The Last Station (2009) - Christopher Plummer Helen Mirren

Plot Summary - Following the last days of famed writer Leo Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer) in Russia, 1910. A young and innocent Tolstoy worshipper, Valentin (James McAvoy), arrives to become his new private secretary while Tolstoy's wife, the Countess (Helen Mirren), often disrupts the household in her pursuit to keep her husband from creating a new will that will entail the rights to all his literary works, including famous War and Peace, to the people (rather than her children). Meanwhile Valentin loses his virginity and falls in love with the liberated woman called Masha.

Review - Filmed on location in a lovely setting, the 1910 time period wonderfully set and costumed, the story is oh so slightly tedious, the fight over the will being the main thrust here. But - the acting is fabulous, especially Christopher Plummer as the aged Tolstoy and - wow, Helen Mirren is fantastic as his troubled and troublesome wife. James McAvoy is a personal favorite and heartthrob of mine, well done - the actress who plays Masha was miscast, in my opinion. An interesting historical drama, as a whole, well photographed and acted. Rating - 8.5/10 stars

Adventureland (2009) Film Review - Kennywood Park location

Plot Summary - Coming of age romantic comedy set in Pittsburgh, the summer of 1987. About James (Jesse Eisenberg), just graduated from college and - a virgin, it is announced - who is forced to get his first summer job when his father gets transferred (and has less money). No experience, the only job he can get is as a carny operating games at local amusement park Adventureland. James meets several new friends working there that summer including fellow game operator, attractive Em (Kristen Stewart). He quickly becomes lovestruck over Em, but Em seems torn between him and married, a bit older park maintenance guy who she is busy sleeping with in his mom's basement (or sometimes in the back of his car!). Romance blossoms between James and Em, but James has a fling of his own when a sexy park dancer/ride operator comes onto him. Will this be the summer that James loses his virginity? and will he end up with a new love?

Review - This film came as a bit of a surprise - very good, with well done blossoming romance and fun setting, on-location filming done almost entirely in the old-fashioned amusement park (filmed at Kennywood Park, West Mifflin, near Pittsburgh, PA - yeah, I'd like to go there one day!). The two leads take their parts to heart and do a really good job here - especially Jesse Eisenberg, who brings a real vulnerability to the role, the expressions on his face really do make him look like a young man falling in love. The eighties period setting was done well, enhanced by a great soundtrack of eighties music (loved hearing one of my old, personal faves from the day "Don't Change" by INXS in the closing credits). Lots of other favorite songs too. Comedy elements are added by stars like "Freaks and Geeks" Martin Starr, as a geeky games worker, and Bill Hader, as the park manager. Great film. Rating - 9 to 9.5/10 stars

Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009) - Film Review

Plot Summary - Teen comedy/musical about TV/Disney sensation Hannah Montana. Seemingly normal teenage high school girl Miley (Miley Cyrus) dons a blonde wig and some cool clothes and secretly turns herself into her alter-ego, one teen pop sensation known as Hannah Montana. Her dad wants her to go to Tennessee for two weeks to celebrate her grandmother's birthday with the family - Hannah has other plans in NYC, but is tricked by smart papa into ending up on a flight straight to Tennessee and her little country hometown, Crowley Corners. Back home, Miley meets a good-looking teen cowboy and has some flirtations (remember, this is a Disney film), plus is busy trying to keep her alter-ego a secret, especially from a bloodhound-like reporter on her trail for his Brit rag publication. When they want to turn part of the landscape in town into a mall, a fund raiser is to be put on to keep this from happening - which escalates into an invitation for Hannah Montana herself to perform a concert to help raise funds - thing is, only close family knows Miley is Hannah - what if the town (or her new guy) were to find out the truth?

