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(American) Mystery! A Thief of Time A Bennett   TiVo'd from Kentucky PBS   19 July 2004 Please feel free to go back and re-read my prior reviews of the two earlier entries into this Mystery! series trio of Tony Hillerman’s books about two Navajo cops fighting crime on the rez. Heaven knows I’d like to recapture the good feelings I had after watching the first two. After more than six months waiting for this one, I could have cried when the credits rolled. Nonsensical, with mis-interpreted characters doing things and acting in ways we had come to understand they never would. Just...a travesty. One star due to shattered expectations and the knowledge it could be done better.

13 Going on 30 A Bennett   Giant Overlord Multiplex - Cherry Icee for me   24 April 2004 Yes, K Schrock, she could be more appealing! If she'd also held a tiny kitten in all of her scenes.

A Free Soul (1931 B&W) A Bennett   VHS Hollywood Video Rental   24 January 2003 Clark Gable and Leslie Howard lock horns nearly a decade prior to playing (can I say 'rivals'?) rivals in Gone with the Wind. This film, standing on the cusp of silent films becoming talkies, showcases the scenery-eating oft found in the former. Humorous when watched in a group. If watched alone, a bit of a head scratcher.

A Man Called Horse (1970) A Bennett   TiVo'd off TV   08 May 2003 For every Silken Savage (see Book List) there ought to be a Man Called Horse. Okay, maybe I take that back. My dad used to love this movie and watched it whenever it was on. Somewhere between an attempted study of the psychology and sociology of the Sioux, and a really sunny post-Godspell drug trip, after watching this from TV I was sure that it had been heavily edited, hence the almost reverential lack of story arc. After looking it up in the Golden Retreviers Movie Guide (three bones!), and learning it only ever ran 114 minutes, I'm at a bit of a loss. Also, it is apparently famed for its depiction of torture scenes (let's no muse on what this may or may not say about my dad), as well as its depiction of the life of the Sioux. Richard Harris (whom I love) plays a British lord, kidnapped by the Sioux and made their slave (or, 'horse' as they call him). After quite a long time--during which he still manages to not quite learn their language (not that anyone is teaching him)--he finds himself in a situation to do a great favor to his captors, which he does, and counts his coup (though it seems to turn his stomach even as he is doing it). As a result, he is allowed to undergo the "Vow of the Sun," which I will not elaborate on here except to say that it involves some more torture--but, when it's all over, they do give him the woman of his choice (so hey, I guess he wins?!?). Told with minimal English dialogue (whole quarters of an hour pass without any) and no subtitles, viewers are forced into the position of the main character, having to draw their own conclusions about the Sioux without the benefit of spoken communication. And while the film probably is important for what it shows and the lack of sentimentality with which it shows it, the less-violent side of Sioux culture (such as daily tasks within the tribe, social rituals, work, etx) is all but ignored. There are two more films in this series, which also, I forgot to say, showcases an awful lot of skin--and not just in Richard Harris--who runs about quite bare for quite an awfully long time, sporting the closest thing to a six-pack they probably had in the 1960s when the film was made.

A MidSummer Night's Dream (1999) A Bennett   owned VHS   02 February 2003 Beautiful scenery. Beautiful soundtrack, and (this is going to sound quite silly) pitch perfectness where fairies and their magical world are concerned. [If you allow yourself, it can be] Like slipping into a perfect, operatic dream. Kevin Kline should = major award. *sigh* A two-hour vacation to sun-drenched Italy-that-never-was (and I will _always_ be up for that). Rupert Everett--you are, and will always be my muse. And Sam Rockwell? You bring down the house, even dressed as (possibly) the world's ugliest woman.

An Affair to Remember A Bennett   VHS @ Tonya's House   20 December 2002 Melodrama? What melodrama? Give it up--she's a *cripple* for Pete's sake. That's why she can't let Cary Grant love her, for all that he waited until midnight in the rain atop the Empire State Building. A sort of overly sentimentalized story about fidelity, though its level of schmaltz is nothing to "Somewhere in Time."

An Ideal Husband A Bennett   owned VHS - 2003 Jeremy Northam Film Festival   17 February 2003 A film so perfect in its perfection it makes one almost unable to keep from quipping at its 'ideal' status. Rupert Everett proves himself worthy far above others to utter Oscar Wilde's words, and deserving every bit of his own self-worship (as well as that of Minnie Driver's). In fact, one could make a case that the film in its entirety is little more than a love letter to his character (each other character, after all, without exception, is, in their own way, in love with him). Jeremy Northam takes second chair, though he does get his own love scene with Cate Blanchett. His lip is crawling with mustache, though--save in one brief flashback sequence. Still, he manages to perform worthily despite the burden of such facial hair.

