REEL REVIEW: VALENTINO

"I make dresses for women who actually wear them." –Valentino

If you haven't already seen "Valentino: The Last Emperor" documentary, you need to! I loved it. What a great peek into the life and design process of this incredible fashion icon. I wish it would have been longer than the 1-1/2 hours.

The show follows Valentino and his long time partner Giancarlo through the final year of the Valentino spring collection, Paris runway show, celebration of his 45 year career as a fashion designer (a 3 day celebration), and the finale runway show collection in Rome. In addition to all this fabulousness (is that a word?), the peek into his personal life is irresistible.

As for the Haute Collections, the real magic happens in the backroom where the devoted seamstresses work tirelessly to help Valentino complete his designs. Not one sewing machine in the whole place!! Everything is done by hand. Unbelievable. The method is simple: The head seamstress is handed a sketch by Valentino himself, he gives her a brief review of what he wants, she then returns to the workroom where they make the design come to life. At one point in the film you see 6 ladies working on one dress finishing the details just before Valentino's review. Truly shows you must be born into Haute Couture to know and respect this method. You slowly realize perhaps this complete design method and hand sewn art will die without the likes of Valentino.

His personal life is truly "LaDolce Vita." Private jets, Royalty, super models, famous film stars, 6 villas, 200 house staff, and one fabulous house manager who makes everything work seamlessly treating Valentino like royalty (one could argue he is). All this giving Valentino time to design and sketch his like-no-other creations. His homes are perfect, impeccable, sculptured, and indescribably gorgeous. His perfection is carried throughout EVERY aspect of his life. His impeccable business suits. Everything he touches. He and Giancarlo have spent their 45 years together 365/24/7 as described by them. A beautiful relationship you get to see firsthand. Inspiring!

A definite MUST SEE. One of my favorite films!

*duchess*

REEL REVIEW "NEW IN TOWN"

It could have been, should have been…but sadly wasn’t the cute romantic comedy I was expecting. I was so looking forward to seeing Harry Connick in a new film too! The story was all too familiar and to be brutally honest, the filmmakers missed the mark in every sense. Sadly, I would put this film on the ‘skip it’ list.

Luckily, you have no choice at this point except to rent it. If you have a Redbox near you, that’s the best way to go (only spend the $1). New in Town should have been made for television release—even then, I’ve seen better shows.

Having said that, I believe the lead actors did the best they could with the material they were given….

*duchess*

REEL REVIEW

Wolverine

Which ending did you see?? There are 3 you know. Our friend Skip did a stand up job working with the other writers and Hugh Jackman to put together a film that left us hanging—and wanting to see the next installment. Wolverine probably isn’t everyone’s ‘cup of tea,’ but the Duchess definitely liked it. Yes, I’m more of the romantic comedy fan, but every now and then I love a good fantasy/action movie. After all, we’re looking for an escape from reality, aren’t we?

This Wolverine takes us back to the beginning. I don’t know the comic book story character, but I’m getting to know this crew of X-Men and the bonus mutants. The story line is a little disjointed. There are a few corny lines. All is quickly overlooked by the fantastic graphics—and of course, Jackman himself. It’s crazy what they can do these days! I walked out of the theater saying, “Wow, how do they come up with that stuff?!? Huge imaginations! And the graphics—you can hardly tell it isn’t real.” Well...there were a few places where you could tell, but nothing that breaks the illusion of the story. There were just enough slow moments to let you catch your breath and then continue the ride. Believe me--I don’t think anyone can say they know what is going to happen next when they watch this one.

We’re all expecting action adventure for the summer. Make this film your first stop. ….and be waiting for more from Skip Woods.

*duchess*

p.s. It is quite graphic. This one’s not for the little guys unless they’re used to watching that sort of violence.

REEL REVIEW

THE WRESTLER

I had to see what the ‘hoopla’ was about. I rented The Wrestler last weekend. I liked the edgy Mickey Rourke in the 80s. I couldn’t stand to see what seemed to be such a great career end in tragedy. Thank goodness for this movie I thought….

This one made my eyes pop out. First thought—okay, this was obviously written by a man. You should know this film is not for the weak or kind hearted. The subject matter is intense. I can’t remember what it was rated but I would vote NC-17 if I was on the panel of decision makers. Although the story is one that should certainly be told, basically filmed in documentary type style, this film was brutal on the human senses.

Rourke does play a great part. I feel he did deserve the awards--especially knowing this tale was similar to his own life. Heartbreaking. They say each of us has our own story. This film enhances that premise. I’ll never look at the guy behind the deli counter the same way.

Be prepared to see brutal honesty, a father-daughter relationship that can’t be repaired, strip clubs, steroids, self-inflicted wounds, and the extreme underworld of the wrestling community. Somber is the best word I can think of to describe this film.

