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Starring: Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Rob Schneider, Sean Astin, Blake Clark

Director: Peter Segal

Wow, what a nice, warm-hearted movie! I had planned to make some sarcastic jokes about walrus members and the incredible possibilities of having a girlfriend with no short term memory, but I am too touched to do anything but hum love songs and frolic in meadows, so let’s just move on with the review before a tear rolls down my cheek.
Adam Sandler is Henry, a veterinarian who specializes in large sea mammals and bedding tourists, when he meets Lucy, played by Drew Barrymore. Lucy has that Memento condition, where she can’t remember anything after the date of her car accident once she goes to sleep. He finds himself hopelessly attracted to her and begins attempting to win her heart, which works…on some days anyway, and attempts to advance a relationship with a woman who begins every day not knowing who he is. Men may be used to not knowing who their women are, but when she doesn’t know who you are, that’s a whole different kind of problem.
This is a sweet, and really clever story that won me over. Adam and Drew are both good in their roles and are given a lot of comic relief to help them out. Some of it works and some doesn’t but this movie is worth seeing.

Director: James Bridges

Starring: John Travolta, Debra Winger, Scott Glenn, Barry Corbin, James Gammon, Madolyn Smith.

If there is a drama that is more dated than this one, I can’t think of it. It’s set in the urban cowboy period 25 yrs ago. It is politically incorrect, packed with wall-to-wall country music, Texas drawls, eighties hair, and really flashy shirts, but, sheee-it, I lak it anyways! Debra Winger plays a really cute cowgirl, Scott Glenn makes a cool bad guy and John Travolta is great in everything he does.

Urban Cowboy tells the story of Bud (Travolta) and Sissy (Winger) who meet at Gilley’s, a real country bar in Houston. They fall in love, fight, make up and fight some more as they live their, blue-collar lives. There is a twangy country soundtrack, lots of cowboy hats and really great characters. Plus, it has the sexiest mechanical bull-riding scene, ever, not that there are too many competitors for that title.

Not everyone is going to like this. You will have to like 80’s country music and know that this is a period piece if there ever was one. The acting is very strong and the story is pretty good and does a great job of capturing the mood of the urban cowboy craze in all its glory and silliness.

Starring: Kirstie Alley, John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Abe Vigoda, Olympia Dukakis

Director: Amy Heckerling

This surprise-hit comedy showcases the talents of two former TV stars who, at that time, had had very little big screen success. John Travolta has deservedly gone on to bigger and better things.
The premise is that we are let into the internal thoughts of a baby, Mikey, who has not yet learned how to speak and shares his funny and innocent observations of this strange, new world. When he decides he has to find himself a daddy, the story moves ahead. Kirstie Alley is very good as the Mikey’s mother, Mollie, who, after finding that her boyfriend is not interested, is left to raise her newborn son on her own and is not all that interested in the daddy search (if it happened today, they could turn it into a reality show). Fate intercedes, however, in a way that it only can in the movies, and right from the start, a good-hearted cabbie, James, played by Travolta in his wonderfully natural camera style, is entwined with the new mother and son. Bruce Willis shows some comedic talent as he provides the voice of Mikey and the stage is set for a warm and enjoyable film for the whole family.
Not all the jokes work here, but enough do to make this comedy better than average and worth catching on TV or video.

