Waitress

A witty, symbolic, and at times gutsy film written and directed by Adrienne Shelly, who also played a supporting role as Dawn, one of Keri Russell’s co-waitresses’. Admittedly, I love Andy Griffith, having grown up seeing him as the Sheriff of Mayberry, but he sooooo turned on his charm and facial movements in the movie. Besides, his character's name, Old Joe, has a certain ring to it. Keri Russell artistically baked pies, suffered silently, tolerated Old Joe, accepted the abuse of her husband, and, in the end, revealed her strength. Adrienne Shelly, who met an untimely departure from this life just over one year ago, deserves all the accolades she has received. This is hard to score compared to dramas, mysteries, and more intricate stories. But I liked it A LOT. 4 of 5. Joe

300

Yes, Harold and I agree on this one. I fell asleep during 300. It got monotonous and therefore boring. Watch Inland Empire instead. 2 of 5. Joe. P.S. Roger Ebert is THE MAN. I am watching a program about how he is battling cancer.

NO END IN SIGHT

This is political documentary that everyone should watch. NO END IS SIGHT may not cover new ground...but it does a terrific job of chronicling the events and decisions that have defined our country's war in Iraq. The movie agressively challenges the work of Rumsfeld, but is less aggressive in its attack on President Bush. Whether democrat or republican...this is a movie that's well made, allows for healthy debate, and certainly documents mistakes we will never want to repeat. Along with Michael Moore's SICKO...NO END IN SIGHT was recently selected as one of the 15 finalists for the Best Documentary Oscar which will be narrowed to five when the nominations are released in late January. 3 1/2 of 5 hs

FRACTURE

Director Gregory Hoblit has never been able to recreate the magic he harnessed in his 1996 courtroom thriller PRIMAL FEAR. Many of the same ingredients from that classic are here in FRACTURE...hot shot lawyer, diabolical murder suspect, sexy girlfriend, yada, yada, yada. Unfortunately that's where the comparisons end...FRACTURE is a disappointment. Although Anthony Hokins is good in his role...its impossible to not continually be reminded of Hannibal Lechter...and thats extremely distracting to the viewer. There are plenty of other things to find annoying here...espicially Ryan Goslings love relationship - which seems to only serve the purpose of having the pretty girl character in the movie. This is a failry stereotypical courtroom drama that does little to impress. 2 of 5 hs

300

There is no denying the wondrous look of 300...its amazing. The visual phenomenon is enough to keep you fully engaged in this movie for the first 30 or 40 minutes...but sooner or later you begin to realize the script was an afterthought. The movie goes from dazzling to goofy to preposperous to boring. Its a marvel to look at, but there's nothing to feel...nothing to care about. 300 is for the adolescent male who wants action and machismo in his movie. It certainly has that, but too bad this film doesn't have a brain as well. 2 of 5 hs

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

The Coen brothers prove their brilliance once again.
With a growing list of classics on their resume such as BLOOD SIMPLE, RAISING ARIZONA, MILLERS CROSSING, FARGO, THE BIG LEBOWSKI, BARTON FINK, THE HUDSUCKER PROXY, and OH BROTHER WHERE ART THOU they are making a case that they should be considered among film's all-time greatest movie makers. NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MAN may remove any doubt. This is a terrific movie. Perfect performances from Javier Bardem and Tommy Lee Jones. Breath-taking suspense from flawlessly constructed scenes. So many moments in this film are perfectly executed that its an absolute pleasure to watch. The film has a lot to say about violence in society, and our response to it...but youre so engrossed in the decisions and actions of each character that you hardly have to think about the films deeper statements. This movie is a winner, and one that certainly calls for multiple viewings. By the way...watch for all the references to the number 13 throughout the movie! 4 1/2 of 5 hs

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE

A few disclaimers...
1 - I usually HATE musicals. Sound of Music, West Side Story, Chicago...YUCK!
2 - I sometimes like musicals...Mary Poppins, Willy Wonka, Disney stuff in general...COOL!
3 - I do regard MOULIN ROUGE as one of the best movies ever made...ever.
4 - I love the Beatles...
Considering those four nuggets of info I had no idea what to make of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE...a musical (bad) with Beatles music (good) that reminded me of MOULIN ROUGE (good). Two out of three ain't bad right? Well it turns out one bad can destroy all the good. I wanted to like ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, but I couldn't. Too many of the scenes just felt forced, corny, and awkward. Too often I felt John Lennon rolling over in his grave at the misuse of his brilliant lyrical genius (just watch the "Revolution" scene...). I did love the cameos, and I thought Bono stole the show...but all-in-all this is too much sensory and not enough substance. 2 of 5 hs