Review - This is cute, VERY light fare - perhaps I would have liked this better when I was ten, but I did find this entertaining. Some of the film is sort of silly slapstick-ish, but the story is well done, and there are some nice moments, I especially enjoyed the duet that Miley Cyrus and Billy Ray Cyrus (who plays her dad in the film) do in one scene for the song, "Butterfly Fly Away". The musical numbers, in general, were enjoyable to watch - I just always enjoy musicals, I guess. Okay movie - a good bet for the preteen gal set. Rating - 7/10 stars

I Love You, Man (2009) Film Review - Paul Rudd, Jason Segel

Plot Summary - Comedy-"bromance". Newly engaged realtor, Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd), finds that his wife has an assortment of best gal pals to have for her bridesmaids but he has NO guy friends. So - he decides to try to find a new male friend he can ask to be Best Man at his wedding, and begins going on "man dates". Okey dokey. No luck finding that right new chum - until one day having an open house for the big property he's trying to sell - Lou Ferrigno's house - he meets Sydney Fife (Jason Segel). Soon meeting up again for beer and fish tacos in Venice Beach, L.A., where Sydney has a house, they gradually become buddies - doing Rush songs together on guitar and bass in Sydney's "man cave" (hmm - do guys really have stuff like that?), getting drunk, telling intimate sex stuff to each other. Buds to the end. But is Peter's fiancee, Zooey (Rashida Jones), really up to having her man gone half the time doing guy stuff with Sydney?!

Review - Well, this ended up being fairly good - it had some laughs in it, cute story, all filmed on location in L.A. including the Venice boardwalk, Chinatown for an engagement party at Hop Louie (must go there one day soon), and the Grove. For a comedy, this wasn't a bad watch, was entertaining with lots of humor based around a man's relationship with another man being sort of like a romantic relationship - what with nervousness about calling for their first "man date", nervousness getting to know each other, saying the wrong things, making a break apart from each other and the like. Fun film good for some laughs. Rating - 8/10 stars

17 Again (2009) Film Review - Zac Efron

Plot Summary - Fantasy-comedy about Mike (Matthew Perry), a thirty-something father of two teens who feels disappointed with his life - going nowhere in his job in pharmaceutical sales (they promote a bimbo - working there only two months - instead of him, a 16 year employee!) and on the brink of divorcing the wife he married after getting her pregnant his senior year in high school. Oddly, he is given a second chance when he visits his old school, encounters a strange janitor, and soon has fallen off a bridge and into something pretty weird - his body has become seventeen again (you knew that was coming!), but inside he's still the same man. Okay, now a teenager, Mike (Zac Efron), decides that this is his chance to try and do his life over - he decides to "go back to high school". Living with his longtime pal Ned, a sci-fi/fantasy geek to the core (you should see this guy's house!), he recruits Ned to pose as his "dad" and sign him up for school. Ned falls for the attractive female principal and Mike hopes to gain the success he once missed out on by joining the basketball team. But here's the twist - Mike's two teenage kids, Alex and Maggie, attend the same high school and he finds himself getting to know the kids he never really knew - and helping them out with their problems. Alex is being taunted by a bully, Maggie happens to be dating said bully (a real jerk). And meanwhile, Mike comes over to his new "friend" Alex's house and meets his mom (Leslie Mann), Mike's soon to be ex-wife, and he begins to see a side of her he had forgotten. Thing is, she thinks he's a teen!

Review - Okay, I thought this film was quite good, funny - very entertaining. I do always enjoy these sort of films - Freaky Friday, Big, etc. - body switching, age changing fantasy, that sort. This features lots of comic scenes involving Mike acting towards his children like a father - but they think he's just another kid at school, creating weird situations. Same with his relationship with the mom, he acts more like her husband than her son's friend. Mix-ups, confusion, it's all amusing. The film also features comedy in the form of an older man trying to think, dress, and act like a teenager. Rating - 9/10 stars

The Soloist (2009) Film Review - Jamie Foxx

Plot Summary - Los Angeles Times reporter Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.), hanging in Pershing Square, meets a homeless man named Nathaniel (Jamie Foxx) who talks to himself in nonsense streaming sentences and plays the violin on the streets of L.A., and it turns out he was once a music student at Julliard, several decades before. Lopez decides to devote his weekly column to this man, tries to find out what lead him to this down and out state, and tries to help him. After the first column, a reader sends Nathaniel her cello, Lopez finds him a shelter where the instrument will be safe, and eventually finds him a small apartment. But what he really wants to do is help cure Nathaniel of his mental illness/schizophrenia, though an unwilling Nathaniel makes that a hard nut to crack.

