Adam is the story of a woman looking for truth in her life, and of a man who can be nothing but honest. Adam, played by Hugh Dancy, is a young man with Asperger’s Syndrome. Just as his father dies, a young woman, played by Rose Byrne, moves into his apartment building. Her unabashed, sincere, friendliness gets past his shy, anti-social awkwardness and by the time she realizes how deep his social limitations are, a friendship has already been formed. Her interest and curiosity encourages her to learn more about this syndrome. And as their relationship grows, she takes on the task of helping Adam get a new job and achieve more independence.
As Beth’s own life begins to unravel, Adam’s honesty becomes even more precious to her until the truth becomes too painful to bear. This is a beautiful love story, brilliantly acted, wonderfully detailed, and genuinely heartfelt. It is unsentimental in delivery and is never maudlin. It is a very moving film totally worth seeing.
Rating: Must See An unconventional love, beautifully acted
About Me
- Melanie Wilson
- My Reviewer's Philosophy: I believe that every film has its audience. One man’s Citizen Kane is another man’s Texas Chain Saw Massacre. My purpose is to help you spend your entertainment dollars wisely. A bad review never kept me from going to a film I wanted to see, but a good review will sometimes get me to a film I never considered. As a movie lover I want you to go to the movies. When more people go to the movies, the more movies get made. But, I also believe that if you enjoy the films you see, you naturally will be inclined to go more often. So join me in supporting our film industry by going to a movie today. Hopefully I can steer you towards a good one. See you at the movies. Melanie Wilson
Saturday, August 15, 2009
The Time Traveler's Wife
They say that love is all about timing; being at the right place at the right time is everything. How often have we met someone and the timing was all wrong? The object of our desire was already involved, or emotionally they weren’t ready. Or, maybe we were the ones that weren’t ready. When that happens, love slips away and its promise goes unfulfilled.
The Time Traveler’s Wife is the story of a couple who are in love. The woman, played by Rachel McAdams, lives her life in a linear fashion, while her love, played by Eric Bana, pops in and out of her life, throughout. He appears at different ages and with different sets of memories, and it is up to her to organize their life and make it bearable. This love story is nearly impossible, but the desire between them is so strong that they are willing to meet all obstacles.
I don’t know what the book was like, but I found this film very melancholy. On one hand you have a woman of faith, willing to make the sacrifices. And on the other hand you have a man, who loves her so much, that he’s willing to do anything to keep from disappointing her. It is a relationship built on compromises and commitments, and disappointments. And it’s a story about making the best of the time that you have. It is a timely story indeed.
Rating: First Run Romantic, but bittersweet
The Time Traveler’s Wife is the story of a couple who are in love. The woman, played by Rachel McAdams, lives her life in a linear fashion, while her love, played by Eric Bana, pops in and out of her life, throughout. He appears at different ages and with different sets of memories, and it is up to her to organize their life and make it bearable. This love story is nearly impossible, but the desire between them is so strong that they are willing to meet all obstacles.
I don’t know what the book was like, but I found this film very melancholy. On one hand you have a woman of faith, willing to make the sacrifices. And on the other hand you have a man, who loves her so much, that he’s willing to do anything to keep from disappointing her. It is a relationship built on compromises and commitments, and disappointments. And it’s a story about making the best of the time that you have. It is a timely story indeed.
Rating: First Run Romantic, but bittersweet
Thursday, August 13, 2009
District 9
If I had to use one word to describe this film, that word would be transforms. This movie is all about transformations. In the beginning, a humanitarian act towards some very unfortunate aliens, transforms through greed and avarice, into an act of repression and neglect. A simple basic need like food and shelter, is transformed into a means of exploitation and manipulation. And a simple, bureaucratic man, transforms through circumstances, into a hero, when his eyes are opened by the truth. This movie is all about transformations.
District 9 is a classic example of good Science Fiction. You take a social issue, like immigration, or the creation and existence of slums, and you disguise it by making it about something else. Then when you become familiar with the story and recognize what it is really about, you are already on your way to a fresh perspective and hopefully a new world view. That is the beauty of Science Fiction.
Sharlto Copley, who plays Wikus Van De Merwe, transforms in more ways than one. The character arc that Sharlto has to go through is tremendously effective, especially for such a new and unknown actor. Director Neill Blomkamp, really puts his friend through the ringer, and his commitment to the role pays off. Sharlto Copley is a star to be watched.
As an entertainment, District 9 delivers, too. There are cool aliens, guns, explosions, and a robot battle that was much more effective than anything I saw in The Transformers. Technically, this modestly budgeted film was expertly produced, and every dollar that was spent, is evident on the screen. This film is a good summer action flick, with a conscience, and it’s definitely worth being seen. It is also a film worth discussing.