*duchess*

THE RED CARPET

This is nearly the most exciting news I’ve ever had to report. If it had come true, it WOULD be the most exciting news.

I came ‘this close’ to having tickets to the premiere of the new ‘Wolverine’ movie. When I say ‘premiere’ I mean the HOLLYWOOD premiere---the one where all the stars show up on the red carpet. YEP!! The dream didn’t come true this time but I’m assured that I will be included in the next round.

Why? Skip Woods, the screenplay writer of the ‘Wolverine’ pre-quel is a friend. We’ve known him while he has worked his way up the Hollywood mountain. So happy for Skip! This is his second movie with BIG name stars (last one was with John Travolta). We are certainly hoping for more!!

My ‘so close’ tears are gone for now. Today the tears are for happiness and Skip’s success. It was a great opening for the film. For Skip’s sake, and that of triple-threat (!) Hugh Jackman, I hope the film breaks records at the box office this weekend.

*duchess*

REEL REVIEWS

Cliff Notes on the remaining films:

RACHAEL GETTING MARRIED
This was a twisted film. Imagine every dysfunctional family you know and then put a camera on their worst days. This is the movie. It was a great part for Anne Hathaway. I certainly see why she agreed to be in the movie. There is NO doubt--this one is WAY depressing. The AA meeting Anne’s character attended was almost the same scene as her film sister’s wedding rehearsal dinner. This movie is only for the diehards of the film industry.

CADILLAC RECORDS
Depressing. Typical music industry drugs and alcohol. The movie is filmed in so much darkness that you can’t see the actors. Music history worth missing.

MILK
Some people have mentioned they didn’t want to see this film because of the controversial lifestyle portrayed. I have to say, Sean Penn softens the edge and is remarkable in this film. A friend of mine can tell you exactly where she was that fateful day in San Francisco when she heard Milk was killed. It made that much of an impact in her life then and now. I’m not sure I would see this film again. I will state again, Penn was amazing in this film.

In a rush I’ll say you have to see THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES. A chick flick positively worth seeing. Dakota Fanning is charming. I can’t wait to see her in more films.

More films I’ve seen:
EAGLE EYE
THE THIEF LORD
QUANTUM SOLACE

I’ve been doing a LOT of reading lately and have put films on the back burner for a while, hence the slow blog entries. There are a few in the theater I would like to see. I’m looking forward to the summer blockbusters!

REEL REVIEWS

These are the movies I’ve seen these past few weeks:
Australia
Beverly Hills Chihuahua
Cadillac Records
High School Musical 3
La Vie en Rose
Milk
Rachael Getting Married
The Secret Life of Bees

I don’t have time to write reviews for all of them. Some of them aren’t really worthy of reviews. They were just for fun. I’ll say this---The only one I would definitely see again is The Secret Life of Bees. That was by far my favorite. Here are some quick notes on a few:

Beverly Hills Chihuahua and High School Musical were both watchable (is that a word?). Chihuahua is a little long for the little ones. Even I thought it was getting too long and slow. High School Musical was actually pretty good. I had to finish the trilogy. This one was better than the second one in the series. It reminded me a lot of the movie Grease. Good luck to the Disney kids moving on. They really are all grown up now.

Australia is hard to review. I really liked the story line, but wasn’t crazy about the way it was portrayed in the film. Sometimes I felt as if I was watching the old movie set inside a warehouse. I didn’t know if they were doing that purposely because of the timeline or not?? Regrettably, I got caught up in the hair and makeup. I really couldn’t get past Nicole Kidman’s wig! See looked very botoxed in this film too—couldn’t get past that either. Hugh Jackman was delightful. He is definitely one of my favorites in any film. I doubt I would watch this one again, but I’m glad I saw it once. It is lonnngggg. Actually, it kind of reminded me of Out of Africa, but not anywhere near as good.

I’m beginning to realize, the more I review films, the less tolerant I am of mediocrity. I’m also beginning to realize I’m old enough to recognize remakes and knock-offs----that’s scary.

More later…..

REEL REVIEW

“CHIIIICCCKK FLIIIICCCKK” most definitely. Ladies, no need to let any man you know see this one. He will most likely think it’s cheesy, predictable, and will most certainly tease you about it for days. Men don’t understand why women like these films---it’s that Mars and Venus thing. He may enjoy it, but I wouldn’t chance it—just enjoy the film.

It’s a fairly common story about accidental love. There’s a sweet peek inside a great relationship shared between two long time friends. You’ll also gaze into the difficult work of healing relationships. Critics complained that Gere and Lane don’t quite heat up the screen on this one. Well, they’re right, maybe 20 and 30 somethings won’t be very excited about the simple love scenes between ‘older’ stars. Still, they create a charming, sweet, romantic relationship together. Despite what the critics had to say, Gere and Lane are two of my favorites, so I wasn’t going to miss it. And—who doesn’t like a love story by the beach??