Review - Nicely photographed in the L.A. streets, including some interesting and colorful overhead tracking shots. Interesting story and very well acted by all - Jamie Foxx is particular good in this film. The scenes of Skid Row are odd, kind of scary, colorful, dirty and realistic looking. Rating - 8.5/10 stars

Wuthering Heights (2009) Film Review

Plot Summary - UK TV adaptation of the classic novel by Emily Bronte. Gothic romance set on the Yorkshire moors of the early 19th century. POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD - - Master of the Gothic Yorkshire estate Wuthering Heights and kind father of young Cathy and Hindley Earnshaw, Mr. Earnshaw brings home a Liverpool street urchin who he dubs "Heathcliff". Heathcliff lives in the home as a brother to the kids - to Hindley's distress and to Cathy's happiness as a childhood romance quickly blossoms between Heathcliff and Cathy. The kids grow up, but when the dad dies, Hindley takes over as master of Wuthering Heights and banishes Heathcliff to work outdoors and live as a servant. Heathcliff won't leave and stays on to be treated like a dog by bad Hindley because now his romance with Cathy has become a great love between the two. Cathy is drawn to the wealth and lifestyle of nearby Thrushcross Grange, where she and Heathcliff are caught spying through the window at Edgar Linton and his sister Isabella. Injured by the dog while running away, Cathy is taken in to be treated and stays on at the Grange to recover. She likes this new lifestyle and decides to allow Edgar to pursue her, despite her love for Heathcliff. When she announces that Edgar has asked to marry her, Heathcliff runs away, returning three years later - the day after Cathy's wedding to Edgar Linton! Heartbroken, broody Heathcliff is now a rich gentleman who takes control of Wuthering Heights from Hindley, now a broken-down drunkard. Heathcliff brings a whirlwind of trouble to all around him, and Cathy, still in love with Heathcliff, is desperately miserable, especially when Heathcliff starts to go after sister Isabella.

Review - A sweeping, well done version with gorgeous photography done on-location in the Yorkshire moors. The house used for Wuthering Heights is suitably rambling and dark, the landscape around bringing life to the story. Tom Hardy portrays a very dark and brooding (but handsome, as he should be) Heathcliff indeed! Charlotte Riley is fine, and gives a well done, earthy portrayal of Cathy. I will always love the 1939 version of this story starring Merle Oberon and Laurence Olivier, but found this version very entertaining and well done. This film, being almost twice as long as the 1939 version, features more details of the story and includes the plotline that follows the three grown children of Hindley, Cathy, and Heathcliff and their respective spouses. I had a bit of trouble with the main character's Yorkshire accents, so missed part of the dialogue in places - but, of course, I know the story real well, so it was okay. Rating - 9 to 9.5/10 stars

Ballerina (2009) Film Review - Documentary

Plot Summary - Documentary showcasing five Russian ballerinas from the renowned Kirov Ballet Company in St. Petersburg, Russia. One is a new recruit - first seen dancing solo for her graduation recital from a prestigous ballet school - she's immediately given her dream as she is hired on to join the Kirov's Corp de Ballet. Another is in her second year with the Kirov company, and is just starting to be given solo parts. Two magnificent prima ballerinas are also featured, and the fifth dancer featured is a great Prima Ballerina just making a comeback after two years off with a foot injury. The film includes rehearsal footage, behind-the-scenes at the Mariinsky Theatre where they perform, on-stage performance footage, and interviews with the ballerinas, dance company directors and instructors.

