Company Men is What I Call a "Movie"

For me, some movies are "films" and some movies are "movies." Films are works of art, movies entertain us. "Company Men" is a movie. It has a terrific cast, especially solid actors including Chris Cooper, Tommy Lee Jones, and Maria Bello. I'm always a bit ambivalent about Ben Affleck. His celebrity status and love life really overshadowed his acting for a while. So although he hasn't made the list of celebrities I can't stand and will not watch (e.g., Mel Gibson, Angelina Jolie, Julia Roberts, and Madonna), he definitely is not on my list of actors I will always watch (e.g., Meryl Streep, Clive Owens, Jason Batemen, Mark Ruffalo, Dustin Hoffman, John C. Reilly, Phillip Seymore Hoffman, and Mark Wahlberg). He is ok in this movie although I did not believe him as a father to a teenage boy and school-aged daughter. Kevin Costner, who in my mind fell from grace over time, has a nice turn as Ben's working class brother-in-law. Anyway, back to the movie. It was well-paced, well-acted and the subject is timely and compelling. On the other hand, there is nothing original in the story or screenplay to make this anything but a very watchable movie.

This Snow Reminds Me of Something

The freezing cold temperatures and snow reminds me of another great movie that most people missed. It's from a couple of years ago and it's called Frozen River. It stars Melissa Leo, the wonderful actress who is currently nominated for an Academy Award for her role as the mother in The Fighter. Melissa Leo was best known to me for her performances in the wonderful t.v. show, Homicide: Life on the Street. Frozen River is an understated movie with a near-perfect performance by Leo. Beware, this is an emotional movie...not at all light entertainment. But it is a great film nontheless. So if you like intense movies snuggle up in your Snuggie and watch Frozen River.

Rating: 4 out of 4 franks

My Dilemma with The Dilemma

Just came home from seeing The Dilemma with Vince Vaughn and Kevin James. No, I wasn't sitting with them in the theater, of course. They are the stars of the movie. Many moons ago when I saw the trailer for this movie I decided I didn't want to see it. I didn't find the jokes in the trailer especially funny and figuring that these were the best jokes, I wasn't intrigued. The review in the Philadelphia Inquirer was not very encouraging. A two star movie at best. Now, I must admit that I have been led astray by the Inquirer reviewers many, many times in the past. So I take their ratings with a very large grain of salt. My sister then told me that the NY Times and the New Yorker both really liked the movie. I admit it. I am susceptible to the allure of the Big Apple critics. I was also jonesing for a movie and my hubby and son were going to be glued to football playoffs, so off to the theater I went.

So, what you ask is my dilemma? Do I disagree with the NY critics and risk being too dumb, too unsophisticated, too naive, too plebian, or too "you fill in the blank?" Or do I tout the film and put myself in that revered company? Well, I think I take the risk. So here you go....

Definitely not a great movie, definitely not unwatchably bad. You've got to like Vince Vaughn to like this flick. He is in every scene. Don't go to this movie expecting to see a light comedy. Although there are some comic moments, the plot deals with several "heavy" issues. It is one of those movies where every character is dealing with a lot of stress, especially Vaughn so you never get to relax and enjoy anything. There is definite chemistry between Vaughn and James as best friends. As a woman who cannot experience it, I enjoy seeing male friendships on screen. Winona Ryder was appropriately creepy. Jennifer Connelly was fine as Vince's girlfriend, not a particularly interesting role. The best performance came from Channing Tatum who played his part with depth and range.

Bottom line: Don't make a special trip to see this movie, but if you're looking to get out of the house and you like Vince Vaughn and you're not looking to see something great...It won't hurt you. I give it 2 franks.

This Might Be a Perfect Movie

When I think about the perfect movie I think about a few things. First, great writing. Second, great casting. Third, great performance. Fourth, great pacing/editing. Fifth, effective cinematography. One great movie that meets all these criteria is "The Princess Bride." It is such a well crafted movie that strikes just the right tone, humor, and emotion. It is a wonderful movie for all ages over, say 7 years old. You can turn on the tv whenever it is playing and just start watching it from whatever point it's at and enjoy every minute of it.

Hand me a box of Kleenex, Please

Do you ever feel like you need a really good cry? Sometimes I want to watch a film that can touch the deepest sadness inside of me. There are two foreign films that I love that can do this to me. Not coincidentally, they are both about amazing, resilient children. The first is called, "My Life as a Dog." It's a Swedish film about a boy named Igmar. The second is called "Journey of Hope." It's a Turkish film about a family's efforts to get to Switzerland where they believe there are jobs and they can make a better life. Hopefully, subtitles don't scare you off. These are two amazing films. Just don't forget the Kleenex.