Rating: First Run Great action with a message as well, Sci Fi at its best
District 9 is a classic example of good Science Fiction. You take a social issue, like immigration, or the creation and existence of slums, and you disguise it by making it about something else. Then when you become familiar with the story and recognize what it is really about, you are already on your way to a fresh perspective and hopefully a new world view. That is the beauty of Science Fiction.
Sharlto Copley, who plays Wikus Van De Merwe, transforms in more ways than one. The character arc that Sharlto has to go through is tremendously effective, especially for such a new and unknown actor. Director Neill Blomkamp, really puts his friend through the ringer, and his commitment to the role pays off. Sharlto Copley is a star to be watched.
As an entertainment, District 9 delivers, too. There are cool aliens, guns, explosions, and a robot battle that was much more effective than anything I saw in The Transformers. Technically, this modestly budgeted film was expertly produced, and every dollar that was spent, is evident on the screen. This film is a good summer action flick, with a conscience, and it’s definitely worth being seen. It is also a film worth discussing.
Rating: First Run Great action with a message as well, Sci Fi at its best
Monday, August 10, 2009
Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Golberg
The advertising tag-line for this movie read, “The Most Famous Woman In America You’ve Never Heard Of.” And it’s true, I’ve never heard of Gertrude Berg before. But she is credited for inventing the family sitcom and deserves her due. Before I Love Lucy and all the rest, there was Molly Goldberg and her family, hanging out of her window, dispensing her own brand of logic and wisdom to her neighbors.
Gertrude Berg, who created Molly Goldberg for radio, brought the sit-com to television after seeing a demonstration of the brand new medium at NBC. Beginning at NBC, and then eventually moving to CBS, she dominated television in popularity, second only to Amos and Andy. She was the first woman ever to win an Emmy for Best Actress.
Without giving the rest away, suffice it to say, that this woman deserves a second look. Her accomplishments were many, and in a time when most women where housewives, she wrote, produced and starred in her own TV show, as well as being a product pitchman and an entrepreneur. She truly was a remarkable woman and this film does her honor.
Rating: Rent It Gertrude Berg pioneered the television sitcom, she is a piece of television history
Gertrude Berg, who created Molly Goldberg for radio, brought the sit-com to television after seeing a demonstration of the brand new medium at NBC. Beginning at NBC, and then eventually moving to CBS, she dominated television in popularity, second only to Amos and Andy. She was the first woman ever to win an Emmy for Best Actress.
Without giving the rest away, suffice it to say, that this woman deserves a second look. Her accomplishments were many, and in a time when most women where housewives, she wrote, produced and starred in her own TV show, as well as being a product pitchman and an entrepreneur. She truly was a remarkable woman and this film does her honor.
Rating: Rent It Gertrude Berg pioneered the television sitcom, she is a piece of television history
Saturday, August 8, 2009
500 Days Of Summer
Boy meets girl is the oldest premise in the world, but with 500 Days Of Summer, the device seems fresh and new. Using an unconventional time line, we examine the relationship of a young man, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and the love of his life, Zooey Deschanel. We are warned from the beginning, it does not end well.
By jumping back and forth throughout their romance, we are able to view the arc of their relationship and see how perceptions change, when looking back in hindsight. The timeline is precarious in this film, so you do need to pay attention. But the shifting pattern causes us to focus on details that we may have otherwise missed.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is sympathetic and touching as Tom Hansen. We feel his pain and share in his joy. It is easy to see yourself in him. Zooey Deschanel, on the other hand, is an unusual girl, the kind you can easily fall in love with, and then be driven crazy by. But what I loved about this movie was the sound advice given to Tom by his sister and friends. They were the voices of reason in this romance that ended in its foreseeable train wreck.
My favorite advisor was Tom’s little sister Chloe, played by Rachel Hansen. This girl was a take-charge, no-nonsense, voice of wisdom, packaged in the body of a 12-year-old girl. I loved this character. His friends were also fun, played by Matthew Gray Gubler, and Geoffrey Armend, hardly romantic experts, but thoughtful enough to give him friendly warnings in advance.
This film is refreshing, intelligent, and a lot of fun. It’s the perfect date movie, but also good for anyone who has ever been in a relationship. I highly recommend this movie.
Rating: Must See Now this, is a romantic comedy!
By jumping back and forth throughout their romance, we are able to view the arc of their relationship and see how perceptions change, when looking back in hindsight. The timeline is precarious in this film, so you do need to pay attention. But the shifting pattern causes us to focus on details that we may have otherwise missed.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is sympathetic and touching as Tom Hansen. We feel his pain and share in his joy. It is easy to see yourself in him. Zooey Deschanel, on the other hand, is an unusual girl, the kind you can easily fall in love with, and then be driven crazy by. But what I loved about this movie was the sound advice given to Tom by his sister and friends. They were the voices of reason in this romance that ended in its foreseeable train wreck.