An Ideal Husband A Bennett   Owned DVD   28 March 2004 The razor sharp wit of this play-to-film earns it the classification of comedy, though the heart of the story is directed to play as dire. Sort of the most perfect Wilde adaptation to film I may have seen. A pleasure to watch, a delight to listen to characters whose very speech is play. A perennial favorite and frequent re-watch of mine.

Arch of Triumph (1948) A Bennett   TiVo'd from AMC a.m.   02 March 2004 A German refugee in Paris comes into contact with the Nazi who tortured him and killed his compatriots. Herr Nazi does not recognize Herr Refugee. A love plot involving Ingrid Bergman is dropped in the middle of Herr Refugee's revenge scenario, complicating things, and ultimately Herr Refugee does kill his tormentor, but unwittingly at the cost of Bergman's life. Herr Refugee is left in the final shot about to be arrested, having just lost his love, and (in an oddly satisfying conclusion) making a plan to meet his fellow refugee, the Colonel, at Fouquet's once the war is over, even as they discuss their transportation to the camps. Charles Boyer (as Herr Refugee) gives a surprisingly-for-the-times nuanced performance, entirely devoid of histrionics. (These, it must be assumed, were left to Bergman, who more than delivered.)

Bachelor Mother (1939) A Bennett   Owned VHS   07 February 2003 It is a shame that the romantic comedy has not learned the lessons set forth in this consumately crafted (from the script to the acting) early entry in the genre. An intoxicating-as-pink-champagne Ginger Rogers finds a baby and is unable to convince the world at large (or her employer) that it is not hers.

Barbershop A Bennett   Rented DVD viewed during Detroit layover   07 September 2003 Smile-level funny, but no belly laughs. Understandable response, perhaps, after transcontinental red-eye flight.

Battlestar Galactica 2003 Mini-series A Bennett   TiVo'd from SciFi   09 December 2003 It seems necessary to mention that I am a no-hold-barred-don't-analyze-it-too-much fan of the original Battlestar and all its occupants. That said, this 're-imagining' of the classic (much as Soderbergh's 'Oceans 11' was a re-make of Sinatra's) is not so bad. It suffers a little from the use of sci-fi conventions already plumbed by shows like Farscape (I've got the bad guy in my head and I'm having sentient hallucinations of him!) and Star Trek (imagining the Cylons as a neo-Borg-type entity), it needlessly (and at times confusiongly) gives characters such as Apollo, Starbuck, and Boomer additional names (Lee, Kara, Sharon)--stating the former are only 'call signs'. But all that said, the acting is strong; particularly by Jamie Bamber (Apollo) and Mary McDonnell (new character Laura Roslin), and the timeless story of the rag-tag fleet--all that's left of humanity--fleeing the Cylon tyranny in hopes of finding Earth allows for endless storyline possibilities. It's not your daddy's (or, indeed, your own) Battlestar--and without the mention of the Rising Star, the original series' casino starship, one is left wondering where any fun or hijinks might be had in this neo space-verse. The original series plumbed the last days of disco and rampant consumption during the infant dawn of the 80s. This version attempts to re-channel a post September 11th world. The tone is darker, but that said, were it to become a series (which SciFi has the option to call up), I'd watch.

Beautiful A Bennett   TiVo'd from the Oxygen Network   27 June 2003 Denial of self, denial of offspring. Welcome to "Beautiful," a film that could have been better. A film with three, solidly good moments (more than most films get), yet a film that was like a ship without a rudder (even though Sally Field was supposed to be directing). Things that worked (like the intriguing relationship of the two main characters, both female) were not fully realized, and things that worked better as a metaphor than as a literal situation (beauty pageants) were beat to death, particularly in the last 45 minutes of the two and a half hour production (with commercials).

Beauty Shop A Bennett   Milford Giant Cineplex - Bottled Water Only   01 April 2005 A brief diversion. Neither funny--nor unfunny enough to come to mind once the credits rolled, it was enjoyable enough.

Bend It Like Beckham A Bennett   Mariemont Faux Tudor-Style Theater (all seats $5)   10 May 2003 It's never good when the way the leading man runs causes giggles. But then again, maybe that was just us. Included less soccer than I expected.

Born Romantic A Bennett   DVD Rental   18 October 2002 Not as awful as "Dance with Me," not as good as the gently wonderful meditation that was "Shall We Dance," and, as always, light years away from the genius that is "Strictly Ballroom." One in a continuing series of mis-represented British films, the actual film was unrecognizeable from the box's packaging and description of content. Have yet to decide if that was a good thing.

Brian's Song A Bennett   TiVo'd on AMC - the no longer classics channel   04 August 2005 The first time I’ve seen this film--a cinematic icon. I don’t think it deserves critiquing, everyone pretty much agrees that it’s awesome as they cry into their giant pillows. I will say that I’m curious to know if people now find it racist, or at least anciently biased. James Caan’s Brian Piccolo uses more racial epithets (meant in ‘joking good fun’) on Gayle Sayers than I’ve heard in use in the last 10 years of my life. And that’s in just 90 minutes. Not once did Gayle Sayers get to unleash his own tongue on the honky, in good fun or no. Rather, he spends the last 30 minutes revering whitey as though he’s a demigod. What’s that all about?

