Larry Crowne 2.9 stars
USA 2011
French title: Ce nest jamais trop tard
The genre: light romantic comedy
The actors: bankable favorites Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts
The story: affable middle-aged guy loses his job and goes
back to college where new friends help him reinvent himself,
and he falls for his speech class professor.
The ending: happy.
You exit: feeling good.
One week later: still feeling good.


Hop! - 2.5 stars
USA 2011
If you love animated films, if you are writing a
childrens book or movie and need to research
whats happening out there, if you just can't stay
away from a movie where bunnies and chicks
(meaning animated baby animals, not playgirls)
wriggle their little tushes to happy music, you
must see this film. Otherwise, watch it with
the kids (and youll still have some fun.)


Late Bloomers - 1 star
France/Belgium/UK 2011
Yet another cheery film to initiate baby boomers
into decrepit old age. This one makes 60 look like
the new 80.


X-Men: First Class 3.5 stars
USA 2011
Without ever having read Marval Comics vintage
science fiction tales about the X-Men, or seen any
other of the films in this series, I quite enjoyed
and understood this movie because (1) as a prequel
it tells the beginning of the great story of Professor X and
Magneto and (2) it has a retro quality whose special
effects seem just a bit slower and less frenzied than
most of modern action films, allowing me to savor
and appreciate the details.


Meeks Cutoff 3 stars
USA 2010
French title: La Derniere Piste
In the early 1800s, three small families, traveling with
covered wagons, hire a man to show them a shortcut
over the Oregon Trail, but they get lost and run out of
water. This is not a FUN film, and it's not for everybody,
but I found it very interesting. It portrays a fragment of
the hardships experienced by the early settlers as they
walked and walked and walked across the massive
North American continent. We really can't relate to that
scale of tribulation. It's a slow-paced, dusty movie that
makes you grateful you have running water. To paraphrase
another review (whose location Ive lost in the internet
jungle), it was actually quite refreshing to see a film
not based on a comic book, and with an ambiguous ending.


Le Chat du Rabbin 2.5 stars
France 2011
The Rabbis Cat
Set in Algeria, a rabbis cat swallows a parrot and begins
to talk and contradict the Rabbi and his religious teachings.
The animation is excellent.


Nicostratos le Pelican 3 stars
France/Greece 2011
A boy on a Greek island rescues a baby pelican and
hides it from his gruff and melancholy father...until
the bird gets too big. The story, with a few twists
and turns, is charming, the perfectly-played, small
cast of colorful characters is delightful, and the
pelican, trained almost as well as a dog, is enchanting.


Manuale dam3re 1.5 stars
Italy 2011
English title: Manual of Love 3
French title: Lamour a ses raisons
Whats the difference between Italian films of the
1960s and Italian films now, 40 to 50 years later?
Well, the male characters are still macho rakes, the
women are still beautiful, well-dressed and unstable,
and the stories are still campy and complicated. So
the answer to my question is, I don't know.


Monsieur Papa 2.9 stars
France 2011
English title: Mister Dad
I'm very fond of Kad Merad, the French
actor who stars as a man hired to pretend
to be the long-last dad of a fatherless boy.
This predictable feel-good movie nonetheless
left me with tears in my eyes by the end.


The Lincoln Lawyer 3 stars
USA 2011
In this slick, fast-paced, entertaining, fun,
and light thriller, a defense attorney
reexamines his own questionable character
when he realizes he has been fooled,
more than once.


Where the Wilds Things Are 4 stars
USA 2010
This brilliant adaptation of Maurice Sendaks
classic children's book, about a boy who
runs away from home and becomes king
of an island of endearing monsters, is
a charming, touching and funny story
of friendship, trust, power and forgiveness.


Une Separation 1.5 stars
Iran 2010
After his wife leaves him, a man hires a woman
to look after his elderly father with Alzheimers
disease, with many unforeseen consequences.
Judging by its longevity at Parisian cinemas, it
seems French audiences tolerate the non-stop
arguing in this film better than I did.


Beginners 1.5 stars
This film is popular here, but for me this story of
nice people just trying to be happy really never
gets off the ground. Loved the dog, though.


Kung Fu Panda 2 3.2 stars
This is a worthy sequel to the excellent first film
about a pudgy panda as an improbable Kung Fu
Master. Like many animated action films, it goes
too fast to let you truly relish all the clever
details, but its still memorably enjoyable.


Stone 2 stars
A convicted arsonist tries to get an early
release by using his wife to manipulate the
parole officer. I didn't like either the film's
characters or its story very much, but I liked
how it questions who is really free.


Limitless 3.5 stars
Loved the premise: a drug gives you
unlimited powers to know everything
and do anything, but with a serious snag.

Sorting that out keeps the audience absorbed.


Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides 2.5 stars
USA 2011
French title: Pirates des Carabes - La fontaine de jouvence
All of the Pirates movies sort of blur into one
for me, but the latest (no. 4) is another amusing
romp on the high seas with Jack Sparrow,
with spectacular special effects.