My favorite advisor was Tom’s little sister Chloe, played by Rachel Hansen. This girl was a take-charge, no-nonsense, voice of wisdom, packaged in the body of a 12-year-old girl. I loved this character. His friends were also fun, played by Matthew Gray Gubler, and Geoffrey Armend, hardly romantic experts, but thoughtful enough to give him friendly warnings in advance.
This film is refreshing, intelligent, and a lot of fun. It’s the perfect date movie, but also good for anyone who has ever been in a relationship. I highly recommend this movie.
Rating: Must See Now this, is a romantic comedy!
Friday, August 7, 2009
When Worlds Collide: The Science Of Movies
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences believes in educating as well as entertaining. That is why on Thursday, August 6, they presented a program entitled When Worlds Collide: The Science Of Movies. The evening started with a greeting by Academy President Sid Granis, who announced that he is stepping down as head of the Academy to be replaced by election on August 18th. The audience responded by giving him a standing ovation in honor of his four years of service.
The program then continued with the introduction of host Adam Weiner. Adam Weiner is a physics teacher who also writes a blog for PopSci.com and recently published a book called Don’t Try This At Home! The Physics of Hollywood Movies. Mr. Weiner began using film as a teaching tool to get students interested in physics. He would show a scene from a movie and then students would calculate the equations in oder to discover if a Hollywood stunt was physically possible. This light-hearted approach was entertaining, as well as educational. Watching the clips was also a lot of fun.
The first scene that we viewed was from the motion picture Speed, where Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock jump a bus over a 50 foot gap. After doing the math, Hollywood Special Effects Coordinator, John Frazier came up and explained to us how the stunt was really done. The amazing part is that this was a relatively low budget film, so they really did jump a bus. It was also amazing when we were told that Keanu Reeves did his own stunt work. According to the math, in order to jump a bus in real life you would need a steep incline, over 2% and a speed of 78 miles per hour, but any head winds would spell disaster. For the actual stunt they used a Kicker Ramp, a 20% incline and a reinforced suspension on the bus, with a shorter gap. It was all Hollywood magic.
Other Hollywood guests of the evening included the coordinator from The Bourne Supremacy, Dan Bradley, who verified that the stunts were all real, but with important safety features. Also available was Todd Hallowell (Apollo 13), Robert Legato (Titanic), Shane Mahan (Iron Man), Scott Stokdyk (Spider Man 3), and Matt Sweeny (The Fast & The Furious). We were intrigued with stories about the Vomit Comet, from Apollo 13, a very bad accident on XXX, and was brought to tears of laughter on the ridiculous science of Armageddon. We were also informed when Hollywood got it right like on 2001: A Space Odyssey, or when technology may catch up, like on the flying suit of Iron Man.
All in all, it was an entertaining and educational evening, celebrating the art of movies and science. I am fascinated by the science involved here, so maybe I’ll have to go out and buy the book. But more than that, I want to see all these films again. Especially Speed and Apollo 13. Now that I know how the weightlessness was achieved, I want to go back and see if I can tell the difference in each scene, from the real weightlessness shots done in space, and the scenes done here, back on earth. Seeing 2001, Apollo 13 and Armageddon side by side, Armageddon really makes you laugh. At least the film was entertaining.
The program then continued with the introduction of host Adam Weiner. Adam Weiner is a physics teacher who also writes a blog for PopSci.com and recently published a book called Don’t Try This At Home! The Physics of Hollywood Movies. Mr. Weiner began using film as a teaching tool to get students interested in physics. He would show a scene from a movie and then students would calculate the equations in oder to discover if a Hollywood stunt was physically possible. This light-hearted approach was entertaining, as well as educational. Watching the clips was also a lot of fun.
The first scene that we viewed was from the motion picture Speed, where Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock jump a bus over a 50 foot gap. After doing the math, Hollywood Special Effects Coordinator, John Frazier came up and explained to us how the stunt was really done. The amazing part is that this was a relatively low budget film, so they really did jump a bus. It was also amazing when we were told that Keanu Reeves did his own stunt work. According to the math, in order to jump a bus in real life you would need a steep incline, over 2% and a speed of 78 miles per hour, but any head winds would spell disaster. For the actual stunt they used a Kicker Ramp, a 20% incline and a reinforced suspension on the bus, with a shorter gap. It was all Hollywood magic.
Other Hollywood guests of the evening included the coordinator from The Bourne Supremacy, Dan Bradley, who verified that the stunts were all real, but with important safety features. Also available was Todd Hallowell (Apollo 13), Robert Legato (Titanic), Shane Mahan (Iron Man), Scott Stokdyk (Spider Man 3), and Matt Sweeny (The Fast & The Furious). We were intrigued with stories about the Vomit Comet, from Apollo 13, a very bad accident on XXX, and was brought to tears of laughter on the ridiculous science of Armageddon. We were also informed when Hollywood got it right like on 2001: A Space Odyssey, or when technology may catch up, like on the flying suit of Iron Man.
