War, What Is It Good For? Absolutely Nothing.

I starting thinking about some great movies I've seen over the years and realized many of them were set during WWII. So here goes....my list of the best WWII movies in the last few decades:
(not in any particular order, I think they're all great)

Life is Beautiful
Europa, Europa
Au Revoir Les Enfants
Empire of the Sun
Mediterranea
A Midnight Clear
Schindler's List
The Pianist
Das Boot
Sophie's Choice

All of these should be seen. Let me know if you see any you haven't seen before.

Is Life Biutiful for the World's Poor?

Just came home from seeing "Biutiful" with Javier Bardem directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Wow! This is a very heavy film. Bardem's performance is amazing. It feels like you are just watching someone's life. This film reveals the lives of poor people and illegal immigrants in Spain and how they try to survive. It is very hard to watch and quite painful. However, you cannot leave this film and not feel immense gratitude for the lives we live.

More Clowns

Thanks to my loyal followers for reminding me of some more great movies by "clowns" including Bill Murray in "Lost in Translation" and "Broken Flowers." Thanks to my hubby for Robin Williams in "Good Will Hunting." Others suggest Robin Williams in "Dead Poet Society," Tom Hanks in "Philadelphia," and Steve Martin in "Simple Twist of Fate."

Send in the Clowns

My sister-in-law commented on one of my blogs about great movies. She said, what about "Stranger Than Fiction?" "Stranger Than Fiction" is a clever, quirky film starring Will Ferrell, Dustin Hoffman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Emma Thompson, and Queen Latifah. I wasn't a Will Ferrell fan until I saw him in this movie. He was wonderful in this serious role. It got me thinking about other comedians or comedic actors who I came to appreciate when I saw them in wonderful, non-comedy roles. I hated Jim Carrey until I saw "Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." This is another clever, quirky film with terrific performances by both Carrey and one of my favorite actresses, Kate Winslet. She can do anything! Then there is Adam Sandler. Typically, Sandler is a bit too juvenile for me. But, check him out in a serious drama called "Punch Drunk Love." An amazing performance by Sandler. I can't think of any others at the moment. Can you?

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.