RIO - 4 stars

USA 2011
Ten seconds into this film, and you know
you're going to love it. Its absolutely
delightful, funny, sweet and scary,
beautifully animated and spectacular in 3D.
I would see it again immediately. The trailer
doesn't begin to show how good it is. Just go.


Midnight in Paris 2 stars
USA 2011
The moving picture postcard of the Paris is lovely,
and the campy impersonations of the writers and
artists in their heyday of the 20s are mildly amusing,
but otherwise, I am weary of Owen Wilson's shtick,
and watching spoiled, whiny American tourists
is not particularly entertaining.


Thor 3 stars
USA 2011
This 3D action film combining mythical legend and
science-fiction with lots of special effects has
some enjoyably intelligent humorous moments
and an enjoyably intelligent hunk named Thor.


La Fille de Puisatier 4 stars
English title: The Well-Diggers Daughter
France 2011
This is a beautiful remake of Pagnols 1940 film
about a naive, dutiful country girl who is banished
from her home when she falls pregnant
by a rich local boy. Set in rural France of the
late 30s, a place and era when life seemed
simpler but stricter, yet somehow sumptuous,
this film is of the Jean de Florette and
Manon of the Spring genre, and if you liked
them (I loved them), youll like this, too.


The Adjustment Bureau 2 stars
French title: LAgence
USA 2011
If I werent a theologian, I might not be as annoyed
by the story line, which, in a nutshell, is about a
conveniently unaccountable God-plan enforced by
silly Matrix-like agents and absurd Inception-like
rules. (I loved Matrix and hated Inception.)
The two stars are for the two stars, Matt Damon
and Emily Blunt, whose chemistry together keeps
you watching till the end.


Morning Glory 3 stars
USA 2011
This movie is thoroughly enjoyable, but oddly,
almost entirely forgettable. But its good fun
and some belly laughs while it lasts.

 

 

True Grit 4 stars
USA 2010
When I was a kid, I loved both the book and the original film, and liked to fancy that I had the true and impressive grit of the young heroine Mattie Ross. I did not expect to like this new film version as much. I adored it.

 

Winds of Sand, Women of Rock 2.5 stars
French title: Vents de sable, femmes de roc
France 2009; Released in Paris 2011
Each year, women of the Toubou tribe walk, in
flip flops, across the Sahara with their caravan
of camels to harvest dates and sell their goats.


Incendies 3 stars
Canada/France 2010
A Middle-eastern Christian woman's eventful
past is left for her grown children to discover
after her death.


Paul 2.5 stars
US/UK 2011
To their immense delight, a couple of Brits find a
smart-aleck extraterrestrial while on a road trip
to see the famous UFO sights in the US. Good
for some laughs, especially if you like
smart-alecks.


Carancho 2 stars
Argentina 2010
The lives of an ambulance chaser and an ER
doctor, hooked on the thrills of their crazy jobs
and each other, careen out of control. Its gritty,
not pretty...This is not an intelligent and sexy
thriller in the same vein as the Argentinian
The Secret in Their Eyes which won Best Foreign
Language Film Oscar in 2010, and also stars
Ricardo Darn.


Emotives Anonymes 3 stars
English title: Romantics Anonymous
France 2010
This charming, quirky, perfectly-cast
story about a couple of neurotics who
fall in love is amusing, touching and very
enjoyable.


Many thanks to my movie guru
Lisa Nesselson(shes the film critic on
http://France24.com ) for recommending
Morning Glory and Emotives Anonymes.

Arrietty 3 stars

English title: The Borrowers
Japan 2010

Arrietty and her family are miniscule people
who borrow provisions from the house
under which they secretly live. A charming
story and beautiful animation take the
viewer to another world, both sweet
and perilous.

 

The Way Back 3.75 stars

French title: Les Chemins de la Liberte

USA 2011

I like films about extraordinary adventures which
require indomitable will, strength and courage,
and I loved this one about prisoners who escape
a Soviet gulag during WW2 and walk 4000 miles
through Siberia, over the Gobi desert and Himalayan
mountains to freedom in India.

 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, Part 1 3.75 stars

French title: Harry Potter et les Reliques de la Mort
USA 2010

Harry plays hooky from Hogwarts to chase Horcruxes
with Hermione (and Ron, too, of course) to thwart
the evil Lord Voldemort. They discover the most powerful
objects in wizardry: the Deathly Hollows. The kids have
grown up and a brilliant series is coming to an end...
Fortunately for us, Deathly Hollows, Part 2 lies ahead.

Hereafter 1.5 stars

French title: Au Dela
USA 2010

Director Clint Eastwood disappointingly perpetuates
misconceptions and stereotypes in this contrived
tale of three people who are touched by death.