Bride & Prejudice A Bennett   Hollywood Video DVD   04 August 2005 Neither Bollywood nor Hollywood enough. The reason Austen’s crisp wit (in P&P ESPECIALLY) works is it must always be balanced on a razor’s edge with politeness. It is so clever and subtle that it should soar far overhead of the other characters. In the modern world setting this wit is unfortunately too often portrayed as mere sarcasm--accessible to any twelve year old. The BBC/Firth version did it best so far, and while Ashiwaraya Rai seemed possibly up to the task, Martin Henderson endures this film as though he just woke up, mistaking bewilderment for reservation, and stupidity for pride—or maybe the screenwriter’s did that. This film’s saving grace was watching Lost’s Sayid dance, dance, dance.

Bulletproof Monk A Bennett   Milford Gigantic Cineplex   19 April 2003 I will watch Chow Yun-Fat do anything. I can say that now, having paid to see this film.

Casablanca (1942) A Bennett   owned VHS   31 January 2003 There is a reason this film has the reputation it has. Not only is it possibly the MOST QUOTABLE film I've ever seen, it also continues to be a great viewing experience each and every time I watch it (and that would be--at this point--many times). This film has enough well-drawn characters that any viewer could find at least one to like and identify with. This review may be cliched, but only if you've never taken the chance to give this film that should never have worked, let alone survived, a fair chance as a viewer. You know, either that, or you're an idiotic boor.

Celeste in the City A Bennett   TiVo'd from ABC Family   28 March 2004 Proposed Death Match: Ethan Embry's Signature 'Troubled' Look vs. Michael Vartan's Signature 'Concerned' Look. A film that re-inforced every stereotype I'd ever heard about gay men--including the one about how sometimes they are listed in the credits as; 'Deborah Gibson'.

Charlotte Gray A Bennett   Hollywood Video VHS   06 April 2003 When this picture came out, I remember reading a review or two of it. They weren't very positive, so when I rented it I had some pretty low expectations (and I was coming to it on the heels of the befouled Affair of the Necklace). Well, what was wrong with those people? How could a film about an ordinary Scotswoman, recruited in WWII as a British courier to be air dropped into Vichy France NOT interest just about anyone? Cate Blanchett rocks, and though some parts of the plot might be a bit "soapy," it's a good time. I _will_ see this film a second time. A film about doing the right things for the wrong reasons, about doing evil--though not by direct choice--and about learning that sometimes the only thing one can do in such troubled times is not grand, or patriotic, or even courageous--it is rather the smallest, human-est thing that she realizes is worth the price of her own life.

Chasing Papi A Bennett   Hollywood Video DVD   22 February 2004 Thanks to an overdose of tranquilizers, the 'papi' in question is passed out (a la Bernie) for 90% of this comedy, in which the three women he's dating in NY, Miami, and Chicago respectively convene (unwittingly) at his house in LA. They become witting soon enough, and what follows is an unremarkable (but pleasant enough) plot about three very different women finding strengths and worth within, and ultimately realizing that they don't need their 'papi'. Nice that the comedy did not come from one long, unrelenting cat fight over the hunk of beef. Nice that the [mythical] "universal tribe of women" motif was not as tacky and unbelieveable as it often is portrayed.

Chicago A Bennett   AMC Newport on the Levee   11 January 2003 This film was *everything* Moulin Rouge both should have been and wanted to be. I found myself grinning from ear to ear, and wanting to applaud after each number. Also (and I never would have in my life thought I would _ever_ say this), Richard Gere deserves a major award.

Chicago (Second Viewing) A Bennett   AMC 20 Newport-on-the-Levee   10 February 2003 How a film about a miscarriage of the judicial system can both make you revel in it, and, in tandem, disgust you by it, is nothing short of cinematic genius--particularly keeping in mind that the film is 90% song and dance. Again, Richard Gere, please come up to accept your MAJOR AWARD. **If you have the chance to see this film before it leaves the theatre, I urge you to do so. I do not doubt it will play well on TV, only, it's a big-theatre show, and it deserves to be experienced that way.

Coyote Waits A Bennett   TiVo'd from PBS' Mystery!   20 November 2003 Never tangle with an historian on the road to fame, glory, and academic immortality. You just might end up dead. In this adaptation of a Tony Hillerman novel, a professor (and Bodhi--Mr. Jenna--Elfman) attempts to prove Butch Cassidy lived beyond the Bolivian stand-off to return to the US and ultimately die on a rez. Is it weird that a film executive produced by Robert Redford freely references his film "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"? Any film mystery is only as good as its characters and the actors playing them. Thanks to Adam Beach, Wes Studi, and others in the predominantly First Nations (but widely multi-racial) cast, this one is pretty good. Not to mention that you can't really go wrong starting your film out with a Patsy Cline tune, followed by a Conway Twitty chaser. Also, points for a discussion of fractals.

