I wish I had a good joke to go with the title, but in this case, I’m talking movies, and what a lineup it is. Not a bad flick in the bunch, I’m pleased to say.
Starting us off is Lady and the Tramp, a piece of classic animation by the fine folks at Disney.
It’s a film full of entertaining animals, curmudgeonly relatives, and reminds us that no matter what our current position in society, we can choose to have a good heart and to be helpful to others. Also, do what’s right even if the consequences might not be favorable.
At the end of the day, it’s certainly more for the kids, but it’s not near as painful to watch as some of the stinkers they’ve churned out (see the review of Oliver & Company). Give it a watch.
In Ghost Town, Ricky Gervais is dentist Bertram Pincus, a man with some serious personality flaws. He just doesn’t like people, and quite often after people meet him, the feeling is mutual.
A minor mishap with a minor medical procedure leaves him with the ability to see dead people. Dead people that would really like some help. Pincus, never one to help the living finds this situation every bit as unpleasant. Central to his annoyance is Frank (Greg Kinnear) who wants Pincus to help his with his widow Gwen (Téa Leoni).
The casting is great and the film, a comedy, is often quite funny, though it does have its poignant moments as well. Overall I found it quite enjoyable, and if you appreciate the humor of Mr. Gervais, you’ll likely enjoy it too.
But for a REAL laugh-fest, check out Doubt! Wow, what a riotess look at Catholic school what with the priest misconduct and the uh…nazi nun…and er…um…yeah…I don’t think this was a comedy.
Doubt focuses primarily on Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep) the superior amongst the nuns with a very strict definition of propriety within the Church, Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman) the younger priest (yet still of higher rank than Aloysius) who wants to see the 1960’s Church become a bit more modern, open, and friendly to society, and Sister James (Amy Adams) the young and optimistic nun who finds herself at the center of a power struggle between Aloysius and Flynn. When the relationship between Flynn and the school’s lone black student comes under scrutiny, the fireworks start to fly.
The casting and acting here are superb, as is the script writing, which is necessary as this is no action flick. This film rides squarely on the shoulders of the actors to weave the story and take us along for the ride, and there is good reason for the critical acclaim Doubt has received. Powerful performances are delivered across the board, and I’d highly recommend this one.
No comments:
Post a Comment