The Kings Speech 4 stars

French title: Discours dun Roi
UK 2010

Nominated for 12 Oscars, this is a wonderful film
about the English King George VI and his struggle
to overcome stammering, in an era when he was
obliged to give live speeches on the radio during
WW2. Great story and excellent cast.

Watch the trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aS4hoOSlzo

Another Year 0 stars

UK 2010

A happily long-married couple gives us lessons
on how to tolerate with patience and compassion
the endless, tedious, superficial conversations of their
pathetic loser friends. The only catch is you'll
have to sit through endless, tedious, superficial
conversations. The full set of lessons lasts 2 hours
and 9 minutes, but it will feel like a year, hence
the film's title.

 

Nowhere Boy 3.5 stars

UK/Canada 2009

A month after seeing this biopic about
John Lennons difficult teenage years, I
upgraded this film from 3 to 3.5 stars
because it is by turns unforgettably
touching, harsh and beautiful, with
stellar performances by Aaron Johnson
as Lennon and Kristen Scott Thomas
as his aunt Mimi who raised him.



The Chronicles of Narnia:
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader 3 stars

USA 2010
French title: Le Monde de Narnia: Chapitre 3:
Lodyssee du Passeur dAurore

Although I havent read the books or
seen the previous Narnia movies, I
quite enjoyed this fantasy story of children
who enter the parallel universe of a
magical kingdom called Narnia.


The Dinner of Schmucks 2 stars
Steve Carrell is absolutely brilliant as the
trophy schmuck taken to a corporate dinner
intended to make fun of oddballs, but he cant
save this otherwise lame remake of the French hit
Le dner de cons.

Last Night 1 star

UK 2010

Pretty people in chic clothes and upscale decors
prattle banal lies while they flirt with infidelity.

 

Welcome to the Rileys 2.5 stars
USA 2010
Fairly predictable, feel-somewhat-better
movie about a couple, broken by the death
of their only daughter in a car accident,
who tries to save a teenage runaway prostitute.

The Rebound 3 stars
French title: Mon babysitter
USA 2009
A 40ish recently-divorced mother of two
and her 25-year-old male babysitter fall
for each other. This was about five times
better than I expected it to be, and
one scene had me laughing harder than
anything from the combined films mentioned
on this page. Charming, fun and funny.

French title: La famille Jones
USA 2010
A fake family is employed to incite their
community to copy their conspicuous
consumption and upscale lifestyle. The film is
rather like the products inside: clever premise,
slick packaging, so-so content.


The Social Network 3.5 stars
USA 2010
The fable of the founding of Facebook
is fast, fun, fascinating and brilliantly cast.


La Princess de Montpensier 2.5 stars
France 2010
After the beautiful Marie was forced to marry the
Prince of Montpensier, at least four men competed
for her attention, but the love of the only man
who appreciated her for who she was, went
unrequited. This is a classic French period piece:
fabulous costumes and decor and a conventionally
macho story.


Gardians of GaHoole 4 stars

Le Royaume de Gahoole
USA 2010

This thoroughly enchanting action film
about a valiant tribe of owls is so beautifully
animated you can almost feel what it must be
like to fly. I loved it in 3D. A real hoot.
Watch the trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_lMihSKkgA

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps 3 stars
USA 2010
Michael Douglas is never better than
as Gordon Gekko, a character so believable
you forget hes fictitious. Carey Mulligan is
adorable in the role of his daughter.

The American 3 stars
USA 2010
George Clooney is credible as a professional hit man
with very little left to lose, hiding out in a picturesque
Italian village where both a priest and a prostitute
seem to offer some redemption.


Des Hommes et des Dieux - 3 stars
English title: Of Gods and Men
French 2010
Should we stay or should we go?
This thoughtful observation of a monastery,
its way of life and its small fraternity
threatened by hostile fundamentalists,
is a study in the psychology of a group
decision.


Amore 3.5 stars
English title: I am Love
Italian 2009
In this slow, sumptuous and sensuous film
set amongst a wealthy Italian dynasty,
Tilda Swinton plays a middle-aged
housewife who cracks for a young man
half her age. You are either in the mood for
this or youre not. I was.


L'amour fou 2.75 stars
France 2010
Documentary
Pierre Bergand various YSL groupies
wax nostalgic over the fashion dynasty,
love affair and art collection which Berg
shared with Yves Saint Laurent.

 

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives 0 stars

French title: Oncle Boonme
Thailand/UK/France/Germany/Spain/Netherlands 2010
How do you know if youre alive or simply revisiting
a previous life? You dont, and by the end of this movie
you dont care. You just want out.


Youth in Revolt 2 stars

French title: Be Bad!
USA 2010

A nerdy 16-year-old who is desperate to lose his
virginity reinvents himself as a chain-smoking cad
and commits a few crimes to impress a girl. Good
for a few laughs.