Dance Me Outside (1994) A Bennett   owned VHS   06 April 2004 Adam Beach, Michael Greyeyes. A light-hearted tale of murder and adultery on the rez. From the WP Kinsella novel.

Dear Frankie A Bennett   Overdue Hollywood Video DVD   04 August 2005 Solid and surprising, and probably Gerard Butler’s best on-screen performance to date. A Scottish film set in Scotland, about a deaf boy whose mother has been pretending to be his absentee father writing him letters from an imaginary sailing ship. Circumstances conspire, and one day, she must produce the actual man--or a reasonable facsimile thereof. Bittersweet hijinks and shocking revelations ensue.

Deliver Us From Eva A Bennett   Hollwood Video DVD   12 July 2003 Correction: Deliver me *TO* Eva. This film has to be the most pleasant surprise in home video that I've experienced this year (along w/ Happy Accidents and Charlotte Gray). Rumor has it that Ladies Love Cool James--and ladies, I hear ya. After watching this urban Taming of the Shrew, it's not hard to see why. Three brothers-in-law contract the ultimate playa (Mr. LL Cool J) to romance their complicated sister-in-law, and then to dump her--but only after convincing her to leave town and (by association) get out of their marital affairs. Eva is acted so well by Gabrielle Union of "Bring It On"--her sisters love her (a saving grace in such a character), and she manages to balance shrewishness perfectly along w/ letting viewers see that, truly, Eva is the best of the four ladies. Would have earned a "9" if not for the last three minutes.

Devil in a Blue Dress A Bennett   TiVo'd from TNT: they still think they know drama   09 October 2003 It would seem Denzel Washington can emit a captivating screen presence even when he seems to be doing nothing. This screen presence may broadcast at a frequency above the human threshold to comprehend it. Dolphins, perhaps, understand its inner workings better. Such talent and magnetism surely earns high marks, but not as high as the marks climb once Don Cheadle comes to town. I could watch a whole series of their films. Why wasn't a sequel made to this? [Does that question make me a bad person?]

Director's Cut, Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring A Bennett   DVD purchase   24 November 2002 A film at once beautiful, frightening, touching, action-packed and timeless. Whether it is the same as the books or not is immaterial. A work of unqualified perfection, from Sean Bean to Peter Jackson. An unforgettable viewing experience. Someday I will go to New Zealand. Additionally, a film wherein men are not afraid to touch and embrace each other, and exhibit an ethic of care usually proscribed solely to the female of the species.

Down with Love A Bennett   AMC 20 Newport-on-the-Levee in the Bluegrass State   25 May 2003 Is this film a re-examining of the Doris Day/Rock Hudson bedroom comedies of the 1960s? Or is it simply a re-iteration of them? *Uncle*, I give up. All I know is that Ewan McGregor again proves that he could be entertaining to watch in just about anything short of a George Lucas-directed space fiasco. Also, the man could have chemistry with Plexiglass(tm).

Edge of Madness A Bennett   Hollywood Video Rental DVD   10 February 2003 Don't watch this film. It has not a single redeeming quality, and a great many damning ones. Consider yourself warned. If you have any interest in it, simply read the Alice Munro epistolary short story on which it is based. Unless you think that might make you want to watch this film. Then, don't (watch the film or read the story). Give this one a wide berth.

Elf A Bennett   Milford Gigantic Cineplex--children everywhere.   22 November 2003 Shockingly, refreshingly free of sardonicism. Will Ferrell's amazingly unfettered, unironic performance is nothing short of award-worthy, and Jon Favreau's direction that he play it as such, inspired.

Elizabeth A Bennett   TiVo'd from USA...now showing historical epics?   23 June 2004 It’s the acting that makes this film what it is. It’s Cate Blanchett’s * * AWESOMELY * * portraying the change in an untried young woman, who must learn what it takes to become a strong sovereign and command the bickering, treasonous men who surround her. It’s Geoffrey Rush saying less than 10 lines the entire film, but watching everything she does as Queen and coming to realize her immense potential for leadership and discipline. When she finally appoints Walsingham as her hammer, it’s a relief to the audience that the two have joined forces. I would like to stress again that Cate Blanchett steals this film, takes it home in her pocket and wears it like she paid for it at the store. Probably a more enjoyable experience if you have a working knowledge of pre-Elizabethan politics. No other film comes to mind that has been able to take an almost ‘death’ moment as its climax and yet make her ending transformation seem so darn triumphant that you’re all but bowing down to your own TV set. Rumor has it the director and Blanchett are keen to make a sequel, detailing the further adventures of one of the greatest female rulers to date.

