Paris (2008) - 5 stars out of 10

Paris (2008) - 5 stars out of 10

"Paris" is another of those films with a dozen random characters whose lives intersect at some point during the film but for me, this script just seemed disjointed.  I do enjoy films that develop a few seperate characters and have their paths meet in a very significant event, but some of these coincidental meetings were inconsequential and did not really enhance the story (particularly the storyline randomly taking place in Africa).  I think that the biggest problem is that there are so many characters that they begin to look alike and difficult to keep track of.  That being said, this is an enjoyable film with nice performances by Juliette Binoche, Fabrice Luchini, and Melanie Laurent.  Each of these actors brings a solid (but sometimes unexpected) interpretation to their role.  The language is pretty strong but, for some reason, it never bothers me as much when I'm reading it in subtitles rather than hearing it.  More than anything, this is a fantastic film to watch if you have ever visited Paris.  As the title would indicate, many of Paris' landmarks are on display like the Moulin Rouge, Montmartre, Sacre Coeur, Eiffel Tower, and just the general sensation of walking down the streets of Paris.  I was pretty iffy throughout the movie, wondering if things would conclude the right way or the wrong way, but the writers found the perfect ending so I give it a thumbs up, though there's a list of foreign films that I would watch a second time ahead of this one.

Dolphin Tale - 7 stars out of 10

Dolphin Tale - 7 stars out of 10

"Dolphin Tale" is an inspirational story that the whole family can enjoy, catering to both children and adults.  While at first glance (due to release dates and content) it seems logical to compare this film with "Soul Surfer," they are entirely different.  I personally prefer "Soul Surfer" due to its gritty internal conflict (since the amputee is human) and important Christian message, but this film is definitely better for families as it focuses on the recovery instead of the devastation.  My main criticism of this film is that it relies on child actors and, while they are good, it does feel very "kiddy" at times.  You can see that the producers wanted to hide this by giving Morgan Freeman (who is amazing as always) top billing when he realistically has less than 10% of the film's dialogue and screen time.  The same goes for Ashley Judd, who is in a very small percentage of this film.  The majority of the screen time belongs to Nathan Gamble and Cozi Zuehlsdorff and, although they have great chemistry, the delivery of their lines sometimes lacks refinement.  Regardless, the film makes up for this in many other areas, particularly through Winter (the dolphin)'s performance and the simple fact that this inspirational story is true.  The relationship that develops between Sawyer and Winter is very moving, as he helps the dolphin to swim but she helps the boy to find his place in the world in return.  There is one moment in this film (when the mother and daughter drive down from Georgia) that is guarenteed to put a lump in your throat.  And the closing credits with the actual video of many events from this film is pretty awesome, too.  It definitely cannot compare to "We Bought A Zoo" in the Inspirational Films of 2011 category, but "Dolphin Tale" is a great opportunity for a family to sit down and learn some  important lessons about compassion, selflessness, and the power of friendship.

ted - 6 stars out of 10

ted - 6 stars out of 10

"ted" is a one-of-a-kind film.  It boasts one of the most unique concepts of any movie that I have ever seen and one of the smartest comedy scripts that I have ever heard.  It is a shame that Seth MacFarlane had to lace it with so much offensive language that it is nearly unwatchable.  If he would've limited the dialogue to TV-MA standards like he does with Family Guy, this could have become one of my favorite comedies; however, the open invitation to use the f-word and other taboo words as many times as he wanted muddied this comedic adventure into a shock-fest of "What other terrible things can we make this teddy bear say?"  That being said, the storyline is very clever, the pop culture references were sparse enough that they didn't get old, and the theater burst into an extensive uproar of laughter after many of the jokes.  But for me, the thing that I cannot get over is how darn impressive the computer animation is throughout this entire film.  The animation is so vivid that you will just accept that this teddy bear is real and was on the set with the other characters.  The opening credits are genius, dispelling the skeptics from wondering if the bear is like Stewie Griffin and some people can hear him talk but others can't.  It also establishes that everybody knows that he exists and that it isn't some huge secret from society.  It really does deserve some sort of award for best special effects, as this is probably the most realistic and believable CGI that I have ever seen.  In addition to the smart script and impressive special effects, it appears that MacFarlane called in dozens of favors to his Family Guy cast and Hollywood friends as everybody appears in this film, including but not limited to Alex Borstein, Ralph Garman, Giovanni Ribisi (as the creepy kidnapper), Patrick Warburton, Tom Skerritt, Norah Jones, Ryan Reynolds, Sam Jones (Flash Gordon), Joel McHale, Alec Baldwin, and Patrick Stewart (as the Narrator).  And that list doesn't include Mark Wahlberg who embraces this comical lead and Mila Kunis who once again proves herself as a legitimate actress.  The best part is that all of these stars have an excellent (though ridiculous) script that allows them to really go over the top.  Even as it approaches the 2-hour mark, this story never gets stale as many layers of the story and characters are explored.  Unfortunately, instead of mentioning any of these positive aspects, my first words upon exiting the theater were "Wow, that was incredibly offensive."  I hope that they find a way to edit "ted" for tv someday.  The story is great and the comedy is smart, but it is unBEARable to watch this teddy bear do drugs and use foul language, getting in the way of the heartwarming story that is hiding in the background.