Salt 3.5 stars

USA 2010

Angelina Jolie is perfect as a CIA agent accused
of being a Russian spy, a role that gives
new definition to the expression sang-froid.
The non-stop stunts are incredible but very
entertaining.


The Tree 2.5 stars

France/Australia 2010

After the unexpected death of a young
family man, his singularly sensitive and obstinate
8-year-old daughter believes his soul
resides in a huge tree next to the house.
Charlotte Gainsbourg is annoying in the role
of the mother, but the presence of
Marton Csokas, partially redeems this maudlin
tale, as he did for LAge de Raison.


Cleveland vs Wall Street 3 stars

USA 2010

This documentary is about the trial of the city
of Cleveland, Ohio which sued Wall Street banks
for the subprime mortgage fiasco. Its quite
well-done and fast-paced, and pretty much
demonstrates that the banks knew what they
were doing, and the homeowners didnt.


Inception 0 stars

USA 2010

In this grotesquely overrated film about professional
dream manipulators, its clever premise is made
ultra-complicated and the lead characters are
spectacularly uninteresting despite their cool jobs.
Two weeks after seeing it, I demoted it from
1 star to 0 because my dominant memory of the
film is sheer tedium.


Toy Story 3 Four stars

USA 2010

Like a happy childhood, Toy Story 3 goes too fast.
I sat with a grin on my face throughout this
brilliant and charming movie, except for when
I got choked up (by an animated toy).


The Last Airbender 1 star

USA 2010
French title: Le dernier maitre dair

Gorgeous scene sets and fantastic special effects
do not compensate for lame, trite dialogue,
a contrived plot and the rejects from Twilights
casting call. The trailer will make you want to see
this film, but the film will make you wish you were
still watching the trailer. So, just watch the
trailer and save 101 minutes of your life.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-egQ79OrYCs


LAge de Raison 1 star

France 2010

English title: The Age of Reason

Half a star is for Sophie Marceaus
impeccable, modern, perfect hair cut.
Trs cute. The other half-star is for
leading man Marton Csokas, also
trs cute. And thats about it for this film.


La Doppia Ora 3.5 stars

French title: Lheure du crime
English title: The Double Hour
Italy 2010

This sexy psychological and crime double thriller
keeps you guessing til the end. I would see
it again.


Tamara Drew 1.5 stars

UK 2009

Some lukewarm laughs at the expense of
British stereotypes are apparently somebodys
idea of a good time, considering the ongoing
popularity of this film at Paris cinemas.

 

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse 2.5 stars
French Title: Twilight Part 3: Hesitation
USA 2010
Twilight films, like Sex and the City movies,
are like candy for the brain: total rot, but
sweet fun, especially for a summer night.


Wild Target 3 stars
UK 2010
French title: Petits Meurtres l'Anglaise
The French title (which means Little Murders,
English Style) is perfect for this macabre comedy
about professional hit men who have a hard time
killing their target, a young and wacky female
con artist.


Shrek Forever After 3 stars
French title: Shrek 4, Il etait une fin
USA 2010
The 4th Shrek is not the best of the series,
but I love Shrek movies so they are always
enjoyable, anyway. If youve never seen a Shrek
movie, start with the first one first.


Puzzle 2.5 stars
Argentine 2009
A housewife discovers she has a talent for solving
jigsaw puzzles and enters a national puzzle tournament,
to the bemused incomprehension of her macho
husband and grown sons still at home. This film is a
bit slow and a bit long but I rather liked the main
character and her story.


A 5 Heures de Paris 0 stars
English title: Five Hours from Paris
Israel 2009
Two uninteresting people have an uninteresting
infatuation. They may be five hours from Paris,
but the film is interminable.


The A-Team 2.5 stars
USA 2010
French title: Lagence tous risques
If youre in the mood for an action film
starring good old bad boys, this is fun.
Ultimately forgettable, but fun.


LIllusioniste 2.5 stars
France - 2006
A traveling magician befriends a young charwoman
who believes he really is a magician. This melancholic
tale with almost no dialogue is beautifully animated
and expressive.


Killers 0 stars
French title: Kiss and Kill
USA
Despite a really cute and sexy premise, this film
plummets rapidly into drivel and never recovers.


Louise Bourgeois 4 stars
USA 2008
I loved this fascinating and touching documentary about
the sculptress who founded confessional art,
and who recently died at the age of 98.
Watch the trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMdWNwOWnng


Breathless 4 stars
French Title: A Bout de Souffle
France 1960
The re-release of this legendary film by New Wave
director Jean-Luc Goddard prompted me to see it
for the very first time. I did not like the characters,
the dialogue or the story. Yet I cant forget the riveting
flashback to the Paris, fashions, decor and cars of 1960,
Belmondos 27-year-old face, Sebergs pixie hair cut,
their tiny hotel room with the record player on top of
the wardrobe and their casual, conflicted and confusing
connection. Watch the very cool original trailer in French
with English subtitles:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2hDR_e1o1M


Bbs 2 stars
English title: Babies
France 2009
This documentary follows four babies born in different
corners of the world and their development to about
18 months of age. This should have been an
hour-long TV documentary. Or half hour.