Enigma A Bennett   VHS - 2003 Jeremy Northam Film Festival   16 February 2003 [From original entry: This is the second time we've rented this film. The DVD still doesn't work in our machine. Obviously, we're not meant to see it--but not for lack of trying.] Yes, in switching to VHS-format, we were finally able to view this film. World War Two, codebreaking, and post-nervous breakdown mathematicians spell one thing: Tom Stoppard. But, though his name is credited as the only screenwriter, I choose to believe some has stolen his identity. A sad Dougray Scott gives a sad, wet performance (which is a good thing, trust me), but little if anything is salvageable from this production. Again, another historical mystery that should have been frightening and deliciously dark to unravel, but instead it is the script that unravels, and the lackluster production. Despite the sinking all around him, Jeremy Northam makes the most delicious (and best-dressed) secret agent/spy in recent memory. With a beautiful blue hat and a cunning smile he's in fine nick here, and sans mustache.

Escape from Sobibor (1987) A Bennett   Owned DVD   16 October 2003 The most successful death camp escape during World War II saw 300 of Eastern Poland's 600 Sobibor prisoners gain their freedom with the help of Russian Army Jew Rutger Hauer. He's 6' 2"--you'd bloody well escape if he suggested it. A TV movie that's much better than average, ironically pointing out that those who most value life can prove the most impassioned at taking it. Personally, I will never manage to grasp that people who lived through such unnatural times, doing such extraordinary, unreal-to-me things can then go on (as the ending voiceovers/paragraphs of such movies always tell us) to open grocery stores, become accountants, live in Connecticut.

Follow the River A Bennett   TiVo taped from Hallmark Channel   08 March 2003 She's no Silken Savage...Kidnapped by Indians, your settlement slaughtered, 9-months pregnant with the child of a man you aren't even sure is still alive, courted by a warrior brave, and dragging your 5-year-old son along with you--pretty much anyone standing next to the tough-as-nails Mary Ingalls (no relation) is going to come off whiny and obnoxious. And they do. So, she decides to leave the Indian camp and escape, "follow the river," if you will. I can't decide if this pseudo-survival film makes me want to read the James Alexander Thom book on which it is based or not. However, I would like to know if, in the book, she got her kids back, or if that was just a Hallmark-touch. This may have been based on actual events.

For Me and My Gal A Bennett   TiVo'd from PBS   04 November 2003 I can't watch very many films with Judy Garland--the sad and uncomfortable truth of her actual life too often interferes, as with obvious signs of her fragile drug-addled health. Not so with this film, in which she shines as bright as the sun, and in which she finds truly electric sparks with costar Gene Kelly. A better film in the first half, prior to the Kaiser and his war invading the storyline.

Frenchman's Creek (1944) A Bennett   Owned VHS   14 February 2003 A mis-treated court wife (Joan Fontaine) and a wanted-by-the-law pirate (DeCordova) prove that romantic sighing and semi de-fanged pirates (in the role of dashing lover) can not only make a thoroughly romantic film, but also an exciting one, despite its fantastical approach. Based on the DuMaurier novel of the same name.

Friday Night Lights A Bennett   Whistler's Other Video Store   13 April 2005 A story about losing, with energizingly-shot football sequences, and a homerun, articulate performance by a muted Billy Bob Thornton. Lucas Black WILL be huge.

From Here to Eternity A Bennett   Hollywood Video VHS   01 November 2003 The lei has spoken. Deborah Kerr will never return to Hawai'i to again witness how good-looking is one Burt Lancaster in an abbreviated pair of swim trunks. Poor Deborah.

Gone With the Wind A Bennett   VHS   28 November 2002 Still disappointed that this doesn't come in Widescreen, and that I don't own it on DVD. A remarkable film for a myriad of reasons, not the least of which is the competence and subversive message presented by the female leads--both for 1861 as well as 1939 when the film was made. Love that Technicolor!

Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984) A Bennett   TiVo'd from BRAVO   31 October 2003 It seemed like a great idea to pluck a child raised by a feral clan of jungle gorillas and christen him Earl of Greystoke--one of the late 18th century's more elite titles. Only then, he went a little crazy, and it seemed like time to rethink the proposition before somebody ended up dead. (Not once in this three-plus hour film did the name Tarzan get uttered. Not ONCE.) There is something (at least something that I find) mystically compelling about Christopher Lambert onscreen. I'm not sure it's something that can be expressed in human language. This film was two years before 1986's Highlander.

Gunga Din (1939) A Bennett   TiVo'd from AMC am   30 November 2003 Or, as everyone in the movie says it: Goong-uh Deen. The silent film-esque over-the-top acting, sets, and Cary Grant in heavy eyeliner make it rather difficult to rationalize that this film dates from the same year as both 'Gone With the Wind' and 'The Wizard of Oz'. A positively prancing Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. doesn't help reconcile the gap between his (supposedly manly) character and GWTW's dangerously, powerful leading man Rhett Butler, either. Lastly, can you EVER watch a film in 2003 populated by a cast of non-Indians pretending to BE Indian Thugges and take it seriously? The young water carrier character, Gunga Din, here is played by an over-40 Brooklyn Jew.

