Movie – Knight & Day

We ventured out to this flick over the weekend. Have to admit, I’ve kind of lost interest in Tom Cruise since his “over the couch” episode. And, Cameron Diaz isn’t one of my favorites. But, if you remember back to the the days of Jerry McGuire and what you liked about that movie, Knight & Day will bring back memories of the Cruise of yesteryear. It’s the story of a spy who has the weapon that every agency, U.S. and foreign, would like to have. And, Cameron Diaz gets pulled into the chase, seemingly by accident.
The story keeps you engaged because you’re trying to figure out what’s real and what isn’t along with June, Diaz’ character. We had many laugh-out-loud moments, it’s sexy and it’s got some great action. I thought the duo of Cruise and Diaz was very lovable. So, even if you’ve crossed Tom off your list of favs, you should give this film a try. Clean fun with only one use of the “F” word and no nudity.

Movie View – Edge of Darkness

Whatever you think of Mel Gibson (Mad Max, Lethal Weapon 1, 2, 3, Conspiracy Theory, Braveheart, Ransom), he still has a knack for a great action flick! In “Edge of Darkness”, Gibson plays a Boston detective who runs a behind-the-scenes investigation of his own daughter’s murder. His character is passionate and determined and Gibson is spot on. There are gory parts, as this is a huge cover up involving government, corporations and weapons. result: lots of bloodshed.

We liked it and would recommend it if you’re in the mood for some shoot em’ up!

Note: Ironic that this movie was probably made a year ago, and one of the players is a republican politician from MA! who thought that would be happening in 2010… except they portray him as a corrupt idiot and I know Scott Brown  doesn’t fit that description.

Movie – Sherlock Holmes

Ok, I’ll admit it up front. I love to watch Robert Downey, Jr. on the big screen. (Only You, Heart and Souls, Chances Are, Iron Man).   Having said that, I don’t know if I can give an unbiased opinion of the new Sherlock Holmes flick. But, it has great action (probably a little more than the original Sherlock films–don’t know if he was really a boxer!) Sherlock’s skill in observation, fact-finding and deductive reasoning is intriguing to watch. And, the bantering interaction with Jude Law as faithful sidekick, Dr. Watson, is also great fun. I love the old London setting with familiar scenes of Scotland Yard and  Baker Street.

What a great way to introduce the old literature classics of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to a new generation! Again, you won’t see a lot of similarity between this film and those of past, but it’s very well done.  If you’re a Sherlock (or Downey, Jr.) fan, I think you’ll be entertained. We liked it and look forward to sequels to come.

Movie – Up In the Air

After a weekend of fantasy and adventure (Avatar and Sherlock Holmes), we get a real taste of reality in “Up in the Air”.  Almost too much reality…Starring  George Clooney, Vera Famiga, Anna Kendrick.  George Clooney plays, Ryan Bingham, a traveling “termination” consultant hired to fire.  As he travels the U.S. with termination packets in hand, he prides himself in his miles, perks and no-roots relationships.  Anna Kendrick is the newby hired by Jason Bateman to bring technology and efficiency to the process of elimination. She does a great job portraying the rookie with all the head knowledge but very little real life experience. So, in order to learn the ropes, she travels with Clooney to observe the  firing process first-hand.  Vera Famiga does a beautiful job as she plays another traveling professional who meets Ryan in the VIP lounge at the airport,  and they start an “on the road” string of one-night-stands.

This film is engaging, funny and thought-provoking. If you’re like me, you will come away with new perspectives on your life, your job, and your priorities. I’m not sure it’s the “best film of 2009″ as it is being acclaimed, but it’s a good experience to be had. Grab some popcorn and chew on this one a while. Oh, and if you have a job, give thanks.

Movie – Did You Hear About the Morgans?

Sarah Jessica Parker, Hugh Grant, Sam Elliott…what’s not to like! A fun romantic comedy with solid laughs.

Parker and Grant play a married couple, recently separated, but eye witnesses to a murder. So, they are entered into the witness protection program and re-located to the remote regions of Wyoming…I really enjoyed this movie particularly in the setting of the wide open ranges of Wyoming. (Don’t know if this was actually filmed in Wyoming, but it’s definitely the wild west.) In addition to the fun story, I got a get a kick out of the scenery including rolling rivers, wild bears, starry nights. And, Sam Elliott is the true cowboy as always.