Review - Okay, I have been in love with ballet since seeing "The Turning Point (1977)" (still one of my all-time fave films) when I was a teenager, so perhaps I am pretty biased, but I found this documentary extremely interesting. All five women are talented and beautiful ballerinas, wonderful to watch dance. By the way, I happen to love all things Russian - the streets of St. Petersburg, the ballet, the gorgeous Mariinsky Theatre, it's all good! The film features voice-over narration done by Diane Baker. Rating - 9/10 stars

Grey Gardens (2009) Film Review - Drew Barrymore, Jessica Lange

Plot Summary - Based on a true story. In 1973, two filmmakers are busy making a documentary about two eccentric women, a mother and a daughter both named Edith, who live in a rundown, decaying mansion in East Hampton, New York called "Grey Gardens". We see the filming of their current day lives - mother Edith Bouvier Beale (Jessica Lange), an old bedridden woman obsessed with cats, younger "Edie" (Drew Barrymore), the middle-aged daughter who goes about with her head covered in a variety of oddball scarfs, headdresses made from blouses and pins, to hide her lost head of hair, and the mansion itself - cluttered, messy, dirty, with tons of cats (and a few raccoons) about, and a completely dead and wild, run-back garden. Interestingly, this is the cleaned-up version, as these two are seen at one point actually living in complete squalor until the Board of Health - and a famous relative step in: now here's the interesting fact - the two are aunt and cousin to Jacqueline Bouvier, who is to become first lady Jackie Kennedy Onassis. The film includes flashbacks to the 1930s/40s and into the 50s when young Edie, dominated by her flamboyant wannabee singer mother, tries to pull away from their society life (with mama at her heals pushing her to have her "debut" into society and find a wealthy man) and moves to NYC to become an actress/dancer, has an affair with a married political figure, and still ends up back at Grey Gardens, caring for her mother and basically hiding away from the world, in isolation, as the years go by.

Review - Absolutely fascinating dramatization of the lives of the two women who are featured in the classic documentary from the 1970s, "Grey Gardens (1975)". Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange are really fantastic and believable in this film - the makeup job to make them both age from the 1930s into the 1970s is expertly done. I enjoyed every minute of this, and - though I have been meaning to for a few years now (the DVD has been sitting in my Netflix queue for quite awhile now) - I still haven't seen the original documentary of this story, now I'm going to as soon as possible. Such an interesting story. This was a made-for HBO TV film, extremely well done. Rating - 9.5/10 stars

Push (2009) Film Review - Dakota Fanning

Plot Summary - Action Sci-fi Thriller about a group of psychics in Hong Kong, all in pursuit of a woman, a briefcase, and the drug inside the briefcase. Dakota Fanning plays a thirteen-year old "watcher" (sees the future) who joins up with a twenty-something "mover" (moves objects with his mind, usually seen attempting to turn over dice to his advantage - played by Chris Evans) who is being chased by the "Division", some rather shady U.S. government organization that wants to create super-power psychics via a powerful drug that, when injected, usually kills the psychic. There's one psychic that the drug didn't kill - attractive woman (Camilla Belle) who is a "pusher", that is a pusher in the world of psychic powers - one who pushes fake memories into people's brains making them believe the memory is a real one. The majority of the film is a cat and mouse chase, often rather violent, between the Division, our psychics who want to stop the Division, and a group of evil Chinese psychics also after the case and drug for their own purposes.

Review - This film was okay, but pretty forgettable once over. It's sort of like the superhero world has crossed with the paranormal into a mess of people with a wide variety of psychic abilities divided into these groups: movers, pushers, watchers, sniffers, wipers, healers, bleeders, shadows - interestingly, there doesn't seem to be any overlap, each person seems to have only one superpower ability rather than a mix. I enjoyed the on-location shoot for this, entirely filmed in the very interesting looking streets of Hong Kong. Rating - 7/10 stars

Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009) Film Review

Plot Summary - Shopaholic Rebecca (Isla Fisher) lives in New York City where she has an interview to work as a journalist at her dream fashion magazine, "Alette". The interview doesn't pan out, but she tries for another magazine at the same company and gets the job - at a financial journal called "Successful Saving", of all things! Even though she has maxed out most of her credit cards and is being chased by a gung-ho debt collector, she manages to write an article for the magazine that gets her fame under the moniker "the girl in the green scarf". Rebecca tries to control her out-of-control spending, but just can't seem to stop, even after being pressed into attending meetings of Shopaholics Anonymous by her best gal pal. She also begins a romance with her handsome boss (Hugh Dancy) with the cute Brit accent! Will her romance work out, will she get her dream job at Alette, and most importantly - will she ever be able to stop shopping?!