Starring: Luke Wilson, Uma Thurman, Anna Faris, Rainn Wilson, Eddie Izzard

Director: Ivan Reitman

I thought I had it bad in high school when I broke up with a girl whose brother was known equally for his steroid use and his lack of self-control. At least he never threw a shark at me; funny that I wasn’t more thankful for that at the time. This is very good comedy with an original idea and some good jokes.
Luke Wilson stars as lookin’-fer-luv gooly-gee, kind of everyman, Matt Saunders, who finds a librarian-looking hottie, named Jenny, well played by Uma Thurman. Things seem great. They seem even better when she turns out to be a superhero named G-Girl (pretty much Supergirl without the ‘S’). They get a little worse when she turns out be jealous, obsessive and clingy. They get a lot worse when Matt finds out that G-Girl is not one to take a break up with a philosophical “Oh well, there’s plenty of fish in the sea” kind of view. She prefers the “Hell hath no fury like woman, with super-strength, lightning speed and heat ray vision, scorned” as her reaction of choice and would apparently rather throw those “fish in the sea” instead of just finding them. You can see how this could be funny. It is.
This is a pretty good comedy. It has a great premise, a good cast and even some very cool visual effects. Wilson and Thurman are both great. Could have been funnier I suppose, but I am picky with comedies, I admit. It is very good. I watched it. I watched it again. I bought it. Well worth checking out.

Director: Jon Turteltaub

Starring: John Travolta, Kyra Sedgwick, Forest Whitaker, Robert Duvall

This is a wonderful, and uplifting drama about human potential, as well as our treatment of those who don’t fit into our comfort zone of abilities. John Travolta, who plays the ordinary man better than anyone other actor (except, maybe Tom Hanks), nails this role. For those of you who were forced to read Flowers For Algernon in school, you already pretty much know the basic story here. It was an enjoyable book and is a fantastic movie.

John Travolta plays George O’Malley, a simple mechanic who finds learning difficult until one night when he sees a brilliant light that knocks him off his feet. From that time on, George finds learning and logic coming far easier to him. As he grapples with the cause of this phenomenon, and deals with all its effects, both on him and on how others react to him, O’Malley struggles to keep his life together. Forest Whitaker lends support as his best friend, and Robert Duvall, as his friend, and the local doctor. At the same time, he is trying to win the heart of a defensive, single mother played by Kyra Sedgwick. That’s quite a lot of stuff to have going on, even for a guy who appears to have superhuman capabilities.

This is an excellent, and very underrated film, that is another of my favorites. The sense of wonder it brings, along with the warm characters created, make this a very enjoyable viewing experience.

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz, Ellen Burstyn, Mark Margolis

It’s dark, depressing and moves forward at a sleep inducing pace, so naturally it was nominated for a slew of academy awards. In all fairness, the acting is strong; the direction is creative, and the results are beautiful at times. This a love story that spans the ages, but I found it a little hard to follow. When artsy becomes a synonym for confusing, it just makes me want to wander off and do something else.

However, I didn’t wander off (dozed off, a couple times-probably didn’t help me follow the story), so I guess I’ll tell you what the movie was about. The story is split into two or three time periods. Hugh Jackman plays a 16th century Spanish explorer, with a supportive Queen (Weisz), looking for a tree that holds the secret to immortality. This cuts back and forth to a story set in present day in which Jackman is a researcher trying desperately to find a cure to the brain tumor that is killing his perky wife, played by Weisz. There is also some kind of futuristic bubble story going on, but I didn’t follow that one.

This is one of those ‘critically acclaimed’ flicks that hold no appeal for me. There is some fine cinematic craftsmanship here, but limited entertainment value. I guess it compares best to ‘Adaptation’, though I found that one more enjoyable. I am bracing myself for an inbox full of insults to my intelligence and lack of movie taste, but I didn’t like this one.

Starring: Will Farrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson,
Queen Latifah, Tony Hale

Director: Marc Forster

This is a clever, original and interesting comedy that has a good story, but is a little short on laughs, but does serve as a showcase for Will Ferrell’s talents.
Ferrell is Harold Crick, a stereotypical, boring tax auditor living a half-life of predictable routine devoid of surprises, changes and true happiness, when he suddenly begins to hear an unfamiliar voice narrating his life as if it were a story. Maggie Gyllenhaal plays an anarchistic baker, who steals Crick’s heart and Emma Thompson plays the author who may, or may not, steal his life, while Dustin Hoffman’s character tries to figure it all out. I wasn’t crazy about the ending, but this is an entertaining film nonetheless
Not Ferrell’s funniest, but it is a departure from his usual sillier roles. This is a pleasant enough distraction for a couple hours for those who like intelligent, understated comedy/dramas.