La Tte en Friche 3 stars
France 2010
A middle-aged, illiterate man makes friends
with a 95-year-old woman who shares her love
of books with him. Predictably, his world
opens up. Not predictable is the ending.
I liked this film very much.
In French.


Hachiko: A Dog's Story - 3 stars
USA-UK 2009
French title: Hatchi
Based on a true story, Hatchi is an Akita dog who
met his masters train every evening, and continued
to wait for him at the train station every day for
ten years after his masters death. If you like
sentimental animal stories (I do), youll like this
heartwarming movie. The Akita dog is beautiful,
smart and endearing.
Watch the trailer

My Name is Khan 4 stars
India 2010
A Muslim man with Aspergers Syndrome (a form
of autism) immigrates from Bombay to the US
and creates a happy life. Then 9/11 happened and
everything changed. If you liked Slumdog Millionaire,
youll like this film. I loved both.
In Hindi, Urdu and English with Subtitles
Trailer

Les Secrets - 3 stars
France-Tunisia-Switzerland 2009
English title: Buried Secrets
Also known as: Anonymes
A Tunisian mother and two grown daughters squat
in an abandoned mansion, and when a couple moves
in, they live clandestinely in the basement.
Its not the only secret they have.
In Arabic with subtitles.


El secreto de sus ojos 4 stars
Argentina 2009
French title: Dans ses yeux
English title: The Secret in Their Eyes
A retired detective revisits a badly closed murder case and unrequited love 25 years later. I really liked this thriller which won the 2010 Best Foreign Film Oscar. In Spanish with subtitles.

 

Avatar 4 stars
USA 2009
Since I was the last person on the planet to
see this film, you already know that its a
a tour de force of creativity, beyond amazing,
and must absolutely be seen on a big screen,
and in 3D is even better.

Date Night 1.5 stars
USA 2010
French title: Crazy Night
After watching this boring, klutzy couple stumble
through the date night from hell, youll wish theyd
stayed home and wish you had, too.


Les aventures extraordinaires d'Adle Blanc-Sec
2.5 stars
France 2010
English title:
The Extraordinary Adventures of Adle Blanc-Sec
I loved this French comic book tale of a 1912 feisty
novelist in amazing costumes, until it turned into
Night at the Museum. In French.

The Blind Side 4 stars
USA 2009
Wonderful (true) story, characters, dialogue and
performances. If I could watch this film again, now,
immediately, I would.

New York, I love You 1.5 stars
USA 2009
This compendium of short, mostly dysfunctional,
mildly tedious, love stories makes you glad
theyre at least short.

Bright Star 3.5 stars
UK-Australia-France 2009
Set in 1818, Jane Campions film about the love affair
of the young poet John Keats and Fanny Braun
is sumptuous and poignant, and will surely endure
to be an example of Keats immortal line,
A thing of beauty is a joy for ever.


How to Train Your Dragon 3.5 stars
US 2009
French title: Dragons
This animated film, about a Viking boy who
befriends a dragon, is charming and fun,
and the best action movie Ive seen in ages.
Take the whole family.


The Ghost Writer 3 stars
France 2010
Filmed in English
Not Polanskis best film, it nonetheless
kept my attention and surprised me
at the end twice.


Alice in Wonderland 3.5 stars
US 2009
French Title: Alice au Pays des Merveilles
Pure Tim Burton, pure fantasy, and pure delight.

 

Precious 4 stars
USA 2009
A black, obese teenager in Harlem, pregnant by her father with her second child, is helped when she is sent to an alternative school. Horrifying, heartbreaking, hopeful, and heroic. Go.

 

The Good Heart - 3.5 stars
USA-Iceland-Denmark 2008
A cantankerous old man takes in a homeless young man
after they share a hospital room, and they change each
other's lives. I really liked this film which is both gentle and
rough at the same time.

Chloe 2.5 stars
USA 2009
A high class call girl ends up seducing an entire family.
Mildly entertaining.

The Men Who Stare at Goats 1 star
USA 2009
French title: Les Chevres du Pentagone
There are a few laughs about the New Age
unit of the US military but even George
cant save this one.

Desert Flower 4 stars
The unforgettable true story of Waris Dirie,
who escaped forced marriage in Somalia
to become a top model in London and an activist
against female genital mutilation.
http://www.waris-dirie-foundation.com/en/

 

Nine 2 stars
Spectacularly overrated, tedious musical re-make
of Fellinis 8 1/2 but a must-see for the cast
of multiple leading ladies, their fabulous
costumes, the sumptuous 60s Italian decor
and Fergie singing the movies only decent
song, Be Italian. You get a taste of all that in
the trailer, which is far better than the movie,
and mercifully spares you Daniel Day-Lewis
fake Italian accent.

