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

The Ramen Girl (2008) Film Review

Plot Summary - Indie film, set in Tokyo. Young, blonde, eager and American Abby (Brittany Murphy) arrives in Tokyo to be with her "boyfriend" who is now living there. But the boyfriend is just not that into her, leaves town and Abby high and dry in a strange city full of strange customs and ways. Not to mention, our Abby doesn't seem to speak a word of Japanese. But - she stays on as she suddenly finds herself drawn to the bustling ramen shop (noodle restaurant) across the street. Well - Abby decides she wants to become a Ramen Chef and asks the chef/owner of the shop to become her teacher. The chef is a grouchy, disagreeable Japanese older man who doesn't speak a word of English, likes to spout insults at her in Japanese, and doesn't even agree to teach her. But Abby is a real aggressive one and just keeps showing up, doing what he asks - which is mainly cleaning the toilet and floors. The two spend pretty much the entire film talking to each other without seemingly understanding each other - but a bond seems to grow somehow, anyway, as he finally begins to teach her to grow up as she learns the ways of making broth and assembling her bowls of ramen - with spirit!

Review - A sort of coming-of-age tale (except that this chick is already into her twenties) that is pretty interesting to watch, for the most part (though I found her aggressiveness kind of annoying sometimes - not to mention the chef, whose personality in sort of grating too). There is an obligatory love story between Abby and a handsome, young Japanese man she meets, but that part of the plot seems sort of thrown-in and doesn't give much to the story as a whole. I enjoyed the scenes in Tokyo (which I always think looks like such an interesting place) and the scenes inside the atmospheric, almost quaint little ramen shop which looked like a place I would like to eat! Rating - 7.5 - 8/10 stars

Frozen River (2008) Film Review - Melissa Leo

Plot Summary - Tense drama about a woman (Melissa Leo) who is struggling to make ends meet after her gambling addicted hubby takes the money and runs, leaving her alone to care for her two sons and come up with the payment for their desired double-wide trailer home. She's unable to earn enough at her part-time job at Yankee Dollar, but when she meets a gal on the nearby Mohawk reservation who makes money running illegal immigrants over the local border from Canada into the United States, she joins her for a split of the money. The two women must drive across a frozen river, then drive back with the immigrants in the car trunk. Seedy characters and troubles soon get into the mix as the danger of getting caught seems only a matter of time.

Review - This is a very good film, Melissa Leo gives a powerful, compelling performance (Oscar nominated) that keeps you interested. Nicely done on-location photography and lots of facial close-ups helps hold up the tension. Rating - 9/10 stars

Beautiful Ohio (2006) Film Review - William Hurt

Plot Summary - Indie film set in Cleveland, Ohio circa 1973. A coming-of-age story focusing on a family - mom, dad, and two teenage brothers who are dubbed "geniuses" - the main character is the youngest brother William, sensitive pianist and sculptor. The main genius is the older brother, Clive, currently competing in the rounds of the Ohio math championships, which takes place over the course of the film. Clive is long-haired and broody, he speaks a secret language only known to him and his pal Elliot. Clive has a girlfriend, Sandra, escaped from a bad home life and secretly living in the basement of their house. William finds out about Sandra, crushes on her (reciprocated) and keeps the secret from his parents. The dad (William Hurt) sells insurance and seems to be having a fling with the attractive neighbor lady - mom likes to cook and host dinners for the neighbor lady and husband. Mom (Rita Wilson) is into poetry and Chopin, Dad is experimental, plays rock records to mom's displeasure, and joins his son and friend smoking a bong. Just your typical family, honest!

Review - This is a touching, sensitively done film - very entertaining and well done, the family seemed like a real one. Nice vintage 70s music used in some background scenes, though the film is quiet as a whole. The character of William, the centerpiece of the film, is well played by the actor Brett Davern, his first film? Nice on-location photography in, mostly cold, Ohio (the family has their own mini hockey ice rink made in the yard). I really liked this. Rating - 9/10 stars

Smart People (2008) Film Review

Plot Summary - Indie film about a widowed university professor of literature (Dennis Quaid) with a smarter-than-thou attitude who gets a concussion and seizure ending up in the hospital under the care of a former student, now a doctor (Sarah Jessica Parker). This female doctor once had a crush on him - he doesn't even remember her, or any of his former students for that matter. The Prof. is still carrying the torch for his deceased wife while caring for - or being cared by, rather - his quirky, sarcastic daughter (Ellen Page) a "Young Republican" and high school senior studying for her SATs, and his son, a college student and poet. The Prof. can't drive for six months because of the concussion, so his pot-smoking "adopted brother" moves in to chauffeur him around - the daughter ends up coming on to her "uncle" who rejects her. And meanwhile, the Prof. begins to date the doctor, with mixed results.

Review - This film was okay, but it was pretty boring - and I don't get bored that easily when watching a film. I didn't really care that much about the characters, the son is really not even necessary to the story - I do like Ellen Page in this film, however, she's real good - the scenes with her character in them were the most interesting in the film, I thought. Little chemistry between Dennis Quaid and Sarah Jessica Parker doesn't help. I hoped this would be a little better than it is - disappointing. Rating - 6 to 7/10 stars

The Curiosity of Chance (2006) Review

Plot Summary - Offbeat coming-of-age comedy set "somewhere in Europe, some time in the 80s", about teenage Chance, a quick-witted gay transfer student who is being raised by his strictish military dad who goes around in army fatigues and calls his son "cadet". Chance establishes his eccentric persona right off the bat by going to high school his first day in top hat and cane (and the next day with a pirate patch over one eye). He makes friends with a weird guy who constantly carries around a briefcase (clutched to his chest) with "secret" contents and a really sarcastic black girl with a bad sort of chip on her shoulder. He makes enemies with a hulk-like school jock who constantly harasses him for being gay. Then there's Levi - Chance's hunky next-door neighbor and schoolmate (the actor reminded me of Jake Gyllenhaal). Chance develops a crush on Levi, but Levi's jock pals won't let him stay friends with Chance for long. And meanwhile - - Chance and his friends go to a nightclub where a drag show performs - Chance befriends the performers backstage and decides to perform in drag at next week's amateur night. And soon Levi finally stands up against his jerk friends to form a band with Chance, with intentions to compete in an upcoming high school student "Battle of the Bands".

Review - Well, I thought this film was pretty good - I see it as sort of a cross between "Rock and Roll High School" and the John Waters version of "Hairspray", but with a gay theme. It's really quite campy, the setting in Europe (filmed on location in Belgium) makes for some rather bizarre stuff because the whole high school scene seems like a really typical American high school except that many of the actors are putting on a variety of fake European accents. The 80s clothing and hairstyles done for this is fairly realistic - yes, I myself used to often sport a long side ponytail back in those days (I never went for the leg warmers though another hairstyle I often wore then involved a big Madonna style bow tied on top my head). By the way, this film has a really good 80s soundtrack of mainly New Wave songs including several old faves of mine I haven't heard in a long, long time (nostalgia!) - just hearing that Devo song played during the opening credits made me want to get up and dance and get out my old Devo records and play them once again (yes indeed, I certainly do have my entire 70s/80s vinyl collection). I thought this indie film was a quirky, fun watch - very entertaining. Rating - 8/10 stars