Hoop Dreams - 6 stars out of 10

Hoop Dreams - 6 stars out of 10

"Hoop Dreams" is impressive due to the simple fact that it chronicles the lives of two inner-city children through their teenage years.  It brings attention to the many obstacles faced by children coming from low socio-economic means including violence, teen pregnancy, drugs, and an expectation of failure.  I was prepared for most of these things but was surprised by the sometimes negative tone that high school sports were exploitative and over-prioritized by institutions.  This film works because of empathy.  Any movie-goer who has enjoyed academic or financial success can look at these kids who are in less-than-ideal circumstances and want them to succeed.  It is interesting that this film can be so gripping without a "Rocky"-like storyline where the kid hits the game-winning shot at the buzzer (or at all for that matter).  This is non-fiction and the success of the child is measured by personal growth, not by a buzzer-beater.  Although it is definitely long-winded, it is also comprehensive and covers all aspects of the high school sports experience, including recruitment, injury, success, failure, being benched for being late, making parents proud, failing to meet your potential, etc.  You definitely need to be a sports fan for this one to hold your interest.  Even though it's a study of humanity, you have to understand sports as a motivating factor in order to relate to these families.

August Rush - 7 stars out of 10

August Rush - 7 stars out of 10

It might be the music teacher in me, but I truly enjoyed this beautiful story about love, family, and how music can bring people together.  Maybe you're one of those who can't hear it, but I know that I've always been listening.  And I hope that you will be able to hear the world just as August does.  I will admit that this film does have its flaws and that it had a greater emotional impact the first time that I watched it, but you cannot help but be inspired by the journey of this young musical prodigy.  One of the most fantastic aspects of this film is the storytelling ability of its musical score.  Mark Mancina has woven together a series of individual musical themes that appear during August's different experiences and then culminate in the creation of his Rhapsody.  During the performance of this piece at the end of the story, the entire film replays, not visually, but through the many different musical cues that we experience throughout August's journey.  The focus of this film is obviously music and Mancina has given breath to the script through his music.  The progression of musical skill, from hearing street sounds to tapping notes on a guitar to discovering music theory on the organ may be incredibly far-fetched, but it is very cool.  Though I do love the music included in this film, it was very upsetting that the fingers did not always match the music that the characters were allegedly playing.  In a non-musical film, I can forgive this.  But I believe that a film that is all about music should contain complete musical integrity, even if it means not casting your first choice actor in favor of someone who plays the instrument.  I thought that Freddie Highmore did an incredibly good job, it was easy to empathize with Terrence Howard and consequently feel concerned for August's future, and Keri Russell and Jonathan Rhys Meyers were fine.  Robin Williams was the one that irked me a bit.  I know that he is supposed to be like Fagin from "Oliver Twist," providing for these children while actually exploiting them, but he was just a little too goofy for my taste.  He was great when he was being nasty and manipulative - I just wish that the character didn't seem so bipolar.  My only other complaint is the sudden ending that makes it seem like there should be 3 more minutes (unlike films like "Next" and "The Woman In Black" that should have ended 3 minutes earlier).  Regardless, the good outnumbers the bad in "August Rush" and if the music doesn't move you, the determination of a mother to find her son (and vice-versa) certainly will.

Backdraft - 10 stars out of 10

Backdraft - 10 stars out of 10

This is much more than another action film about firefighters - it is a deep drama with complex character relationships, strong moral dilemmas, and raw emotion.  Though this story revolves around the arsenist plot, it becomes obvious that it is merely a subplot when it fails to reveal itself until the midpoint of the movie.  Instead, the focus of "Backdraft" lies with Kurt Russell and William Baldwin's characters, their emotional conflicts with each other, and the social effects of firefighting on their lives.  The lack of arsonist conflict bothered me during the movie but after seeing the movie as a whole, I am glad that the movie spent so much time developing the two main characters.  The pyrotechnics are incredible throughout the movie, particularly during the final fire sequence; however, instead of being the primary draw (as in so many disaster movies), they enhance conflicts of the main characters.  The soundtrack by Hans Zimmer lays a solid foundation for the action sequences but fails to create an amazing theme like most of his modern music.  Donald Sutherland delivers an incredible performance, despite being limited to about 15 minutes of screen time.  Robert DeNiro and Jennifer Jason Leigh also provide great performances, though no performance in this movie can compete with Kurt Russell.  All in all, this is a great movie that should be on the list of every movie buff.

Mississippi Burning - 10 stars out of 10

Mississippi Burning - 10 stars out of 10

All that I had to do was read the opening credits to know that this would be an incredibly well-acted film.  "Mississippi Burning" is a powerful story from the 60's about the gross racial injustices occurring in the south as our country struggled to keep itself from being ripped apart by segregation and violence.  Based on the real-life murders of three civil rights workers, the film has a high emotional impact from start to finish as it includes every bloody detail of racist violence.  This may not be the right film for the faint of heart as it contains a man being hung, a child being kicked in the face and beaten while praying, and the n-word over and over again.  I could feel my anger and frustration toward the bigots in this film building as they set fire to the lives of a group of people, all because of the shade of their skin.  The darkness of this film becomes reality through the incredible cast of actors including Gene Hackman (who received an Oscar nomination), a very young Willem Dafoe, R. Lee Ermey, and an unrecognizably young Frances McDormand (who also received an Oscar nomination).  This is one of those movies that remind me why I love critically acclaimed dramas, watching these characters become real as the movie progresses.  In addition to these four, the sheriff played by Gailard Sartain (that guy from all of the Ernest movies) and his deputy (Brad Dourif) are so good that you will want to physically hurt them for their discrimination.  An awesome script facilitates these great performances.  By the end, you'll feel hostile to the southern racists, you'll get a pit in your stomach when you see the Ku Klux Klan hoods, you'll feel an even bigger pit when the castration is described, but you'll be most impressed by the way that everything wraps up in the end.  This rough story is perfectly brought to life through superb acting and writing, and these images may just change your view of this dark section of southern history forever.