It’s a great movie for those nights when you’re looking to watch something simple (as in no brainer, not simple subject matter). It’s the perfect film for that spontaneous ladies night with your friends---when the men aren’t around---and you get to share a few glasses of wine or tea, a little gossip and a low-maintenance movie. Definitely have the Kleenex box out for all to share!

*duchess*

REEL REVIEW

The Wall Street Journal called it “A soaring, crowd pleasing fantasy that’s a tale of unswerving love.” Rolling Stone magazine said, “What I feel for this movie isn’t just admiration, it’s mad love.” What?!? I don't get paid by anyone I don't want to offend, so I'm going to be a little more honest in my review.

I’m not sure what I was expecting when I walked into the theatre. What I know for sure is I walked out thinking, “WHAT?!?” (I saw the movie on Saturday and just now had the words to talk about it.) The reviews lead me to believe I was going to see a “crowd pleaser.” The interviews with the stars always showed them teaching the interviewer a dance, so I thought maybe I’d see a little Bollywood. I don’t know...that part sounded fun and colorful. What I completely forgot was that it has been nominated for Academy Awards which meant we were headed to the ‘dark side.’ Slumdog is no exception to their ever-present unwritten rule. Ack! Deep down, I kept reminding myself of this, but I wanted to believe just one picture of the year didn’t have to go dark…I’ll have to keep wishing.

I’ll give it this….the music was quite moving. The love story between the protagonist and his leading lady was unquestionably unswerving. It was absolutely an original story! When they finally warmed up a bit and got into the heart of the story (which took about 30 minutes), it was captivating. I was taken away to another world (albeit one I didn’t want to be in).

Be sure you will see children who live off the garbage of others. You will see suicide, murder, and violence on orphan children. You will see abused servants and drug lord robots doing evil. (This film is not for everyone—positively not those under 18.) In the end, the film does redeem itself and you will also see the completion of ‘destiny’ and, of course, a millionaire. Until then, hold on tight. This is HEAVY (!) subject matter.

The film proves you can accomplish much on a low budget with unknown stars. That is a quality worth awarding!

If you want to see a nominated film, Benjamin Buttons is a better pick for those of us looking for a great story without all the gloom.

REEL REVIEWS

I have seen 3 films in two days. I would say 3 extremes. Here’s the short and sweet on them:

HE’S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU
Yep, I snuck in today for the very first show of the weekend. I haven’t read the book but I know the general idea. Plus, I watched an episode of Greg Behrendt’s new relationship show (which is good). I’m thinking this film was loosely based on the book. The trailers are giveaways for what the film entails and each of the character’s dilemmas—so no surprises there. What I was surprised about was that we didn’t see enough of Drew Barrymore or Ben Affleck. I like them both, so that was disappointing. (I suppose that’s why they’re not doing the press junket. The other stars are great too, don’t get me wrong.)

Yes ladies, this one reeks of ‘chick flick.’ There were about 25 women in the audience and 1 man—but of course that could be because all the hubbies were at work. (wink) It was a cute movie, in the way that the ‘nice’ and ‘cute’ guy is someone you don't have a love connection with and you're not really interested in dating, but definitely like as a friend. It was worth seeing but I felt a little dissatisfied in the end. I was hoping for hip jargon, quick wit, inside jokes, tugged heartstrings, new trends, you know, all the hot young stuff. What we get is luke warm relationship dealings. *Am I becoming a cynical old lady? I’m finding SO many films slow these days. Has my self-given ‘Duchess’ title ruined my movie viewing satisfaction?* The producers are billing this as a ‘date movie’ but I think your date might find it a bit boring (except when Scarlett comes on screen). All his secrets being given away?! It definitely makes for great dinner conversation and debate.

All things considered, I’ll say this: it does make you analyze love and relationships, specifically your own. It reinforces the fact that we women stick together to console each other by making excuses for the guy who’s ‘just not into you.’ It’s funny to watch on film, and oh so true. My gut feeling is that this film will be enjoyed most by the twenty-something crowd.

I hope it doesn't seem like I'm bashing this Drew Barrymore production! I will always support her films! It was good and cute. You should see it.

I’m still thinking about what else to say about this one…let me know what you think.

BELLA
I typically really like independent films. Was this one billed that way? It is an award winning film which put it on my ‘want to see’ list. I liked it, sort of. Let’s just say I’m glad I saw it, but probably wouldn’t recommend it to someone who doesn’t see many films. The slow paced story will not be favorable to them. There is lots of music to fill the voids of not so many words. I can certainly understand how some would consider it ‘powerful and moving.’ It’s a good heart wrenching story of forgiveness and hope. Expanded content would have done the trick to help me buy into it.