Up in the Air 2.5 stars
French title: In the Air
Moderately overrated but a must-see
if you like George. A quick pace and
some cute jokes enliven the predictably
conventional moral.

The Fantastic Mr. Fox 2.5 stars
Tolerably overrated due to a dated
story but a must-see for animation fans.

A Single Man 2 stars
Hideously overrated but a must-see
if you adore Colin Firth and/or exquisite
1960 retro decor and costumes.

 

Whip It 3.5 stars
USA 2009
French title: Bliss
This tale of a high-school girl named Bliss who joins the
roller derby is fun, funny and fast-paced. Very entertaining.


It's Complicated - 3 stars
USA 2009
French title: Pas Si Simple
Filmmaker Nancy Meyers is rather cloyingly conventional
for my taste, but this film about a divorced couple who have
an affair with each other has some good laughs and
will do more for baby boomer sex than any other movie
in recent memory.


Welcome 3.5 stars
France 2009 (in French, English and Kurdish)
After walking across Europe to Calais, a young Iraqi Kurd
trains to swim the channel to get to England to be with
his girlfriend. His French swimming instructor gets
involved in the situation. The plight and perils of
clandestines who risk everything for new lives is
eye-opening and moving.


Fish Tank ? star
UK 2009
This film has won numerous awards, but after a tedious
hour, I finally walked out on this story of the bleak existence
of a vulgar, delinquent teenager who wants to dance.
Flashdance this is not.


Eric Rohmer, 1920 2010
Lisa Nesselson, my favorite film critic and a longtime
resident in Paris, reports (in English) on the life and
career of French filmmaker Eric Rohmer, who died on
January 11 at the age of 89:
http://blogs.suntimes.com/foreignc/2010/01/lisa-nesselson-from-paris-the-man-who-made-you-think-you-spoke-french.html#more

Le Concert 3 stars
French
An ousted Bolshoi symphony from Moscow comically finagles a come-back concert at Paris Thtre du Chtelet in Paris. I enjoyed this story of friendship, truth and redemption.


The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnasus 2 stars
Although the cast, costumes and set dcor are stellar, Terry Gilliams fantasy is like a spectacular, magical hot air balloon that gradually loses steam and drifts out of control.


Capitalism: A Love Story 3 stars
Michael Moores expos of how deceitful, exploitive Wall Street controls the US, is riveting.

 

Noise 3.5 stars
This 2007 film is just being released in French cinemas on
November 25. An upper-middle-class New York family man becomes a vigilante to eliminate excessive and unnecessary
noise in the city. As a noise narc, I loved this film.

 

Away We Go 2 stars
A pregnant couples road trip to find a new place to live results in visiting the the most neurotic families in North America. This slowish story redeems itself partially with a few good laughs.

This Is It 3 stars
The Michael Jackson documentary is better than
I dared hoped. This close-up look at a dedicated,
consummate showman in action reminded me how
much his music has been part of the scenery of
my own life. If you have any doubt of his influence,
search YouTube for Thriller + any major city in
the world and be amazed at how it continues to thrill,
25 years later, around the globe. For example,
check out this video of a Thriller event at a
Filipino correctional facility:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMnk7lh9M3o

RIP Michael and thank you.

LAffaire Fairwell 3 stars
(France)
English title: Farewell
Set in 1981 Moscow, this Cold War thriller was an
unexpected treat. Emir Kusturica is excellent as the
KGB agent who goes double to change the world.
I got positively nostalgic for offices with typewriters
and phones which only have cords.

Micmacs
Highly recommended by Lisa Nesselson, my personal film guru. Read her review of the newly released Micmacs on
http://www.hollywoodwiretap.com/?module=news&action=story&id=40446

 

Rose et Noir 1 star
(French) This appallingly hyper-campy mix of fashion design, political thriller, social commentary and every conceivable French stereotype of character and dialogue was a waste of my time. Its lone star is for the excellent costumes.


The Informant 2.5 stars
Matt Damon: 3 stars
General acting, story and pace: 3.5 stars
The would I bother again factor: 1 star
Final rating: 2.5 stars for a well-crafted, entertaining and yet mostly forgettable film.


Mary and Max 2.5 stars
A little girl in Australia and an older man in NYC become pen pals in this claymated film, a bittersweet story of friendship and forgiveness between two social misfits. I left the film feeling sadder but not wiser.

Julie and Julia - 4 stars
I loved every minute of these parallel stories about the trials, tribulations and triumphs of two cooks and their marriages.


The September Issue - 3.5 stars
Riveting documentary about the making of VOGUE magazine and its hard-as-sculpted-nails editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.


My Sister's Keeper - 3.5 stars
French title: Ma Vie Pour la Tienne
I cried my eyes out over this story of a little girl who was conceived to provide body parts for her sick sister, and sues her parents for medical emancipation.

