C is for animated, infertile, love...

I love claymation and Nick Park and Peter Lord (the makers of Wallace & Gromit-another favorite) are the best. Back when Mel Gibson wasn't crazy (remember those days) he lent his voice to this wonderful take on World War II escape movies like 'The Great Escape' and 'Stalag 17'. These references help to endear the film to adults as well as their children. With lots of obvious laughs and even more fun poked at Mr. Gibson, this is a great movie for the whole family. I never get tired of watching it.

If you haven't seen this movie, you are missing out on one of the best sci-fi movies of the past decade. This is not because it's full of amazing cg shots, great alien worlds, or lots of make-up clad actors. This film has a fascinating plot-a probable future of infertility, a strong, mostly ignored performance by Clive Owen, and some of the most intense moments caught on film in recent movie history. Director Alfonso Cuaron proves why he's one of the best film-makers around with his use of long shots that build in intensity until you practically fall out of your seat. The best example is the scene where Theo and Kee try to escape to the boat. Using a hand-held camera, Cuaron gives you the feeling you're watching a news report as the scene is revealed in over six minutes with no cut to another camera. For those of us who are movie geeks, this is incredible. You can't help but hold your breath.

 

I could not decide which to review, so why not do both? Both are wonderful stories of love that teach us to live life to it's fullest. Chocolat is a fairytale story of Vianne, a free-spirit who uses her talents as a chocolatier to both please the sweet-tooth and heal the soul. The cast includes stand-out performances by Juliette Binoche, Judy Dench, Lena Olin, and Johnny Depp. I strongly suggest you watch this film with plenty of the named confectionary. Trust me, you'll regret it if you don't.

Cinema Paradiso is a film after my heart. A beautiful story of one man's life and love of movies that grew from his friendship with the projectionist of his small Italian village. Full of laughter, heart-break, and tears, this film never ceases to get me. Especially the wonderful montage of film kisses. I cannot recommend this movie more. 

Over all, this was a difficult letter to choose. I had to pick from not only the previous films, but other such greats as the multi-Oscar winning Chariots Of Fire, Cube (a great Canadian sci-fi film), and Crash, another Oscar winner with an amazing cast. It will be interesting to see if 'D' can produce as many excellent films.

MEMORIES OF BIG JOHN

John came into my life at a typically difficult time. My parents had recently divorced, my sisters (being older) were entering a new, rebellious stage, and I was about to become a teenager. With all that weighing on my mind, in walked this tall man whose presence was anything but overbearing. ‘Big John’ not only described him physically, but in every other way as well. His laugh, his intellect, his heart, everything about him was larger than life. Everything but his ‘intrusion’ into a new family. He subtly and quickly became a very important part of my youth. He loved life and lived it to its fullest extent and that is the best lesson I learned from him.
My memories read like a laundry list of music, fun, and travel.
I can remember going to numerous bluegrass festivals. Initially, I didn’t want to go because I thought it was like country music which was full of tragic love stories and loss. I quickly found that it mirrored John’s upbeat attitude and found myself dancing and singing along with him. We also would go to square dancing nights at People’s Church. A typical teen would have found this uncool; however, I knew that it would be loads of fun.
One of his favorite tv series was M.A.S.H. I can remember a t-shirt he had that quoted Col. Potter: “the general answers his own phone, must be a Unitarian.” In fact, most of my memories of John include him laughing at some point. Watching M.A.S.H.; going to Le Bijou theater downtown and watching Monty Python films; spending hours at the dinner table with his kids sharing jokes. I can still hear that warm, addictive laugh.
My best memories are of the places I went with him. They weren’t far-off journeys to exotic lands, but that wasn’t what mattered. John’s presence was what made things fun. Listening to Harry Chapin on the drive up to the cabin on Lake Michigan; walking down the beach; watching him stoop as he walked through Taliesin East. I wouldn’t have traveled in the VW minibus with anyone else, if for no other reason than it needed an accomplished mechanic. John was great at finding Petoskey stones dry, which is quite a feat.
I will always feel fortunate for the time I spent with him. Our paths may have drifted different ways, but I cherish these memories and always will. He and my mother divorced when I started college, but he has always been and will always be my step-father, my friend:

Big John

B is for quirky, simple and talent

 What can I say? I love classic Hollywood. And Bringing Up Baby starring two of my all-time favorite stars, Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn, is a true gem of a movie. A hilarious romp filled with Mr. Grant's great physical comedy, this is Ms. Hepburn's first foray into comedy. Oddly enough, this movie bombed and she was labeled 'box-office poison.' Years later, it is lauded as one of Howard Hawks best and I have to agree. 

 I love this movie. After Dr. Strangelove (which I will be reviewing soon), it is my favorite Peter Sellers film. His portrayal of Chance the gardener shows how truly talented he was as a comedian. Unlike his run as Inspector Clouseau in the Pink Panther series that utilized his mastery of pratfalls and a silly accent, this role is the definition of naivete. To call his character simple-minded just doesn't cover it. He's so much more. It's just a sweet, little film.

And if you haven't had enough of sweet films, here's one more for you. Billy Elliot is the wonderful story of a boy who must hide his love of dance from the rest of the world or at least from his mining father. I challenge anyone to watch the opening sequence without a smile. I would recommend that you use the subtitles as the strong northern English accent can be quite difficult to follow. However you watch it, do yourself a favor and do it.