Hackers (1995) A Bennett   Live television, channel unknown   01 November 2003 No small wonder that a "tech" film pre-dating widespread knowledge and use of the internet does not play as laughably outdated near 10 years later.

Happy Accidents A Bennett   DVD rental   01 January 2003 I spent so much of this enchanting film in knots over what I dreaded the ending to be. And then it wasn't as I had dreaded, so I was just left with enchantment. And happy thoughts where Vincent D'Onofrio is concerned. Which is not a bad trade-off, let me tell you. To share the plot would be to spoil the viewing, but I will say: not, exactly, your typical romantic comedy--too many lively discussions of quantum physics for that. :) And an Anthony Michael Hall cameo.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets A Bennett   AMC 20 Newport on the Levee   16 November 2002 I will never be unentertained during the watching of Harry Potter films. However, the films (it seems) will always lack the emotional heft that made me fall in love with the books. And that, after I've left the theatre, makes me sad.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets A Bennett   DVD borrowed from Dad   25 August 2003 Between this and film one, the children look like they've aged ten years. Seriously. A lot of the acting in these films is not so great. Especially the girl's. The actor who plays Harry seems to have good and bad days--making his performance uneven. Also, I imagine there is a lot of blue screen work, staring into nothing. And we've all seen how that can affect the work of even good actors, such as Ewan MacGregor. The boy playing Ron is the only one who seems to consistently get his character right, but then, maybe Ron's an easier job than the other two. The large mystery of this script, to me, is that the main plot that holds the novel together (Tom Riddle/Ginny Weasley/the diary) is barely dealt with. Adaptations can be hard to get right (see the many treatments of Little Women), but with the kind of budget a film like this must command, and source material that would already seem to lend itself to the screen, you wouldn't think that the credits would roll and you'd feel like something was missing--like you'd watched an illustrated (but not interpreted) version of the novel, paging through fully-realized sets without any emotional investment, save what you brought from your travels among the books. Reading a Harry Potter novel is one of the more enjoyable pasttimes of the last decade. It is a pity and a disappointment that watching a Harry Potter movie is so far less than that.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban A Bennett   Milford; post-Cracker Barrel Feast of Feasts   05 June 2004 This is my favorite Potter book. At least to date. The film, while light years beyond the first two, begs the question: if replacing the director made such a marked improvement, how about replacing the screenwriter as well? So many things in this film are engaging. Unfortunately the stripped-down-from-the-book film plot (which boils down to the last third of the film) does not particularly end up being one of them. If the novel were to be properly adaptaed, I'd expect a film more like the mind-bending brawl about identity that was The Usual Suspects. Instead we get something more like what the Olsen Twins' first fantasy film might be like. But that's a mark against the script, as the end result of a film can only be as good as its most basic part. Novel author Rowling gave them more to work with, and that is wherein my regret lies.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone A Bennett   DVD borrowed from Dad   24 August 2003 This movie's music was LOUD. I didn't notice it when I first saw it in the theatre, but on this re-watch OHMYGOODNESSITHINKIMIGHTBEDEAFNOW. Dave and I spent more than an hour and a half desperately trying to locate the deleted scenes among all the frou-frou of each of the two DVDs to no use. We, two technology savvy adults, failed. Eh, what's that? Speak up, Sonny. Can't hear you over the MEEEYOOOOOOSICK.

Henry Fielding's Tom Jones A Bennett   Taped off TV: A&E Original Mini-series   09 November 2002 A terriffic marriage of cast, tone, and script, this 6-hour miniseries manages to do the near-impossible: poke liberal, good-hearted fun at its author, plot, and characters--without sacrificing the audience's emotional investment in the story and characters. Impressive--and a hoot as well, though it does take the first installment to really get into it.

Hidalgo A Bennett   Giant Cineplex. Root Beer libation at my side.   20 March 2004 Peter Mensah is **MIGHTY**. And this film is entertaining--and pretty much entirely without pretension. Points for Omar Sharif and my not knowing the ending.

Hidden in Silence: A Lifetime Original Movie A Bennett   taped from Lifetime in 1996   28 March 2003 I hate the actress Kellie Martin. Usually, I would be able to move on from there, but she keeps playing characters in TV films that I want to see. So, the hatred is perpetuated with some resentment. Anyway, this film is one of few Holucaust accounts (and a true one) that ends well and happily for all involved. A fifteen-year-old girl begins taking in Jews from the Polish ghetto. By the end of the war, she is hiding more than 15 in her attic. If an inspirational film exists, this is probably it. If only I could find the book to read that it is based on. That's sure to be Kellie Martin-free, right?