Go, you’ll be glad you did.

Movie – Everybody’s Fine

Everybody’s fine, but not really…I wasn’t real excited about seeing this new film with Robert DeNiro because the last one I saw (Righteous Kill) was tiring to watch.  But, this one was pretty good, not awesome, but worth the time.

DeNiro plays a father whose adult children (Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale and Sam Rockwell) cancel their plans to come to his house for the holidays. So, he sets out on a trip to surprise each one in their home cities.  He finds out a little something about each of his children along the way, but more importantly he finds out some pretty revealing stuff about himself as a father.

If you are a parent of children who are grown, like I am, I think you will find it interesting to see through his eyes some of the results of parenting later in life.  And, if you’re a parent of young children, it’s a good look into the future so you’ll know pitfalls to avoid with your own kids.

This one was surprisingly insightful into family relationships.  Hope you agree.

Movie – Blind Side

The critics are right on this one…a must see!

Blind Side stars Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw with a great performance by Quinton Aaron as football player, Michael Oher.

Bullock plays a mom and business woman in a well-to-do life who takes notice of a young man out in the cold. She takes small steps toward getting him on his feet and to helping him find success in life. Aaron does a great job portraying the lonely young man who puts all his trust in a family totally opposite from anything he’s ever known. I really enjoy Tim McGraw dry wit and the chemistry was perfect alongside Bullock!

You’ll be inspired and challenged to look beyond your own comforts and to ways of helping others. A great film to end a day of Thanksgiving!

Movie – Old Dogs

Old Dogs, new tricks! John Travolta, Robin Williams and Seth Green make a pretty good showing this time around.

Travolta and Williams are long time business partners and enters one-night-stand Kelly Preston (Travolta’s real life wife)  to let Williams know he’s the dad of her children. (Travolta’s daughter, Ella Bleu, debuts as the Williams’s daughter)

Seth plays the comedic business protege and adds a much needed younger flair to the mix! We laughed out loud in places and the amazing note is it’s a clean movie–no sex, no vulgarity, just some fun.

Don’t get me wrong, no Oscars here, but an entertaining night out. Trivia note: you may have noticed that Travolta usually slips in a some dance moves  into his films–no dancing in Old Dogs…kinda missed that!

Movie View – Law Abiding Citizen

Well, like I said, I like Gerard Butler. Law Abiding Citizen is full of action. Butler plays a man who has to watch as his wife and daughter are murdered in a home  invasion. Warning: From the beginning of the film and during there are several close-your-eyes moments to keep from seeing gruesome body dismemberment or bloody attacks.

The story revolves around Butler’s character as he tries to reprimand the justice system for being lenient to his family’s killers. Jamie Foxx plays the prosecuting attorney, who buckles and negotiates a deal rather than pursuing the full sentence for the murderers. Butler takes action into his own hands and ends up in prison. The interesting twist is how Butler, while in prison, is able to continue to terrorize all those who played a part in letting the killers off easy. Toward the end, his scheme does get a little “over-the-top” and the unbelievability factor takes away much of the emotional connection to the viewer.  It’s an interesting plot but a little too brutal for my taste. I’ll say it…Law Abiding Citizen might be more appealing to the guys

Movie View – Couples Retreat

Take a star-studded cast (Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Jason Bateman,  Kristen Bell, etc.) at a beautiful resort on the island of Bora Bora and you can’t go too terribly wrong. Vince Vaughn is cowriter, producer and actor in this film about four couples who get a group rate to attend a couples retreat. All four couples are at different places in their relationships and are looking for different results from the weekend.  I’ll admit that there are segments that are crude and typically Vaughn and I wish I didn’t have to sit through… but on the other hand it stays true to life in that it depicts real challenges in marriage and relationships. The end of the movie brings the message home. I don’t know if I can recommend it due to the sexual inuendos…and that’s too bad, since the ending is very good.  AND, The young boy who plays Vince Vaughn’s son is absolutely adorable!  Might wait for the rental so you can fast-forward through the parts you don’t care to watch.