Director: Michael Lehmann

Starring: Diane Keaton, Mandy Moore, Gabriel Macht, Tom Eveett Scott, Lauren Graham, Piper Perabo

This is a weak, romantic comedy that could only be more predictable if you had seen it before. For humour, they use a lot of clumsy spills and exaggerated overreactions that haven’t been funny for me since I stopped having recess. The male characters are giant neon signs announcing everything about them so that you could predict the film from across the street. There are a couple amusing scenes with Keaton’s character chatting candidly with her daughters about everything from lingerie, to female orgasms, to cut vs uncut (yes those), but its not amusing enough to make the rest of this film worth enduring.

Diane Keaton is Daphne, a single mother with three grown daughters who becomes concerned over her youngest, Milly (Mandy Moore). Milly seems unable to find a good man and Daphne’s implausible answer is to find a man for her and engineer their meeting. The plan seems foolproof (Yeah, right) until Milly meets another man on her own, who turns out to be one that mom has already rejected, while Mom has her own handsome successful choice for her duaghter. My Goodness! How zany! How will it all end?

Keaton, an experienced and talented actress, completely blows this role with an exaggerated over-the-top, slapstick performance, but Katherine Hepburn and Meryl Streep combined couldn’t save this lame-ass script. Hmmm, now whom should I recommend this one to? I think that jerk that cut me off in traffic would love it and its perfect for my neighbor who leaves his barking dog out all day. They should both rent it.

Director: Julie Taymor

Starring: Jim Sturgess, Evan Rachel Wood, Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs, Martin Luther, T.V. Carpio,

Julie Taymor’s vision, as well as her creative and dynamic, movement-oriented direction, certainly make this an artistic piece of cinema, that is helped by a talented, but largely unknown, cast. For my part, however, I find that the psychedelic, abstract imagery gets ponderous about halfway through. The film is an energetic musical that tells its story with Beatles songs, sung by the cast, both stars and extras, who often have such prominent scenes that I wondered if some cameos were flying over my head right beside most of the symbolism. The choreography is unique and the overall effect here is impressive.

The story, here, is set against the violence, pain and uncertainty of the 1960s and Jim Sturgess is Jude, a Liverpool (where else?) shipyard worker who comes to the U.S. to meet his deserting wartime father at Princeton. Once there, he becomes friends with Max (Joe Anderson), a charismatic student looking for a way out of Princeton. They move to New York, where they meet a group of off-beat friends, and Jude begins a relationship with Max’s sister, Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood).

Across The Universe is like a Beatles version of I’m Not Here, and will draw the same kind of polarized views. If this is your thing, you will gush and giggle and proclaim it to be the cinematic event of the year. If it is not your thing, you will nod off and daydream about football, when people start to have a deep discussion about it. I see the artistic value here, and, though it’s entertainment value was limited for me, I didn’t find myself wishing it was over.

Starring: John Cusack, Jack Black, Todd Louiso, Iben Hjejle, Lisa Bonet, Tim Robbins

Director: Stephen Frears

Ok, list of the greatest movies about camera-talking, neurotic, record store owners undergoing heartbreak? Number one: High Fidelity. This is the kind of role that brings out the best in John Cusack, but he isn’t working alone. Black and Louiso are fantastic as his inept employees in wonderfully, written supporting roles. For Cusack fans this one is a can’t miss.
Cusack is Rob Gordon, the owner of Championship Vinyl, and a man whose life is going nowhere, when his long time girlfriend, Laura (Iben Hjejle), packs it in. This triggers a wave of nostalgia about his past relationships and what went wrong. He decides to contact each of them and find out why it didn’t work. All of this gives him a window into himself and why he has lived his life the way he has. Along the way he tries to win Laura back from Ray (Tim Robbins), meets a cool sexy singer (Lisa Bonet) and finds out why ex’s are ex’s. The humour is subtle, rapid fire and clever.
This is a smart comedy with plenty of humour along with a good story and a message that we can all stand to hear from time to time. It’s worth seeing. Give it a spin.