All in all, it was an entertaining and educational evening, celebrating the art of movies and science. I am fascinated by the science involved here, so maybe I’ll have to go out and buy the book. But more than that, I want to see all these films again. Especially Speed and Apollo 13. Now that I know how the weightlessness was achieved, I want to go back and see if I can tell the difference in each scene, from the real weightlessness shots done in space, and the scenes done here, back on earth. Seeing 2001, Apollo 13 and Armageddon side by side, Armageddon really makes you laugh. At least the film was entertaining.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Julie And Julia
Two women, over forty years apart, are floundering in government jobs, trying to decide what to do with their lives. Two husbands, both supportive and nurturing, are asking their women, “What do you love? What do you really like to do?” Both answers centered around food.
The first woman, the wife of a diplomat, found herself in Paris with nothing to do. When asked what she loved, her answer was, eat! So to occupy her time, she enrolled in a French cooking school and eventually the Cordon Bleu. Taking her passion and competitive nature with her, she threw herself into the art of French cooking and then turned around and taught the art to other American wives. Realizing that there were no French Cookbooks published in the English language, she partnered with two like-minded French women and the Mastering The Art Of French Cooking was born. That woman was Julia Child.
Over 40 years later, a woman living in Queens, New York, is frustrated that her dream of being a writer has been derailed. With the encouragement of her husband, she decides to start a blog recreating all of Julia’s 524 recipes in 365 days. The blog leads to an article and the article leads to a book. Julie And Julia, by Julie Powell, is published.
Meryl Streep plays Julia Child and Stanley Tucci plays her supportive husband, Paul. Meryl’s Julia is larger than life, very tall, and a force to be reckoned with. Just short of being a character, Meryl’s Julia was fun, humorous and a bit over the top. At times you wished that the entire movie was based on her life. But upon reflection, that may have been too much. Having the second story, focusing on Amy Adam’s Julie Powell, added warmth to the film and complimented Julia’s tart nature. Like adding sugar to lemonade, one ingredient without the other would have been unpalatable. But together, you have a nice refreshing mix. That is the way I felt about this film.
Chris Messina is winning as Julie Powell’s husband Eric. His job was to put things in perspective and to diffuse the situation when things got out of control. My only complaint about this film is that both husbands were too good to be true. Once again, Hollywood has provided me with an unrealistic image of what to expect from men. Oh, if it were only true.
I recommend Julie And Julia. I really liked the alternating story lines and I liked the underlining message as well. When you do what you love, even when it doesn’t pay, you come out a better person for the effort. Here’s to us all finding our own bliss. Bon Appetite.
Rating: First Run A delicious recipe of fun
The first woman, the wife of a diplomat, found herself in Paris with nothing to do. When asked what she loved, her answer was, eat! So to occupy her time, she enrolled in a French cooking school and eventually the Cordon Bleu. Taking her passion and competitive nature with her, she threw herself into the art of French cooking and then turned around and taught the art to other American wives. Realizing that there were no French Cookbooks published in the English language, she partnered with two like-minded French women and the Mastering The Art Of French Cooking was born. That woman was Julia Child.
Over 40 years later, a woman living in Queens, New York, is frustrated that her dream of being a writer has been derailed. With the encouragement of her husband, she decides to start a blog recreating all of Julia’s 524 recipes in 365 days. The blog leads to an article and the article leads to a book. Julie And Julia, by Julie Powell, is published.
Meryl Streep plays Julia Child and Stanley Tucci plays her supportive husband, Paul. Meryl’s Julia is larger than life, very tall, and a force to be reckoned with. Just short of being a character, Meryl’s Julia was fun, humorous and a bit over the top. At times you wished that the entire movie was based on her life. But upon reflection, that may have been too much. Having the second story, focusing on Amy Adam’s Julie Powell, added warmth to the film and complimented Julia’s tart nature. Like adding sugar to lemonade, one ingredient without the other would have been unpalatable. But together, you have a nice refreshing mix. That is the way I felt about this film.
Chris Messina is winning as Julie Powell’s husband Eric. His job was to put things in perspective and to diffuse the situation when things got out of control. My only complaint about this film is that both husbands were too good to be true. Once again, Hollywood has provided me with an unrealistic image of what to expect from men. Oh, if it were only true.
I recommend Julie And Julia. I really liked the alternating story lines and I liked the underlining message as well. When you do what you love, even when it doesn’t pay, you come out a better person for the effort. Here’s to us all finding our own bliss. Bon Appetite.
Rating: First Run A delicious recipe of fun
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