Hopscotch (1980) A Bennett   TiVo'd from Television   12 May 2003 When the world's cleverest spy not only goes a little crazy, but also goes rogue, there's no telling which espionage agency in which country will be the last to suffer the consequences of both his exploits and his tell-all book. Former CIA agent Kendig makes his way gracefully across whole continents, displaying a skill and intellect far-beyond using guns or kung-fu. If you were in a jam, this is the "super-hero" you'd wish you could call. Also stars a young-ish Sam Waterson. A favorite of my brother's and mine since we were quite young.

Horatio Hornblower IV: The Wrong War A Bennett   Owned VHS   24 March 2004 Has under-explored, unnecessarily inserted 'romance' plot that gums up the action. After all, it's Capt. Pellew and Archie's relationship to Hornblower that really keep these films afloat.

Horatio Hornblower: Duty A Bennett   TiVo'd from A&E   07 December 2003 Spending as much time as I do squirming over the plotline of Hornblower's positively abysmal marriage choice, I can still say that it is an exquisite pain. After all, it's never easy watching the kids grow up--as they surely must by the eighth film entry. A true pity it may likely be two more years before film nine sees the light of day.

Horatio Hornblower: Loyalty A Bennett   TiVo'd from A&E   03 December 2003 Production values and budget take a hit in this, the seventh entry into the series. But if you've grown to love the characters since the excitingly filmed-on-board-ship film one, it's not too hard to keep expectations at bay.

Horatio Hornblower: The Duchess and the Devil A Bennett   owned VHS   17 December 2003 "No, you are untrustworthy because you *lied*." - Hornblower to the unmasked actress Kitty Cobham, only recently masquerading as the Duchess of Wharfedale. Third in a series of eight. A Spanish prison, a faux Duchessa, secret dispatches for His Majesty hidden in a lady's drawers, a thought-lost crew member re-found. Mutiny. A prison break and solitary confinement in a hole in the ground, capped off with an heroic sea storm rescue, news of Hornblower's promotion to Lieutenant and his (and his men's) release from the prison solely on the merit of their exemplary conduct. ...and I didn't even mention the flirting or the well-filmed locales. Or the boats. The gorgeous boats.

Horatio Hornblower: The Duel A Bennett   owned VHS   17 December 2003 First film in the series (now of 8 total). Originally titled in the UK, "The Even Chance", after a chapter of the same name in the C. S. Forester novel, "Lieutenant Hornblower". This film covers a lot of ground and does it well. Filmed entirely onboard an actual ship, sailing on an actual sea, you can't beat the visuals and the feeling you are really there. Great cast.

Horatio Hornblower: The Fire Ships A Bennett   owned VHS   18 December 2003 "I have seen it in Smyrna in '85, Mr. Hornblower. It is the Black Death--the Plague!"-Mr. Tapling, of His Majesty King George's Diplomatic Service. The time spent on the ensuing 'quarantined' Plague Ship, La Reve, as Hornblower becomes de facto captain (though only a Midshipman in point of fact) is among the best episodes in the series. I should like very much to go sailing. What gorgeous boats. Second of eight. Originally titled in the UK, "The Examination for Lieutenant". For some reason, we Americans needed to have it re-titled "The Fire Ships". (Well, I do love fire.) I will not speculate on the perceived need for re-naming it, nor what that says about us as a nation. Starring our old friend Wedge Antilles as a crazed over-zealous war hero captain that inevitably is unmasked as more a problem than an asset.

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days A Bennett   Sneak Preview @ AMC 20 Newport-on-the-Levee   25 January 2003 Matthew McConnaughey. **thud**

I Want to Marry Ryan Banks A Bennett   TiVo'd from ABC Family   19 January 2004 Probably due to Willage, Anya, and Brandon Walsh (and a script that constantly subverted my expectations) this film was half-again better than any romantic comedies I've seen in the theatre recently (or on DVD for that matter). Also, extra points for actually hot kisses--on ABC Family!

I'll Be Seeing You (1944) A Bennett   VHS   28 July 2003 An intensely shell-shocked WWII soldier (Joseph Cotten) and (curiously) holiday-paroled convict (Ginger Rogers) from 'State Women's Prison' meet on a train. Each has a 10-day Christmas/New Year's furlough from the tragedy their lives have become. And, each has a complicated, shameful secret to spend 10-days keeping from each other. Oh yes, in between falling in love and attending holiday parties at the Y. Merlin's Beard, but Joseph Cotten is about as swell an actor as you'll ever encounter, lending a grace and nobility to his damaged veteran that the story would never have worked without.

In America A Bennett   Hollywood Video DVD   31 May 2004 It's not an Irish story, but an American one, see? With some cutie wee bairns and a (supposedly) ill Djimon Hounsou that looks more like carnal (yet angelic) perfection. Samantha Morton,--who rocks as an actress--has yet to win me over to her chemo-survivor haircut. Paddy Considine looks like the Independent Film Channel's version of TV's Ed.

