Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel
Directed by Marc Webb
Rated PG-13 for sexual material and language
1 hour 35 minutes

This movie suprised me in a number of ways and they all were good. First, “Summer” doesn’t refer to a season, it refers to a charmingly unusual girl (Deschanel) that enters and consumes the life of a young man (Gordon-Levitt).  Second, it employs some fun movie magic: out-of-sequence storytelling, split screens, dance scenes, cartoons, and a great soundtrack.  Third, it actually made me laugh out loud a few times.  Although I didn’t like it quite as much as Juno, this movie had the same kind of originality and likeability.  It’s definitely worth and hour and a half of your time.

Grade: A-

Check out the soundtrack on

Starring Denzel Washington, John Travolta, John Turturro, and James Gandolfini
Directed by Tony Scott
Rated R  for violence and pervasive language
1 hour 46 minutes

It doesn’t take long for subway train Pelham 123 to be taken by the villain Ryder (Travolta).  Soon thereafter, Ryder starts communicating with dispatcher Walter Garber (Washington) about how he demands $10 million within an hour or the hostages will be shot.  The rest of the movie is about Ryder trying to convince Garber how he’s not crazy and that the two of them are really a lot alike.  Travolta and Washington are both good in their roles and the pacing of the movie is entertainingly rapid throughout.  Unfortunately the plot gets a little unrealistic and corny toward the end of the movie, so the conclusion isn’t as satisfying as it could have been.  I’m glad I didn’t see this one in a theater, but I’m not disappointed I rented it.

Grade: B

Written, directed by and starring Takeshi Kitano
Rated R for strong stylized bloody violence
1 hour 56 minutes
Japanese with English subtitles

I suppose if you are really into Japanese culture (like my cousin who recommended this) you would really enjoy this film.  Then you might be familiar with the popular series of films and television shows featuring the character Zatoichi, a mysterious blind masseur with incredible sword skills.  You might also appreciate the subtleties of the Japanese dialogue, humor, and plot devices.  Unfortunately, I’m not well versed in such things, so I my appreciation came only from the impressive (and comically bloody) swordplay and some unique musical numbers.  Both were interesting but too far between in a slow-moving plot.  I can see why the Japanese might enjoy this movie, but it’s not a great fit for the average American Joe.

Grade: C

Starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams
Written and Directed by Nora Ephron
Rated PG-13 for brief strong language and some sensuality
2 hours 3 minutes

Sometimes a movie is more about a performance than the story.  That is certainly the case with Julie & Julia, where Meryl Streep steals the show portraying Julia Child as she struggles to master the art of cooking in 1950s France.  The bubbly personality that Streep brings to an already rich character is both infectious and inspiring.  Contrast that with Amy Adams’ (Enchanted) role as modern day Julie Powell, a pleasant but somewhat unremarkable woman who tries to find meaning in her unfulfilling life by blogging about cooking her way through Julia Child’s cookbook in a year.  Adams does her best to make her character interesting, but there just isn’t a whole lot to work with.  All in all, there is some connection between the two stories but it is never strong enough to keep us interested in Julie.  This is really a good movie and an average movie about similar subjects that were forced together.  Unfortunately, Adams’ side dish does little to complement Streep’s delicious entree.

Grades:
Julie: B-
Julia: A-
Julie & Julia: B

View the trailer here.

Starring Charlie Chaplin
Written, directed, produced, and music  by Charlie Chaplin
Rated G
The Circus: 1 hour 11 minutes
Modern Times: 1 hour 27 minutes

I had previously only seen clips of Charlie Chaplin – never a full movie, so I figured it was about time to really experience this icon of American film.  I chose to watch The Circus at the recommendation of a friend and Modern Times because it is widely considered Chaplin’s finest work.  While I don’t need to see either movie again, I did gain an appreciation of how incredibly talented Chaplin was.  His creativity, stunts, and physical comedy are very impressive in both movies with The Circus  probably being the funnier of the two.  Modern Times adds a little bit of social satire, which always scores big with the critics but not always for the average viewer (I put myself in the latter category).   Unfortunately, both movies were a bit underwhelming compared to modern films.  If you were to see one, I’d recommend the shorter and funnier Circus.

Grades:

The Circus: B
Modern Times: B-

Starring Daniel Craig and Liev Schreiber
Directed by Edward Zwick
Rated R for violence and language
2 hours 17 minutes

This movie is based on the true story of four brothers that lead hundreds of Jews into the forest to escape from the Nazis.  There they encountered many hardships but were able to build a primitive village and many survived World War II.  Daniel Craig plays the leader of the group and though he gives it his best shot, it’s hard to believe James Bond in such a primitive role.  Liev Schreiber is more believable (and much better than in Wolverine) as Craig’s competitive and vengeful brother, but the supporting cast and their somewhat corny lines are not impressive.  This is an interesting story, but I think I would have rather watched a 30 minute special on the History Channel.

Grade: C

Starring Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, and Drew Barrymore
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Rated PG for language and mild thematic elements
1 hour 55 minutes

My kids had never met E.T. and I hadn’t seen him for years, so I thought it was about time to pay a visit to my friend from outer space.  As it turns out, he is just as amazing as I remembered.  Featuring a compelling story, excellent special effects, great performances by child actors, and and outstanding score, this movie has held up quite well over the years.  The only drawbacks are the zombie-like scientists and some language that isn’t appropriate for children.  E.T. is a masterpiece that I’m glad to have visited again.

Grade: A-

Documentary
Featuring the members of Anvil
Directed by Sacha Gervasi
Unrated, but definitely R for profanity throughout and some adult content
1 hour 30 minutes

Have you ever heard of the musical group Anvil?  You might have in the early 80s, when they were considered one of the best heavy metal bands in the world.  However, through a serious of unfortunate events, they never made it big like their contemporaries.  This movie tells the story of the band, still together in their 50s, as they try to take one last stab at fame.  The heavy metal culture and bad luck sometime make you feel like you’re watching Spinal Tap, but that’s really not what the film is about.  It’s more about guys sticking together through good times and lots of bad times to follow a dream.  This is a suprisingly good film.

Grade: B+

View the trailer here.

Animated
Starring the voices of Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, and Keith David
Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker
Rated G
1 hour 37 minutes

Disney + Princess = Gold?  Only in the profit sense.  The Princess and the Frog is basically a twist on the classic Frog Prince fairy tale where the magic happens when royalty kisses our favorite amphibian.  Disney’s version is set in New Orleans and the dixieland jazz/bayou/cajun flavor definitely adds to the movie, especially on some nice musical numbers.  Unfortunately it’s not enough to overcome the predictable story and slow-moving midsection.  One critic hailed this movie as Disney’s best since The Lion King.  Apparently he’s never seen Bolt or anything from Pixar.

Grade: B-

Documentary
Directed by Anto Skene
Not Rated, but likely G
1 hour 20 minute

As you might expect from a documentary about food, this film discusses the deficient diets of Americans and how they contribute greatly to to the poor health of the country.  Also unsurprising is advocating natural remedies and plant-based diets to keep us healthy.  What was a suprise is the suggestion that extremely high doses of vitamin C can be more effective than chemotherapy at fighting cancer. 

The film itself is fairly straightforward, consisting primarily of interviews with a handful of scientists and nutritionists you’ve never heard of with some old documentary footage thrown in.  It’s not all that entertaining, but there is some useful information and some bold assertions.  If you’re interested in nutrition, it may be worth a watch.

Grade: B-