Weeds Season 2 (TV) - 5 stars

Weeds a superior television series. I can't think of anything I would do different, other than provide more episodes to watch. Jim & I are equally as engrossed. The premise is that 40-something suburban housewife (played by Mary Louise Parker) is suddenly widowed. She wisely decides that the best way to support her 2 kids is to sell marijuana, which she knows absolutely nothing about. Kevin Nealon and Elizabeth Perkins are part of the stellar supporting cast. Nealon's character is surprisingly funny - he's a loser/pothead/accountant/city councilor. Season 1 certainly has some adult themes, but season 2 is even more adult. They humorously tackle race, politics, sex, raising kids, religion, local politics, obesity, and everything else facing Americans today. Season 2 is now available on DVD and Season 3 is being shown on Showtime.

Notes on a Scandal - 3 stars

It looks like I forgot to write up the last movie I saw, which was 6 months ago. Notes on a Scandal stars 2 Dame Judy Dench and Cate Blanchette. 2 actors that are a dream to watch. You can probably guess from the title that the story centers around a scandal. My problem with the movie is that I didn't believe the scandal. I don't want to give anything away, but I just didn't find the scandalous scenario plausible. The acting is good, along with the writing. The problem is in the casting. Cate Blanchette, for all her abilities, is just too stunning to play lowly. I don't buy it. Dench is a thrill to watch.

Ocean's 13 - 2.5 stars

This is probably the first new movie I've seen in 6 months. Ocean's 13 was a big fat disappointment. I'm not a big fan of sequels. Generally I think they are a rip-off, recycling the same jokes and story lines as the first installment. I really enjoyed Ocean's 11 and Ocean's 12, and was actually looking forward to Ocean's 13. Ocean's 12 did repeat the same formula as Ocean's 11, but it didn't feel formulaic. It was fresh and funny. Ocean's 13 is very poorly scripted, with the leads phoning in their performances. They don't even repeat the best stuff in the first 2 - they don't have the lumbering idiots trying to pull off something complicated. There is a busy scam, but it's not creative and they all act like they know what they are doing. The only good gag comes from Matt Damon.

The Good German - 2 stars

I forgot to post a review for this. What I can remember is that I didn't like it. The story was trite, the acting stiff. I don't like Tobey McGuire, and he annoys me in this movie. Yuck.

George Clooney and Cate Blanchett wasted their talents on this.

Casino Royale - 1 star

It's sad how disappointing this movie was. It's the latest installment of the 007 series. The new Bond was fine, and looks good enough. The problem was the story. This version of character is supposed to be new in the job. He doesn't fulfill all of the suave confidence that is Bond's signature. Instead, he is cocky and inexperienced.

Also, there wasn't any story to follow. All we have is a terrorist is doing something bad. There's no background or reasoning. We just know the terrorist is from somewhere in the middle east.

The best action scene was the opening scene, so you can turn it off after 15 minutes.

Breaking & Entering - 3 stars

Breakin & Entering is a strong film, but not extraordinary. There are too many movies out there to waste your time on average. Jude Law has the same inhuman quality from his other films, which works well in B&E. Juliette Binoche and Robin Wright Penn are radiant, as always. It's a very nice story of people trying to find their way through relationships while still being true to their hearts. It's subtle and enjoyable, but lacks a strong ending. Little Children had the same problem with the characters changing old patterns without a realistic catalyst. Bad pattern.

Opens mid-December.

Stranger than Fiction - 4.5 stars

Stranger Than Fiction is one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. It's inventive, thoughtful, and poetic. At it's core, it's a love story. Not really a romantic love story, but a story about love. It plays with reality like Adaptation or Being John Malkovich, and does it as skillfully. Will Ferrell is lovely in this serious role. Maggie Gyllenhaal, a favorite of mine, is magnetic. Dustin Hoffman is adorable, but he's re-playing the same role he's been doing for a while (a la Meet the Parents). Emma Thompson and Queen Latifa are also good. In the words of Frances McDormand's Jane in Laurel Canyon, "it pulled me across the room." Go see this one.

Happy Feet - 2.5 stars

The Film Fest director described Happy Feet as a combination of March of the Penguins and Moulin Rouge. I have to agree, but not in the way he intended. It doesn't combine those great elements, it copies them. The story starts out exactly like March. The penguins are walking across the ice trying to protect their eggs and find their eggs. However, they are singing. It's very cute for about 3 minutes. Then you realize that the songs are uninventive ripoffs or just songs by the artists themselves. The story has too many elements shoved together, none of which really engage. It tries to be the story of the kid who doesn't fit in, the environmental story, the cross-cultural story. It's fine, but not nearly as original as it could and should have been. Brittany Murphy has an incredible voice, and Robin Williams never ceases to amaze as 3 different characters.

Kids will love it. There are a few scary moments with the big, mean seal. Opens Nov 17th.

Closer - 2.5 stars

Starring Natalie Portman, Jud Law, Julia Roberts, and Clive Owens this one's about a love triangle with a fourth (Portman). The acting is good, with Portman stealing the show, the story on the other hand floats around ambiguously most of the time. The writer does a great job taking you through emotions in each of the individual break-ups that litter this film, with a masterful portrayal of those intimate moments when you realize a break-up is for real. Roberts, Law and Owens hold their own (with Roberts leading that pack) but don't quite have it in this one. The characters seem to wafer between sadism and stupidity in their choices about love and their partnership, making want to roll your eyes.
- Jim

Mean Creek - 4 stars

Starring Rory Culkin, Ryan Kelley, Scott Mechlowicz, Trevor Morgan and Carly Schroder and a group of friends and family who take Josh Peck (the local bully) into the back country to exact a little revenge. When all goes awry they find out who they and their friends really are. George (Peck's character) turns out to be a bit more human than they think, until his poor judgement and lack of social skills reminds the group why they came in the first place. Well acted and doesn't take the easy outs when the opportunity is provided. The similarity of the mannerisms between Mechlowicz and Brad Pitt are almost creepy, his character is the most predictable. I highly recommend this movie, don't watch it too late at night it has a piercing quality that will follow you into your dreams.
- Jim