Obsessed (2009) - 6 stars out of 10

Obsessed (2009) - 6 stars out of 10

Obviously inspired by "Fatal Attraction," this new twist on the "creepy stalker at work" story certainly delivered.  Props to the director for casting Ali Larter as Lisa - If I had to choose a smoking hott temptress to drive the plot of this film, I'd definitely go for the looks and acting ability of Larter.  Idris Elba's acting was also very believable and you'll feel terrible for him as his world is turned upside down, at no fault of his own.  Even though there are moments where you'll be saying "Don't do that, she'll become OBSESSED," I still feel like every action between the two is reasonable and realistic in an office situation leading to Larter's obsession.  Though I was skeptical toward this movie and thought it'd be cheesy after the previews, I'm glad that I experienced this one.  Let's be realistic, it still has its eye rolling moments but it was definitely better than I expected and is surprisingly entertaining.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra - 3 stars out of 10

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra - 3 stars out of 10

"G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra" is a standard action movie with great special effects, cool gadgets, and a conflict that leaves little hope for a happy resolution.  The acting is just "okay" and Dennis Quaid (the big name in this movie) was only on screen for about 15 minutes.  Smart move, Mr. Quaid.  The film also features Channing Tatum (gag me) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, although I don't even remember Joe G-L being in this film.  That doesn't say much for the acting (though forgotten actors can easily be the fault of a poor script, as well).  The main reason that I saw this film was because of the apocalyptic scene with the Eiffel Tower shown in the preview and that part of the movie did not disappoint, but I can't say much for the rest.  Probably the only thing that I could utter would be the fowl noise that I make any time that someone mentions this film franchise.  I will not be seeing any of G.I. Joe's sequels as this movie quickly transitions into the vault of average action movies that are destined to become seldomly watched TNT Friday night features.

Miss Representation - 3 stars out of 10

Miss Representation - 3 stars out of 10

My distaste for "Miss Representation" has nothing to do with anti-feminist thoughts or even my disagreeing with some of the points made in this film; rather, I feel that this is a documentary with a good message that is presented in the wrong way to draw in its target audience.  The target audience of this film are mothers and daughters and I wish that I could encourage all parents to watch this film, but the lack of censorship would prevent me from recommending this to a lot of adults that I know.  I think that most parents need to reconsider the types of things that their children are exposed to through television and the internet but this film isn't clean enough to reach all of those parents.  This film could also be very empowering to young girls but then it shows the images that the documentary is encouraging parents to shelter their children from seeing.  It seems that the creators of this documentary would want parents to share this message with their children but a "good parent" (by the film's definition) shouldn't encourage their children to watch a film with a 40-second montage of news headlines about children being raped.  I agree with many of the points made in this film but the lack of censorship makes it seem like feminist propaganda.  I also felt my attention waning as the film progressed.  Many of the statistics stated in this documentary are interesting and convincing, but the format of a short interview clip followed by several written statistics on the screen grows tiresome after a while.  Good thought, poor execution, misplaced logic.

Roman Holiday - 10 stars out of 10

Roman Holiday - 10 stars out of 10

"Roman Holiday" is classic Audrey Hepburn.  Her refined-yet-curious style is perfect for the role of Princess Anne, bound by her royal duties but desperate to break free and live life.  Her performance is magical and charming, winning her an Oscar for Best Actress.  Although I believe that her performances in "My Fair Lady," "Wait Until Dark," and "Breakfast at Tiffany's" were more deserving of an Oscar, this is still one of her greatest films.  I cringed when she had her hair cut, and somehow she became even cuter.  This is why Audrey is one of my favorites.  As endearing as Hepburn's character is, she requires a boisterous man to provoke her and Gregory Peck is the perfect man for the job.  The setting is wonderful but it is the dialogue and the characters that really make this into something special.  Its perfect blend of comedy, romanticism, and curiosity as to which resolution the story will take makes for an emotional first time watch and a heartwarming second, third, and fifteenth watch.  Simply put, it is one of the greatest chick flicks of all time.  My favorite moment is when Peck puts his hand into the "Mouth of Truth," not warning his co-star ahead of time of his planned visual gag and eliciting a 100% genuine scream from her.  Even better is the chemistry in the 10 seconds that follow that moment, as they laugh about it like two best friends - true love.  The plot is clever and sneaky, Hepburn is cute as a button, and the ending is incredible (although I have never pleaded so hard with the tv not to say "The End"...) - "Roman Holiday" is a perfect portrait of love.

