From Paris with Love - 3 stars out of 10

From Paris with Love - 3 stars out of 10

"From Paris with Love" doesn't have very much love in it.  In fact, it doesn't have very much Paris in it, either!  This cookie-cutter action espionage film does not carry many surprises, except for one great twist.  The action sequences are good but the acting is average and the story is plain.  I really enjoyed John Travolta's interpretation of Charlie Wax.  I am often annoyed with Travolta for over-acting, but the thing that makes this character so great is his over-the-top-ness.  My favorite part of the film was Kasia Smutniak who was lovely and gave the film some momentum.  If you like action movies, this one has some good explosions but it is proof-positive that every movie with "Paris" in the title is not a winner.

Godspell - 5 stars out of 10

Godspell - 5 stars out of 10

It's goofy, but the music is IRRESISTIBLE!!!  I love "Godspell" but the movie just does not do it justice.  And yet, the music is amazing regardless of the medium so this movie is still entirely enjoyable.  Many great lessons are taught through these parables and this musical really is more than just a bunch of fun songs and dance.  I'd like to see a modernized version of "Godspell" because when we see these lessons portrayed by flower children, it makes them seem like hippie ideals instead of moral lessons that we should all be taking to heart.  The film also shows its 70's-ness through goofy moments that sometimes feel like a Scooby Doo montage and I wish that the movie could've been a bit more serious.  I find it interesting that this movie was almost entirely cast from Broadway instead of from Hollywood but that's why the cast portrays the music so well.  Alias fans will surely exclaim: "Is that JACK BRISTOW!?!?!?" when they see a very, very young Victor Garber and who knew that he could sing?  The betrayal scene is sobering.  Equally sobering is the shot of them dancing on top of the World Trade Center.  The crucifixion becomes really awkward with so much jumping on the fences.  I do love this musical but, because this movie is so dated, I recommend seeing "Godspell" on stage instead.

Scoop (2006) - 7 stars out of 10

Scoop (2006) - 7 stars out of 10

"Scoop" isn't Woody Allen's finest, but that is actually a compliment to all of his other work!  I really enjoyed this film, from the script to the characters to the acting.  It isn't the BEST script or the BEST characters that we have seen from Woody, but they are still wonderfully unique and memorable.  Scarlett Johansson is great as this geekily attractive journalist, though I feel as if there was some untapped potential for a "My Fair Lady" transformation of confidence and presence.  In the end, her character is essentially the same as when she started.  Nonetheless, she is still fun to watch as she unravels this mystery.  Hugh Jackman is a smooth operator as usual but the real treat of this film is Woody as "The Great Splendini," a  quirky magician with a Brookline accent.  "And I mean that with all due respect."  The story is predictable but the script and delivery of lines gives it a fresh feel.  This isn't my favorite mystery film... but that Woody Allen brand of humor makes it worth watching.

The Last of the Mohicans (1992) - 5 stars out of 10

The Last of the Mohicans (1992) - 5 stars out of 10

I know that "The Last of the Mohicans" is a treasured film to critics and audiences everywhere, but I didn't love it.  The film has an amazing historical setting amidst the French and Indian War but I had trouble getting into the characters.  I actually don't fault the film, I think that it is just personal preference.  I was led to have very high expectations and I just didn't think that the film was a very big deal.  The script failed as far as creating empathy for the characters and, despite decent acting, I did not care about the fate of the characters until the final 10 minutes.  The film does provide some cool tomahawk action that we don't often see on the screen and all of the fighting is really impressive.  It just loses its impact when the characters involved are dispensible.  Even though I wasn't crazy about the film, it was worth it for its climactic ending.