Review - Cute film - lots of cute, colorful outfits to look at, reasonably entertaining story filmed on-location in NYC. I enjoy these stories about fashion magazines (like "The Devil Wears Prada", "Ugly Betty") - this sort of plotline seems pretty popular these days. The actress Isla Fisher is an absolute ringer for actress Amy Adams both physically as well as her speaking voice. Joan Cusack and John Goodman are entertaining as Rebecca's thrifty parents. Rating - 8/10 stars

What Goes Up (2009) Film Review - Hilary Duff

Plot Summary - Weirdish indie drama set in 1986 in New Hampshire, about a forty-ish reporter (Steve Coogan) who is sent to town to do a report on the Challenger Space Shuttle launch, his story to focus on the teacher who was going aboard. But our man quickly finds a story of a different high school teacher while there - one who had taught a group of outcast students who seemed to worship him and has just committed suicide. The reporter gets involved with the students as he begins to be sort of their new hero - especially a couple of the young girls, blonde and beautiful Lucy (Hilary Duff) and goth-ish Tess. But he better watch out - these chicks are underage!

Review - Well, this film is sort of dark and strange, and it wouldn't be bad - except the story is somewhat boring. And there's weird stuff like the kids stealing the teacher's coffin (with him in it) and turning it into a shrine on the ice and snow, and one of the young guy's, um, masturbating while watching a woman across the way breast feed her baby - sheesh. I don't know about this one - it had elements that were good, but as a whole - not all that good. By the way, the filmmakers didn't put much of an effort into this to make these characters look like their livin' in the 80s! Rating - 5.5 to 6/10 stars

Crossing Over (2009) Film Review - Harrison Ford

Plot Summary - Tales of immigration, set in L.A. and down to the Mexican border. The film interweaves several different stories including an immigration officer (Harrison Ford) who helps round up illegal immigrants out of a clothing sweat shop and ship them back to Mexico, but he seems sometimes to have too much heart for the job as he tries to help a young Mexican woman who is forced to leave behind her little boy. Other stories include a young Australian woman who wants to be an actress but finds herself forced to sleep with an immigration officer who is willing to "help" her get approved, a handsome young Jewish man (Jim Sturgess) from Britain who tries to pretend he's more religious than he is in his attempt for his green card, an Asian teen on the brink of becoming a citizen who gets mixed up with a bad gang about to commit a crime, and a fifteen-year old Arab girl who makes a speech in school that gets herself reported and rounded up for being a potential suicide bomber!

Review - I thought this film was quite good - all the stories were interesting to watch, as the film flips back and forth between the different characters and plotlines. Some of the characters from different stories end up in the same story, as the plot cleverly weaves together the various tales. Nicely done film. Rating - 8.5/10 stars

He's Just Not That Into You (2009) Film Review

Plot Summary - Romantic comedy following the stories of a number of characters, male and female, the main story being about a gal named Gigi (Ginnifer Goodwin) who just can't seem to meet a fellow who will call her back after the first date! Becoming a bit stalkish, she meets a bar owner who starts to help her in her pursuit of meeting Mr. Right, by letting her know when her latest fellow is "just not that into her". Other stories: a man who meets a sexy blonde (Scarlett Johansson) at a quickie mart, where they exchange cards - thing is, he's married; - - a woman (Jennifer Aniston) desperate for marriage to her seven-year live-in boyfriend - thing is, he won't bite; - - a gal (Drew Barrymore) who communicates with all the men she meets via online or various mobile connections - never in person; plus assorted other characters who all seem to interconnect with each other.