What Maisie Knew - 8 stars out of 10

What Maisie Knew - 8 stars out of 10

“What Maisie Knew” is an incredibly unique twist on a custody battle.  In this film, it isn’t good-parent-vs.-bad-parent; instead, neither parent is fit to raise this child (and neither wants to); this time, it is the step parents on each side who end up being the ones who care for the child.  The script compartmentalizes the relationships of each parent and step-parent with Maisie so that we can see the loving aspect of each individual relationship, but through the stories of the other adults, the true colors of each parent are revealed.  Although the script is amazing for its constantly evolving perspective of who the best parent would be, everything revolves around 7-year-old actress Onata Aprile.  This young girl keeps up with (and sometimes outshines) the talented Julianne Moore, Steve Coogan, Joanna Vanderham, and Alexander Skarsgård.  I did not like Moore at all, which means that she was doing her job well.  The real highlight of the film for me is Scottish newcomer Joanna Vanderham.  She has been in a few British tv shows but her portrayal of Margo is enchanting and in a film that kind of forces you to choose sides, I was favoring her.  I was fascinated when my research revealed that this story actually comes from an 1897 novel and was adapted to fit a modern setting.  The amazing thing is that the themes line up perfectly with today’s dysfunctional society and that this is such a fresh concept, even though it is 120 years old.  “What Maisie Knew” screams “INDIE FILM!!!!” but delivers as much drama and sentimentality as any blockbuster.

Dumbo - 4 stars out of 10

Dumbo - 4 stars out of 10

"Dumbo" is not the movie that you remember from your childhood.  Rather than taking us on a Lion King-esque journey, "Dumbo" just feels incomplete.  Allow me to make several excuses for Disney.  First, this film is not based on a fairy tale or a novel.  "Dumbo" takes its inspiration from a short story (written as a prototype for a toy).  Second, this film was intentionally economical in order to recoup the losses from the preceding "Fantasia."   As a result, we have an uneventful story without any twists or turns.  There are several "Bambi sequences" as I like to call them, where an extended period of screen time features various shots of animals without any action or furthering of the plot.  It all builds toward the trippy "Pink Elephants on Parade" dream sequence that adds nothing to the story (except that it eats up enough time to put the film over an hour in length) and then 3 minutes of Dumbo flying as a conclusion to the film.  Regardless of these reasons, I don't find this to be up to Disney standards.  Okay, now for the good stuff.  The animation of the main character is quite stunning and is the masterpiece of one of the original Disney animators, Bill Tytla.  Even though the animation is expressive, we don't get to know Dumbo very well because he doesn't speak.  Being mute adds personality for a character like Dopey from "Snow White" or Ed from "Lion King," but it is difficult to become attached to a main character who does not speak (no matter how cute/big his ears are).  The characters who do speak are well cast with traditional Disney voice actors, particularly Sterling Holloway (Pooh, Cheshire Cat, adult Flower) in a cameo as the Stork, Verna Felton (Fairy Godmother, Queen of Hearts) as two of the elephants, and Cliff Edwards (Jiminy Cricket) as the leader of the crows.  Speaking of the crows, they have received a lot of grief for being racial stereotypes but they are actually the most positively portrayed characters in the film, supporting and believing in Dumbo.  They also have the best song of the film, When I See an Elephant Fly, with its clever wordplay and catchy melody.  The music from this film isn't very singable (and therefore not very memorable), but it is a joy to listen to with its 1940's big band sonorities and the voice talents of The Sportsmen.  "Dumbo" is a Disney classic because of the fame of the Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride at the Disney parks but be prepared for a different movie experience than you had as a kid.