 

UP - 4 stars
French Title: La-Haut
UP is an animated masterpiece which made me laugh out loud frequently, all the way through, except when it made me cry. It has everything: love, humor, friendship, fantasy, charm, adventure, danger, suspense, action, pathos, a balloon-flying house, a dirigible, an old man, a boy, a dog, a bird, a bad guy, chocolate and a happy ending. Its grown-up theme of coming to terms with loss and disappointment was beautifully done. A perfect movie. I was very sorry it had to end, so I saw it twice.

The Reader - 2.5 stars
A somewhat disappointing adaption of the novel by the same name. Ralph Fiennes was miscast but Kate Winslet was nonetheless compelling.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - 3.5 stars
French title: Harry Potter et le Prince de Sang Ml
If the Harry Potter films lasted five hours each, that would suit me just fine.

State of Play - 3 stars
French title: Jeux de Pouvoir
Russell Crowe here is very smart, very witty, very cute, very sexy and very fun, and that's enough for me.

Victoria - 3 stars
Original Title: Young Victoria
Emily Blunt is perfectly cast in this enjoyable biopic about Queen Victoria's early years from just before she was crowned to just after her marriage to Prince Albert, charmingly played by Rupert Friend of Cheri (below).

Cheri - 3.5 stars
An aging courtesan and the son of one of her friends fall in love. I felt a lot of sympathy for the characters who were ultimately caught in the cruel traps of time and convention. Extra stars for delightful performances by Michelle Pfeiffer, Rupert Friend and Kathy Bates, plus exquisite costumes and dcor.

Spread 1 star

French title: Toy Boy
A gigolo gets his comeuppance when he actually falls in love.
The lone star is for the great frog at the end of the film.

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past - 0 star
A moralistic, sexist, tedious tale.

Sunshine Cleaning 3 stars
Two adult sisters, each struggling in her own way, start a post-crime clean-up business. This film is sometimes touching, sometimes gross and I had compassion for the two deeply wounded sisters who were just trying to make life work...somehow.

Coraline 4 stars
Imagine you are a kid and you have a dream about finding a secret door to a perfect world with perfect parents. Then it turns into a nightmare. This movie is the dream. An impressively clever animated film, Coraline is a humorous thriller and a masterpiece of its genre. It is visually and conceptually brilliant. I saw it twice and would happily see it again soon.

Amerikka 3 stars
Original title: Amreeka
Language: Arabic and English
When a Palestinian woman and her teenage son immigrate to Illinois, USA, they are shocked by the prejudice they face and find life much harder than they anticipated. It is also a heartwarming story of the love of a mother and family.

The Martian Child 3 stars
French title: Un Enfant pas comme les Autres
A sweet, feel-good movie about a widower who adopts a problem child. John Cusak does a nice job in the role as the adoptive father, and the boy actor is talented and endearing.

 

The Hangover 3 stars
French title: Very Bad Trip
For its genre, which is adult men getting drunk and into ridiculous, asinine trouble this is completely ridiculous and asinine and not too bad.

Signore et Signori 1 star
I walked out on this 1966 Italian film, annoyed by the sexist and infantile dialogue and characters. The lone star is for the costumes.

Who's That Knocking at My Door? (1967) - 2 stars

Original title: I Call First
Debut feature film for both director Martin Scorsese and star Harvey Keitel. Re-released in Paris this summer, this is another 60s film with a religiously and offensively sexist theme which I did not enjoy at all. However, it was very powerful when Scorsese cleverly shows us the main character desperately avoiding the wrongness of his righteousness.

Pan's Labyrinth (2006) - 4 stars
French title: Le Labyrinthe de Pan
Spanish title: El laberinto del fauno
Winner of a multitude of awards including many Oscars, if you hear this is a fairy tail set in Francos Spain, you might expect a cross between "Persepolis" and "Coraline." It is not, and in no way is it for children. This mesmerizing film consists of the contrasting stories between a childs daunting but hopeful fantasy world and her violent, brutal reality. I saw this one night this summer when the film was re-released in Paris, and walked out of the cinema dazed, talking to myself. Its a tour de force. Strongly recommended. But don't take the kids.

 

Departures 4 stars
Japanese title: Okuribito
When a young symphony cellist loses his job and returns to his
home village to start anew, he takes a job at a
funeral parlor without knowing what hes getting into.
This is a beautiful, amusing, interesting and touching movie,
and won the 2009 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.


Coco Avant Chanel 3 stars
English title: Coco Before Chanel
In French. Audrey Tautou is well cast in this bio-pic
on the early life of Coco Chanel, who knew how to
seize, as well as create, lifes opportunities.


Frost/Nixon 4 stars
Riveting story of David Frosts famous
interview of Richard Nixon. Frank Langella
is brilliant as Nixon.


Star Trek 3.5 stars
Im not a Trekkie but I enjoy the Star Trek movies,
this one even more than I expected. The Spock
story is particularly well done.