Review - I thought this film was good - entertaining, not as totally good as I had hoped (based on the ads). Drew Barrymore has a pretty small part compared to the amount she was featured in the TV ad spots for this film, I must say. Typical sort of romantic comedy fare that seems to be being produced these days, cute, entertaining, but not great. Rating - 8/10 stars

New In Town (2009) Film Review - Renee Zellweger

Plot Summary - Romantic comedy. A big Miami-based food company wants to make product changes and downsize a plant they own which is located in a small town in icy Minnesota - and they send executive Lucy Hill (Renee Zellweger) there to get the job done. Lucy must quickly adapt to the cold weather, the unusual accents, and the small town environment. As the plant's newest manager, hard-driving Lucy ends up getting off on the wrong foot with the workers and the locals who live in this town that is so different from what Lucy is used to. She even manages to make an enemy of local hunk/Union rep. Ted Mitchell (Harry Connick Jr.). But after he rescues her after her car is trapped in a snow bank, Lucy begins to warm to him and in the way of all filmland, the couple that hates each other begins to have a romantic fling. Soon Lucy begins to take to the small town surroundings and the kindly, un-jaded attitudes of the townsfolk who are into stuff like scrapbooking, ice fishing, and making tapioca. When the Miami bigwigs decide to shut down the plant entirely, Lucy steps in to try and keep the plant open and save the day for everyone who works there.

Review - Cute and sweet film (aww - I like scrapbooking!) - I didn't get this review written up as much as I should have, but I enjoyed the film and always like Renee Zellweger, who is very good in this. I even thought there was some chemistry between her and Harry Connick Jr. Filmed in Canada in 50 degrees below icy temperatures, this was! Rating - 8.5/10 stars

Killshot (2009) Film Review - Mickey Rourke

Plot Summary - Thriller about a half-breed Mafia hit man nicknamed "Blackbird" (Mickey Rourke) who, after making a big hit on the big Mafia daddy, hooks up with a wild young loser/killer named Richie Nix (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who is involved in blackmailing a realtor for 20,000 bucks. When the two head into the realtor's office hoping to get the dough, instead they find a couple there (played by Diane Lane and Thomas Jane), who are now witnesses. Blackbird doesn't like to leave anyone alive who's "seen his face", so the two bad men are soon after this couple to kill them. The FBI puts the couple into a witness protection program since they are the only ones who can connect the Blackbird's whereabouts at the time of the recent hit he committed. Cat and mouse chase between bad men and good couple to follow. The couple, previously on the brink of divorce, start to patch things up as they live in a new town with new identities and sleep in one double bed!

Review - Okay, this film was okay - boosted up by having really well done performances by Mickey Rourke and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Diane Lane is fine, as usual - the actor who plays her hubby is about as dull and nondescript as you can get (wonder at the casting there?!). The soundtrack went with the film quite nicely, the location settings were well photographed. Entertaining enough, nothing great. Rating - 7/10 stars

Bride Wars (2009) Film Review - Anne Hathaway, Kate Hudson

Plot Summary - Cute BFF/chick flick comedy about two best gal pals, Emma and Liv (Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson) who have grown-up together dreaming of their perfect June weddings at the Plaza in NYC. When they both get proposed to by their fellows, the gals hit the top wedding planner in New York (played by Candice Bergen) to plan their Plaza weddings. A mess-up causes both women's weddings to be scheduled on the same June Saturday - what to do? The Plaza booked in June for three years, how will the two best friends compromise and both keep their dream alive? Hmm, guess they can't. Neither will budge on the date, so the two become enemy Bridezillas, each trying to sabotage the other one's wedding. Yeah, pretty juvenile, but then this is comedy.

Review - This is a fun film, helped by having two excellent comediennes playing the lead roles - their relationship struck me as very Lucy/Ethel-like, and that I like - right down to the "one of us will have to switch her date", "yes one of us will" sort of chatter like in the Lucy and Ethel wear the same dress "I Love Lucy" episode. Again, like a Lucy episode, there is quite a bit of slapstick and silly antics involved here. The two guys who play the gals fiance's are real duds, luckily they don't get a lot to do in this film. I enjoyed the voice-over narration by Candice Bergen and the on-location filming done in New York City (which I love, love, love from afar). Rating - 8/10 stars