Sunset Boulevard - 9 stars out of 10

Sunset Boulevard - 9 stars out of 10

In the world of Epic Hollywood Classics, "Sunset Boulevard" deserves a spot near the top.  Whether you are into great acting, interesting characters, inspired dialogue, or an unpredictable storyline, this film has it all.  Norma Desmond is the perfect noir character, shrouded in mystery and illusion.  As she pulls struggling Hollywood writer Joe Gillis into her delusion, the plot thickens when Joe must choose between love in real life and luxurious ignorance.  The thing that really thrills me about "Sunset Boulevard" is its blurring of the lines between scripted characters and the real lives of the actors who play them.  The main draw for the film is Gloria Swanson, playing the washed up silent film star Norma Desmond who lives in a house with just her memories and delusions of grandeur.  In reality, Swanson WAS a film star from the silent era who often made films with director Cecil DeMille.  DeMille plays himself in the movie, as a modern director who used to direct the movies of Norma Desmond.  During one scene, Desmond is seen playing cards with some friends from the old days and the friends are played by three of her real-life silent film contemporaries.  During another scene, Swanson performs a Charlie Chaplin pantomime identicle to one that she performed in a silent film.  Her butler, played by Erich von Stroheim, claims that he was one of the three most important directors of silent films.  In reality, experts do consider him to be one of the greatest directors of the silent era and he actually worked with (you guessed it) Gloria Swanson, just as his character worked with Desmond in the story.  Within the story, they even watch a clip from "Queen Kelly" in which von Stroheim directed Swanson.  If these parallels aren't enough to draw you in, this film is incredibly deserving of its four Oscar nominations for acting, nomination for Best Picture, and three Oscar wins including Best Writing.  This is probably one of the ten greatest films that did not win Best Picture (behind "Shawshank Redemption," of course).  William Holden's narration as Joe Gillis is superb, intensifying each scene as we slowly discover his fate.  The dialogue perfectly captures the main character's distorted view of reality and provides some truly memorable Hollywood moments (particularly the final line of the film).  The cinematographer also accomplishes two of the coolest images in cinema history, with a shot looking up at a dead body floating atop a swimming pool (accomplished with a mirror at the bottom of the pool) and the iconic spotlight slowly illuminating the nearly forgotten actress.  Whether you have been watching this film since it came out in 1950 or are just enjoying it for the first time today, "Sunset Boulevard" provides an interesting look into the dark side of Hollywood fame and fortune.

Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia - 2 stars out of 10

Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia - 2 stars out of 10

I know that this film was designed to be seen in 3-D IMAX so I cannot give an accurate representation of the theater effect, considering that I watched this in my living room on a 32-inch screen.  In the end, 40 minutes just is not enough time to take an audience through the evolution of dinosaurs to their extinction.  The largest impression left on me was when the comets started hitting and it finally hit me that the movie only had three minutes left.  The dinosaurs are fake enough that children won't be scared but computer animated well enough that we get an accurate picture of Prehistoric life.  There was a definitive moment of "Finally!" when some of the dinosaurs began to fight but overall, "Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia" is just a textbook telling of the lifetime of a few dino species.

Grease - 9 stars out of 10

Grease - 9 stars out of 10

"Grease" is the All-American musical.  It is also "the word."  This celebration of high school life in the 50s faces a lot of issues, stereotypes, and peer pressures faced by teenagers head-on.  It is surprisingly relevant to students today and became a completely different experience watching it as an adult.  There are a lot of things that I never caught as a sheltered teen but now I see that the script simply does not hold anything back.  I think that it is very interesting that we never see a parent throughout the course of this movie.  It shifts the focus to these independent kids who feel the responsibility to deal with their problems on their own.  From a content standpoint, "Grease" aims to be raw and realistic instead of fun fiction (like "High School Musical").  Its dialogue is definitely that of a comedy but includes a lot of strong sexual language that keeps it fairly raw.  Even with its strong content, the film manages to stay lighthearted through its upbeat music.  The music is so well known outside of the film that something magical happens when each song occurs on the screen.  I got chills when I heard the introductory bass line and jazz piano to "You're the One That I Want," and if you know the opening line to that song you will understand the irony.  John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John are perfect as Danny and Sandy through beautiful vocal ability and incredible chemistry.  The introductory scene that show's Danny's soft side is what makes it so touching as this rough rebel tries to become a good guy for her.  Newton-John is wonderful because her clean-cut AND ending character are both so charming.  I could go down the line about how great every character is (like Frenchy, Sonny, and Eugene) but the characters are so diverse that they are all just great.  Stockard Channing has great attitude as Rizzo and Dinah Manoff is probably my favorite female character as Marty.  The adults in the film are the icing on the cake, all played by big names like Sid Caesar, Eve Arden, and Frankie Avalon.  From the National Bandstand dance to being stranded at the drive-in, "Grease" is great for all ages.  Its content is subtle enough that it will go over most kids' heads while its realism drawing in teens and adults, all under the guise of catchy music, great dancing, comedy that gets better with age, and a fun atmosphere.