In the Electric Mist 3 stars
French title: Dans la Brume Electrique
By far, this is not a perfect film, but I let myself
get carried by it, and could almost feel the sensuous,
mystical beauty of the Louisiana bayou.


Easy Virtue 3 stars
French title: Un Mariage de Rve
Entertaining film version of the witty Noel Coward
classic play, with excellent costumes.


The Boat that Rocked 4 stars
French title: Good Morning England
If you werent around to hear the music of 1966,
this film will make you wish you had been.
Perfectly cast. Trs trs fun.


Entreinte Briss 2 stars
French title: Los Abrazos Rotos
English title: Broken Embraces
The Spanish director Almodovar may be a god in
France, but this film will leave you wondering why.

Night at the Museum 2 2.5 stars
Amusing entertainment.

 

Milk 3.75 stars

French title: Harvey Milk
Sean Penn is wonderful in his Oscar-winning role
as the first openly gay publically elected official in the USA.
Milks story is well-told in this atmospheric film,
a guaranteed flashback to the 70s with a great soundtrack.


Last Chance Harvey 0 stars

French title: Last Chance for Love
One of the few films Ive walked out on. If you like to
watch unhappy people make and take endless
portable/cell calls, dont miss this movie.


The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 2 stars

French title: Letrange Histoire de Benjamin Button
This over-hyped film never lets you forget its a tall tale
with some very sophisticated make-up techniques,
but its mildly entertaining.

 

The Wrestler 3.5 stars

Mickey Rourke is perfect in the role of a has-been
pro wrestler with nothing left to lose. Its a tough
story that I wont watch again soon, but its
unforgettable, and a fascinating look at the pro
wrestling scene, a world in which getting old is not allowed.

Australia 3.5 stars

One star for the tour of a dramatic slice of
Australian history, one star for Nicole Kidman's
costumes, and one star for Hugh Jackman, and
a half-star extra credit for good old-fashioned fun.


Twilight - 3.5 stars

This dark yet enchanting story of a teenage girl
who falls in love with the ultimate Bad Boy.
Great soundtrack.


Slumdog Millionaire - 3.5 stars

Amazing and often very tough story, well-told,
about a boy from the Indian slums who wins the
top prize on the game show Who Wants to Be a
Millionaire and how he knew all the answers.
Excellent soundtrack.

Revolutionary Road - 2 stars

French title: Les Noces Rebelles
Heres my measuring stick for a film:
Would I want to see it again?
Do I think about this film after Ive seen it?
Do I care about the characters and their story?
To all these questions, I answer no for this film.
The acting gets 4 stars but the do-I-care factor gets 0.
Hence the 2 stars.

 

BURN AFTER READING - 3.5 stars

A very entertaining spy movie thats not a spy movie.
Great cast and fun.

LES AILES POURPRES: LE MYSTERE DES FLAMANTS - 3.5 stars

Narrated in French.
English title: The Crimson Wings: The Mystery of Flamingos
to be released around the world in 2009.
See the 5-star super-trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9vBVOXrldM
Ive now seen this movie twice, but as you know from
my website, Im ga-ga about birds. The main reason
I dont give this film 4 stars is because I feel the ending
is inexcusably lackluster. Nonetheless, this documentary
of a million pink flamingos who migrate to breed on an
island of salt in Tanzania is by turns fascinating, touching,
amusing, beautiful and heartbreaking. I loved it.

LES PLAGES D'AGNES 2.5 stars

In French. This rambling narrative of the life of French
cineaste Agnes Varda is about half an hour too long but
interesting if you love the cinema and/or stories about
the lives of artists.

 

CHANGELING - 3.5 stars

(French title: "L'Echange") In 1928 the LAPD returned the wrong boy to a woman whose son had disappeared. She objected, and they insisted it was she who was wrong, not they, even throwing her into an insane asylum. Based on a true story.

 

TWO LOVERS - 1.5 stars

Forgettable. Joachim Phoenix is rumored to be retiring from acting after this film. Probably for the best.

 

THE DUCHESS - 3.5 stars

Underrated by the critics. The story of an 18th century noblewoman whose privileged rank obliges her to give her husband a male heir, or suffer the consequences, is well-told, well-cast, well-written and well-paced, with beautiful costumes and decor.

 

THE VISITOR - 3.5 stars

A widower reawakens from his dreary existence when he encounters a couple illegally living in his NYC apartment. Excellent cast.

 

SERAPHINE - 3.5 stars

In French. Based on the poignant true story of the artist Sraphine de Senlis, a simple and pious cleaning woman whose talent was discovered by a German art dealer at the dawn of WW1. Her art is currently on exhibit at Muse Maillol, through 30 March 2009.

 



Consider using this space to introduce your page. Just click to add your own content.

You can use this page for anything you like, but we recommend focusing on one or two related topics to avoid confusing your readers. Remember that you can always add more pages if you need them.