I think we’ll see more of the leading Mexican native (photo above).

PRIDE AND GLORY
Edward Norton and Colin Ferrell headlined, so I had to see it! I’m game to see a scandalous NYPD corruption film every now and then. Plus, this starred two of my favorites, right?? Well…I probably should have passed on this one.

The screenplay had much to be desired--mostly because ‘f-bombs’ were used as every other word to the degree of being very distracting and ineffective. Be prepared for excessive cussing in every sense, blood, shooting, suspense, corruption, greed and just plain old manly business dealings. It was WAY too much for me. It gave me a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach thinking there could actually be men (and their families) out in the USA dealing with this every day. YUK!

I ended up fast forwarding through the last 45 minutes because I wanted to see how everything was resolved. I forwarded because I couldn’t stand the almost slow-motion pace, not the bad language, etc.

Hopefully Ed and Colin will find another film to work on together. I vote they make it a ‘chick flick’ next time.

Duchess note: See Ed Norton in “The Illusionist.” I think that’s one of his bests. My favorite Colin film is still “S.W.A.T.”

*Duchess*

REEL REVIEW

So I put the DVD in the player…Scout and Pops are in the kitchen working on a snack for Scout (who is still in a cast). They see and hear the beginning of the film and Scout promptly says, “Mom, what?!?” then he sings (literally) “C.H.I.I.I.C.K F.L.L.I.I.C.K” followed by, “why do you always want to watch those movies?” To which I reply, “This one is nominated for an award, so I have to see it. I want to know what it’s all about.” I’m left in my bliss for a few moments….until the ensemble begins to belt out their first ABBA song, which immediately gets an “OMG! Mom! WHAT??” “Yes, it’s a musical.” “Okay, okay, I’ll watch this crazy movie with you, but only until I finish my snack.” That line was followed by lots of giggling and laughter on our parts, plus a few dance moves in the family room (not really, but could have been).

I wouldn’t put this film at the top of any list, but I have to say, it was GREAT entertainment! If you like musicals (with all the hokie quirkiness), and you’re looking for a sweet story with a few crazy giggles thrown in, ‘take a chance on’ this one. Be ready for comments from teenagers like “Did you really have to listen to this music when you were young?” and “Ohhhh no, here comes another song.” ...And have no doubt ladies, you'll likely watch this one alone--the men in your life will be moving to the next room...

Duchess notes: The vocals have much to be desired. Don’t look for perfection there. Meryl Streep’s wig was killing me. Why did they make her wear that? Perfect (!), beautiful location for the film’s background. Expect only entertainment from this light hearted film--which is quite refreshing among all the film topics we’re faced with these days. You'll find it hard not to smile while watching. Even Grandma will like this one.

*Duchess*

REEL REVIEW

VALKYRIE
I have to admit I’ve been putting off this review because I didn’t want to bash a Tom Cruise film. I think he already takes a little more bashing than he should. Plus, he did the press junket on this film trying to overcome the last images the public had of him. He REALLY is trying. But, I am the Duchess, and must fulfill my duty. So here goes:

Frankly, the History Channel’s special about Valkyrie is more interesting to watch. Watching that special actually made me realize what a great story Valkyrie is to tell. They even show clips and background information on the film that is greatly interesting. I didn’t hate the film. I just don’t think it’s worth the $10 you’ll have to pay to see it. Again, I hate to bash Tom... The screenplay simply didn’t cover the story as it should have—and apparently this film spent years in the making.

You have to know about me, I watch films for more than just story content. In the beginning of the film, I couldn’t get passed the ill-fitted uniform Tom Cruise was wearing. I kept thinking, “This film is getting all kinds of attention because it stars TC and they can’t even fit him in his wardrobe?” What? !@ They actually lost my interest at that point. I didn’t fall asleep, but wanted to.

I could go on to tell you about the film, but don’t even want to. Briefly: 1) This is not a ‘war’ movie. No bloodshed. 2) You never get the feeling this was an anti-Hitler movement made up of hundreds (I can’t remember the exact number) of Germans. The film leads you to believe it’s this small group of officers that are out to get Hitler. 3) You don’t get the background information you need to completely understand the movement. The filmmakers assumed we knew exactly what the story was, when in reality, I was at the film to learn just that. I needed them to be more creative when telling the story. 4) I would have preferred a British accent to play the lead. (I know this shouldn’t count as a critique). 5) Cruise plays the same character he plays in all his films (the exception may be ‘The Last Samurai’). Tom should stick with his Mission Impossible films that are fantastic. Sorry Tom.

That’s all I’ll say.