseley, Ben Barnes, Anna Popplewell and Skandar Keynes in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.  Watch the trailer: http://movies.aol.com/movie/the-chronicles-of-narnia-prince-caspian/24862/main

I haven't read the Narnia books but I saw a British TV miniseries and the first Narnia movie a few years ago. After seeing Indiana Jones 4 yesterday and see this one today, I think I'm on special effects overload. Yes these movies don't skimp on the visuals, but the new Narnia opus seemed to be longish, repetitive of the first movie, and tiresome compared to the cheaper British version. One protracted fight after the other reminded me of The Lord of the Rings trilogy as all those movies blurred together in my mind. At first I thought Narnia was in Castille because the bad guys' costumes resemble Spain circa 1500 and the mixed cast of Mediterranean accents were hard to decipher at times, including the title character's.

    It's not that I didn't like this movie or admire the work put into it. It's just that it overwhelmed us for the wrong reasons. There's a lousy singer and song over the end credits; I dared not stay to learn the identity of the perpetrator.  Why do producers have to add contemporary songs that clash with the subject matter/time period?  Tilda Swinton makes a too brief visit as the Ice Queen and she'll probably return for more sequels.

OK I'm tired & cranky so here's a positive review worth reading: http://movies.nytimes.com/2008/05/16/movies/16narn.html

'Indiana Jones And The Kingdom of The Skull' review

Harrison Ford, right, for the fourth time as Indiana Jones. Watch the trailer: http://movies.aol.com/movie/indiana-jones-and-the-kingdom-of-the-crystal-skull/25440/main 

We took Mom & Dad to see the first one when it came out. Mom wanted to see this one too. This movie is everything you read and heard about, the good and the bad. Some reviewers think it was worth the wait; others say it's a tired, humorless rehash. I think it's great to see this franchise return and without sacrificing what made it good. There's the barrage of super special effects, impossible chase & fight scenes, exotic settings filled with treacherous flora & fauna, all spiced with snappy dialogue & jokes. There's several references to the previous three movies as well as Spielberg's other movies. Some loose ends from the first one find closure here but that's for you to learn.

    Harrison Ford knew he might be too old at 65 to be convincing as our dashing hero, but he plays that up with self-deprecating humor. The story wisely takes place in 1957 to compensate for his aging. The rest of the cast make the most of their roles and mix well with each other and the plot. Characters tend to be stereotypes but not offensive, but that's what you expect in this kind of movie. So sit back and enjoy the well-crafted details of this nostalgic extravaganza.  The college scenes were filmed in nearby New Haven, Ct. and  we recognized familiar streets near Yale University. Even Mom laughed at seeing a New Britain Transportation bus since we grew up in that city.

'Iron Man' Review

Iron Man, based on the Marvel comic and with Robert Downey Jr. as the title character. Jon Favreau directed. Watch the trailer: http://movies.aol.com/movie/iron-man/24396/main

I've never read the comic book for the source of this movie so I went to see it with no preconceptions. I read the glowing reviews and saw how audiences have made it a monster hit.  Was this movie as good as all that?  Yes indeed. It's everything you expect in a big budget crowd pleaser: Good cast, state-of-the-art special effects, terrific surround sound, and a pounding metal tune-filled score. The super success of  Iron Man will spawn several sequels.

Since he's controlled his personal demons, Robert Downey Jr. has proved he can carry a big film and we expect to see more of him.  He's always been a good actor but now his career is back on track. The rest of the cast is good in their perfunctory roles as villains, his buddy, his gal Friday but they flesh out their roles with their acting skills, boistered with snappy dialogue.  How they manage to stay not dwarfed by the marvelous special effects show a good director in command of his story. There's the usual scenes you expect in this kind of film but it never panders to the audience and the humor is never misplaced. You laugh along with it and not at it. I think Mom would have enjoyed it

'Then She Found Me' Review

Helen Hunt, left, and Bette Midler star in Hunt's directorial debut.  Watch the trailer: http://movies.aol.com/movie/then-she-found-me/25660/main

   This weekend it was only Mom & me for the movie since Wifey had to work all day at an annual event. The choices were limited since some movies I wanted to see are no longer playing. Although Mom loved going to Las Vegas with Dad, the trailer for What Happens In Vegas with Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher looked mediocre. We passed on that one and found this film.

    Kudos to Helen Hunt who co-wrote the screenplay as well as starring and making her directorial debut with this small but charming film that will probably not find a large audience. She plays a teacher who's being dumped by her Mama's Boy of a husband played so well by Matthew Broderick, still with his babyish face and whiny voice that fit his role. They are having trouble conceiving and she doesn't want to adopt since she was adopted and wants her own baby. One final moment of misplaced passion leaves her pregnant and the unexpected arrival of a TV hostess (Bette Midler supplying the laughs) who claims to be her mother add to the confusion.  Thrown in a blooming romance with a student's divorced father (Colin Firth, a subdued version of his Mr. Darcy) and you wonder how she keeps her sanity in this sea of confusion.

    All the performances hit their marks but this is Hunt's show. She lets others carry their weight without hogging the screen. How the plot spins around her predicaments is nicely balanced without everything come crashing down on her head demonstrates her triple threat skills.

'Made of Honor' Review

Michelle Monaghan and Patrick Dempsey in "Made of Honor."  Watch the trailer: http://movies.aol.com/movie/made-of-honor/28433/main

The plot will remind guys, including me, about something we've experienced.  Patrick Dempsey has a gal pal for many years, played by Michelle Monaghan, and won't admit to himself that he really loves her. That's until she becomes engaged to a wealthy foreigner and this spurs him to finally has the courage to tell her his true feelings. How she will react propels the second part of this charming movie. Lots of chuckles, some slapstick moments, and culture clashes along the way as the story moves from NYC to Scotland. 

     Of course the movie ends the way you want but that will not stop you from waiting for the outcome as obstacles keep popping up in Dempsey's path.  His performance carries the plot along without being portrayed as a buffoon in love and you feel for him.

    Made of Honor passed the Mom Test and was a good Mother's Day choice for her and us. Good local photography and selection of background songs were a bonus.

'Young@Heart' Review

Watch the Trailer: http://movies.aol.com/movie/young--heart/32265/main

Growing old will be the biggest challenge of your life. Gawd knows how I'll react when I turn 60 next year. Up until the last six months of his life, Dad was healthy and made it to 95. Mom just turned 90 last month and is doing well enough where we can take her out to a movie & dinner on Saturdays. She uses a cane because she doesn't want a hip replacement and we borrow a wheelchair at the theater if the showing is too far away from the box office.

      Visiting nursing homes and assisted living homes for the last two years has given me an education and fear of the future. But growing old doesn't mean that one's final years will be bedridden. Dylan Thomas said it best about facing the end of your life with " Do not go gentle into that good night..." and that is how the people here prepare for their final days. Not with fear but with a song in their hearts. Better yet, they feel they have a purpose: To keep singing until their time here on earth is up. No sad songs for them, You can read about these remarkable senior citizens here: http://movies.nytimes.com/2008/04/09/movies/09youn.html

     We saw the previews with Mom and at first I was hesitant about seeing it and taking Mom with us, not knowing how she would react.  By the time this wonderful movie was finished, we all shed a few tears. You learn to care about these people more than you can imagine. This is probably the feel good movie of the year and the best lesson on aging gracefully. Time to re-read Thomas' poem.

     A few co-workers went to the concert filmed nearby for this movie. When it's released on DVD, we'll have to freeze-frame it to spot them in the audience.