Kids Movies for Grown-ups

If you don't have young children you may have missed some really entertaining animated movies that came out the past year or so. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the following: How to Train Your Dragon, Toy Story 3, Despicable Me, and Megamind. Don't miss the chance to see any or all of these just because you are older than 10.

Golden Globe Rehash

Amazingly, I was able to stay awake for the whole Golden Globe show. Watching was made more enjoyable by strategic use of the DVR to skip over commercials and hard to watch acceptance speeches. I don't care much about the outfits or the red carpet, I'm callous enough to not be offended by anything Ricky Gervais said or implied, but I care about who won for the movies. I'm ok with the wins by Natalie Portman and Annette Benning. I'm happy as a clam about the wins by Christian Bale, Colin Firth, and Melissa Leo. I haven't a clue about the win by Paul Giamatti-- I haven't even heard of that movie. I'm also ok about Social Network winning for writing (Aaron Sorkin is some kind of freak with words) and winning the directing award. I'm not happy about Social Network winning the best picture award. I would have been happy with either The Fighter or The King's Speech. I prefer a movie where I can pull for the main character. After seeing Social Network I wanted to cancel my Facebook account (I didn't, but I wanted to).

Best Movies Ever

Here's a list of some of the best movies ever off the top of my head. These are highly recommended to put in your Netflix cue or look for On Demand etc. They should appeal to everyone (i.e., they are not artsy, fartsy, esoteric films). They are in no particular order, are all different genres, and time periods but...here goes.

Michael Clayton
Inside Moves
Breaker Morant
Gone Baby, Gone
The Madness of King George
Amelie
Memento
In America
An Education
The Onion Field
Shawshank Redemption
Trip to Bountiful

Well, dinner is ready so I will stop now. More later.

Frank Movie Advice: "Country Strong": Yes or No

Frank Movie Advice: "Country Strong": Yes or No: "Country Strong with Gwyneth Paltrow is being heavily promoted. Is it a great movie? No. Is it a good movie? No. Is it a decent way to s..."

"Country Strong": Yes or No

Country Strong with Gwyneth Paltrow is being heavily promoted. Is it a great movie? No. Is it a good movie? No. Is it a decent way to spend a couple of hours if you love to go to the movies? Yes. This movie was definitely not as bad as I expected it to be. The actors are all very good looking, everyone can sing pretty darn well, and there are no immense flaws to make it unwatchable in any way. On the other hand, it is predictable, the performance are fine but, not amazing in any way, and there's nothing special about the cinematography. But, if like me, you've seen the great movies playing currently (see previous post) but you still have a hankering to go to the movies, it's an option (even better if you have a free ticket coupon).

Frank Movie Advice: Currently at Local Theaters

Frank Movie Advice: Currently at Local Theaters: "Must sees are 'The Kings Speech' and 'The Fighter.' These are both great MOVIES. By that I mean they are intelligent, entertaining, well-c..."

Frank Movie Advice: Hello!

Frank Movie Advice: Hello!: "Hello! I love movies. Well, let me clarify a bit. I love good movies and great movies. I don't like bad movies. I see a lot of movies i..."

Currently at Local Theaters

Must sees are "The Kings Speech" and "The Fighter." These are both great MOVIES. By that I mean they are intelligent, entertaining, well-cast (exceptionally so), and the performances are fantastic. What more can you ask for? Also as must see is "True Grit." It's a wonderfully directed remake of the John Wayne classic. Sadly, most kids today have no idea who John Wayne was. I will definitely make sure my kids are well-educated on the classic actors.

Hello!

Hello! I love movies. Well, let me clarify a bit. I love good movies and great movies. I don't like bad movies. I see a lot of movies in the theater because if I watch at home on t.v. I usually fall asleep. I love a big screen experience along with a giant Diet Coke (no Pepsi, please). I love old movies. The first thing I do when I turn on the t.v. is check out what's being shown on TCM (Turner Classic Movies). I can't stand to watch movies on t.v. with commercials (sorry AMC). I love new movies, foreign films, independent films, dramas, comedies, some action and adventure. I was a teenager and young adult in the '70's and early '80's and I love the actors who got started then...Dustin Hoffman, Robert DeNiro, John Savage, Christopher Walken, Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, Jon Voight etc. My friends and family call me to get my advice on what movies to see, rent, buy, pass on. I want my kids (boys ages 13 and 15) to be properly schooled on the best movies to see. My last name is "Frank," hence the name Frank Movie Advice.