I had a hard time limited this to only three reviews. There are so many great 'b' movies. From A Beautiful Mind, the true story of John Nash, the Nobel prize winning economist who suffered from schizophrenia, to Best In Show, a hilarious mockumentary of the zany antics at a dog show, to Blade Runner, one of the best sci-fi movies of all time. There's something for everyone here.


best in show

blade runner

A is for...

An author friend of mine has been blogging his favorite books for months now. He has been going through the alphabet (obviously beginning with 'a') and nearly reached the halfway mark when it dawned on me that I should do the same with movies. I may even start a book list, too, but for now I'll just do this.

 
 Although the first in a series is typically the best and Alien is great, I loved Aliens just a little more. Perhaps the further character development of Ridley with the addition of a near love interest and a maternal drive is the key. Or maybe it's just because this movie kicks ass in general. Let's face it, how much better can it get when you have space marines, lots of HUGE guns and explosions, and one mutha of an alien all in one film. Ask anyone who's seen the series and I venture most will admit that this one may be slightly better than the first.

Let's face it, it doesn't get much better than Bette Davis in All About Eve. In fact, I can't find one weak part in this movie. Even Marilyn Monroe's brief appearance as a rising starlet is one of her best performances. Every single element (great acting, an amazing script, even the awesome costumes) mixes together to form the best rags to riches story there is. If you're a fan of classic movies and have not seen this gem, you are not a true fan. This film is the perfect example of 'Hollywood' at it's best.

I don't know if I can rave enough about this sweet, simple fairytale story of a young, French woman whose sensitivity and caring touches everyone she meets. Beautifully filmed with a wonderful cast, the movie defines 'feel good films'. I guarantee that if you watch this film you will have a warm, happy feeling in your heart by the closing credits. Audrey Tautou has never been better. Just look at the keywords listed at Netflix:
"feel-good, romantic, quirky, imaginative." Yep, that about covers it.

I could just keep going and add Arsenic And Old Lace (another great classic starring Cary Grant as the naive nephew of two 'sweet' old ladies), Amadeus (the Oscar winning story of the tragic life of one of the greatest composers in history), and About A Boy (a bittersweet story of a young man's attempts to make sense of his mixed up life that is one of my favorite Hugh Grant films). Let's face it, 'a' isn't just a good place to start because it's the beginning of the alphabet. 

One down, 25 more to go. As Margo Channing so perfectly puts it in All About Eve:
"Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night."

Happy Meals ban in Santa Clara County - latimes.com

Happy Meals ban in Santa Clara County - latimes.com

It seems that Santa Clara county is taking the wrong action in the more important issue of childhood obesity. Although I understand the reason behind the decision-that it seems we're rewarding children for eating food that's high in calories and fat-I don't think fining restaurants that do this is the answer. Perhaps the better move would be to make McDonald's create a healthier menu for both children and adults, whether they get a toy or not. It is no secret that fast food is unhealthy, but I liken this action to a parent punishing a child without expectation of improving the bad behavior. It's been 6 years since Supersize Me and there's been no move whatsoever, by the government or anyone else, to regulate food produced by McD's or all the other fast food restaurants.  I've taken the best action possible by choosing not to eat at most places notorious for their fattening foods. Perhaps a stronger push to educate both parents and children on the dangers of eating unhealthily. How about a tax added to foods that have a high calorie and fat content. 'You want to eat food that's bad for you? You're gonna pay, one way or another.' That may be something the state of California could do to help get this state out of the huge deficit it's in. If nothing else, why not put warning labels on all foods that are high in saturated fats/calories/sodium, etc, stating that consumption of these items can lead to obesity/high blood pressure/heart disease? Hey, it's done with cigarettes.
The fact is this community is punishing the wrong people. Can a franchise owner be held accountable for the policies set up by the corporation that dictates the kind of food they sell? Or should the corporation be made to pay the fines incurred by their franchises because of their insistence on providing food that's bad for their consumers. I don't disagree with this community's concerns. I just don't think these actions will do anything in the long term to create healthier children. 

WHAT A LOVELY DEPARTURE

A SCENE FROM DEPARTURES.

I can't remember the last time I watched such a perfect mix of humor, tenderness, and mournfulness blended with an absolutely wonderful cast, beautiful cinematography, and music. With a simple click above, you are given just a brief introduction into the lives of Daigo and Daigo's new boss, Ikuei Sasaki. A tender-hearted wife, a quirky and sometimes tragically sad co-worker, and the numerous families Daigo aids complete this wonderful, much-deserved Oscar winner. I can't think of one weakness in this film. Masahiro Motoki creates a character who is equal parts somber, naive, and sweet. That's right. Sweet. He has just about the nicest face I've seen around. I don't know that I would want to see him in anything where he were cast as anything else. The viewer is quickly embraced by the odd journey Daigo sets out on.
I remember seeing the preview and waiting anxiously for it to come to my local theater. It would have been one of the rare instances where I got watch one of the nominated foreign films before the Oscars aired. For whatever reason, I missed it in the theater and then quickly added it to my Netflix queue. With well over 200 titles on that list, it was soon forgotten. I recently went home to Michigan and my mother asked if I wanted to watch it with her. She had raved to me about it which meant there was no hesitation in my answer. I'm so glad I was able to share yet another in a long line of great films with her.
I could continue, but I don't think you should wait any longer. Quick, queue it now or, if you have a spare 2 hours and the ability to do so, watch it instantly at netflix. I'll say it now, "your welcome".