REEL REVIEWS

I haven't been lured to the movie theater lately, so I've been catching up on new release DVDs, Indies, and Foreign Films. Here's a few I've seen this month: Juno I’m having trouble finding words for this film review. It was a crowd favorite during the annual award shows. I’m way behind in watching it. I saw an interview with the author on Oprah during the pre-Oscar buzz, so although I thought the film topic was one I could skip, I was intrigued by what the writer had to say and decided to take a peek. I loved Ellen Page, the leading actress, who was absolutely spot on playing the lead character (who reminds me very much of the writer herself), but couldn’t help feeling despite the clever dialog and great hits of teen jargon, the story lacked content. The show was a lot slow—about the pace of Napoleon Dynamite. Having said all this, I would have to agree with the 2008 Oscar voters and say this was probably the best pick for original screenplay of the year and worthy of that award. Unfortunately, I can’t say this is one to watch. The Kite Runner A touching must see. This is the most full-bodied film I’ve seen in a while. The film embraces a wonderful story of childhood friendship, family, honor, betrayal, and redemption. Although set in Taliban ravaged Afghanistan, location and war-torn conditions take a back seat to the enlightening message. Based on the novel, the author clearly worked along side director Marc Forster (who also directed Finding Neverland--one of my all time favorites) helping him capture this worthy story of human values to share with today’s world. This film unquestionably crosses cultural barriers and opens our hearts placing each of us among others in the common trials of mankind. This is the type of film I’m searching for in my continual hunt for the laudable films of today. As this is not a fast paced film, be sure to watch it on a movie night when you are ready to receive the message. I would place this film a bit on the ‘dark side’ which means it’s not meant for everyone, but all the same, still one to watch. The Flying Scotsman This short story is based on the true life of Graeme Obree, an amateur cyclist, who sets out to break the cycling world’s speed record, and in so doing becomes a local hero. This feature gives a great depiction of an athlete’s sheer determination and love for his sport. It’s an amiable account but I couldn’t help feeling significant parts of the story were missing, leaving it unfinished. A bit of the Scottish accent was tough for this American to catch. If you enjoy Indies, cycling or overcoming the odds films you would most likely enjoy watching. Overall, it’s a short film I would call a ‘one-timer’ (which means I would watch it once but probably wouldn’t rent it again—and would hesitate to recommend it to those I don’t know). Mad Money Although Duchess loves the leading actresses, at the risk of sounding like a harsh critic, this movie is definitely one to completely skip. Luckily, I rented this DVD from the RedBox. The Namesake The trailers peaked my interest in watching this movie. You know, the typical first generation immigrant boy struggling to make adjustments to the American way of life, caught between his parents and American youth. Meanwhile, the father is earning a good life for his wife and ungrateful children. It was a cute, sweet, slow film--touching at points, charming at others, giving us a brief look inside the Southeast Asian community filled with colorful beauty (by this I mean more than outside beauty). Overall, I couldn’t help feeling they were leaving out a lot of the story. It left me feeling a little empty. Rating: One to watch on a day when you’re looking for a short story and not entertainment. This movie actually makes me want to read the book. *Personal note: Just after I watched this film, we heard my In-laws (Doc and Soulmate) had finally received their referral to adopt their Chinese daughter, Katie. The name of the mother in the film is much like that of little Katie’s Chinese name—when translated means to me (not others) her life will be one “without boundaries, limitless.” I believe there will be no constraints to what little Katie will do!