10/2/2007
A quiet film with strong camera work about three women in the desert.
Who would have thought that sand could be so visually stunning? "In House of Sand" three women must build a home on the flimsy foundation. The start of the movie sets up the stunning photography, as the camera spans the tan wasteland of the Brazilian desert. As you sit and watch you get a sense of...
9/28/2007
A comedy about the backstage of radio.
Who wouldn't want a companion for those long cold prairie nights? This movie is akin to the experience of snuggling up to a radio with hot cocoa listening to country music as you watch the snow fall quietly. "A Prairie Home Companion" is a subtle mix of comedy and tragedy as its characters struggle...
9/26/2007
Tom Cruise as a lawyer that must escape both the government and the mafia.
What does it take to realize what is important? "The Firm" showcases Tom Cruise as a butt-kicking lawyer in a precarious situation. Along with Cruise, this film is a star packed vehicle with such heavy weights as Gene Hackman, Ed Harris and Holly Hunter. Adapted from a popular John Grisham thriller...
9/24/2007
A teenage girl's pregnancy makes a psychologist question her own reality.
Red blood splashed across crisp white snow is just one of the many fantastic images in "Stephanie Daley." This visually and emotionally stirring film goes deep into the heart of its subject and does not look back or apologize. The vivid characters are as real as they are fierce, as they struggle...
9/20/2007
Can anyone get right with God?
The meek shall inherit the earth, unless they take it for themselves. "The King" compacts a whole lot of biblical allusions with the story of sins of the father returning in the form of the prodigal son. When this son is rejected, he takes all he can. This is a decent Southern gothic tale with a...
9/18/2007
Find unconditional love in unexpected places.
You could call this a romantic comedy. However, not the kind you'd expect. Instead of a story of woman and man trying to find love, this is a romance between woman and man's best friend. Molly Shannon gives a great performance that is both funny and dramatic as a secretary with a fierce love of...
9/14/2007
A contemporary Irish musical with a surprisingly classic tone.
An Irish man plays a worn out guitar on the street and then gets his guitar case stolen by a street kid. This is not the opening you'd expect from a movie musical, but this film is musical without the frills of a staged show. The music here is comprised of mellow rock songs that come up naturally...
9/11/2007
A crime movie about power and disability
The disadvantaged get the upper hand in "The Lookout," a fast paced drama from writer/director Scott Frank. Here is presented a heist movie of a different caliber. The genre is switched up by the fact that the inside man has short term memory loss. The switch provides a dark and innovative story of...
9/10/2007
A perfect dud.
When talking to a screen, how can one tell who is on the other side? "Perfect Stranger" is a mesh of changing personalities through the potentially dangerous world of the chat room. This is a less than perfect movie, however. The twisted plot is convoluted and heavy-handed, as well as unbelievable...
9/7/2007
Not really an evolutionary achievement in cinema.
Evolution has a way of weeding out the weak and unfit. If this is true than perhaps natural selection will find a way of disposing of this movie before it passes on its undesirable traits. "The Darwin Awards" is as good as a film based on an internet site of awards given out to people who find dumb...