Intermezzo: A Love Story (1939) A Bennett   TiVo'd from WPTD, PBS station   30 June 2003 A violinist abandons his wife and two children, and a piano student (also his daughter's instructor) abandons her prestigious scholarship to run away together--but always with the shadow of what they have done, and the other lives they have ruined, lurking at every turn. A love story where the lovers are amorous not only toward one another, but also toward their music. As Holger, Leslie Howard performs his role with undisguised egoism, and a frustrated anger I kept expecting to boil over. Ingrid Bergman (Anita), as always, is beyond enchanting. A film (like Waterloo Bridge) where the word 'lover' or any mention of what is actually taking place between the leads is never spoken; yet the audience is left in no doubt. Amazing to me, watching current films, that this entire piece reaches completion in 70 minutes. Hollywood: take note!

Iron Jawed Angels (2004) A Bennett   Pre-viewed VHS bought from Hollywood Video   22 March 2005 Despite an entirely unnecessary scene of autoeroticism between Hilary Swank and a claw-footed tub (done to make this film fit the HBO niche it occupies?), this film was entertaining and informative as it detailed the National Women's Party's attempt to gain universal sufferage. Its depiction of a variety of female characters greatfully steered clear of stereotyping and over-simplification. Also starring the lovely wonder known as Vera Farmiga.

It's A Wonderful Life A Bennett   DVD on a couch down the street   19 December 2003 Thank you, DVD, for excellent pause-ability to note the skull on Potter's desk, and the same photos (redressed) of both Peter Bailey and Uncle Billy's dead wife Laura scattered about like Easter Egg points in a driking game for repeat-viewing eyes. Also, why are everyone's names changed in the French audio track? Must Bert become Marcel, and Mary become Madeline? And in the Spanish track, why is it still George and not Jorje? Doubtless, timeless questions to ponder until next year.

James Bond 20: Die Another Day A Bennett   Milford Gigantiplex Overlord Cinemas   22 November 2002 I think I am unable to be objective about James Bond films. They are what they are. Some are better at it than others. This one falls in the middle, and I don't mean that as a slam. I may be the only human on earth not slavishly obsessed with Halle Berry. I don't mean that as a slam, either.

James Clavell's Shogun (1980) A Bennett   TiVo'd from Hallmark Channel   05 August 2003 Twelve hours long (nine without commercials). A surprising, early entry into the world of miniseries television--and very suited to the genre. May be the best miniseries I've ever watched, and I say that even knowing that 90% of the cast never utter a single word of English. Did little to stamp out my enjoyment of Richard Chamberlain. Unexpectedly found myself quite fond of the female lead, a woman who wants nothing of the world but to be allowed to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) from the first moment we meet her in hour three. My viewing would have been more enjoyable if Hallmark Channel had not continually over-ran each ep by, I'm guessing, two or three minutes. Not so entirely unforgiveable, until the end of the final chapter cut out early. Someone should write a paper about the similarities of the text with that of A Man Called Horse. I don't know what it means, I only know that echoes of inhumanity, torture, stranger-in-new-culture incidences abound.

Jane Austen's Emma A Bennett   owned VHS - 2003 Jeremy Northam Film Festival   16 February 2003 Charming all around, this is Northam at his, perhaps, finest. Emma, our heroine, learns lessons about the ills of matchmaking, the perils of flirting, and the aftertaste that can be found in a sassy mouth. Oh, yes, and she finds love with the Northam, unmustachioed and wearing a waistcoat as so few can.

Just Desserts A Bennett   TiVo'd off Hallmark Channel   08 February 2004 Unable to cull nary a single clever, new pun on the art of either cooking or love, this film still proves that Costas Mandylor has *something*, even if no one else on screen shares it with him. Small consolation, though, for such a dim, dull, hollow exercise that proved neither romantic nor comedic.

King Kong (2005) A Bennett   Gigantiplex Milford Cinema popcorn, MUG Root Beer   02 January 2006 Probably the largest budget approved by a motion picture studio used to explore the Stockholm Syndrome.

Kiss Them For Me (1957) A Bennett   TiVo'd from AMC Morning   24 September 2003 Cary Grant proves the only saving grace of this film, as three aircraft carrier Navy flyboys--mired in combat for over 3 solid years without a break--scam, con and sweet-talk their way into a four day leave in San Francisco. Surprisingly moving when he's forced to drop his playboy facade and talk candidly about his war experience, Grant manages to exude a trio of devil-may-care, PTSD torment, and grim patriotism. These moments are brief, but unexpected in this lighthearted, post-War produced bit of flapdoodle. Also starring My Favorite Martian and Colonel Klink (playing neither alien nor German, respectively).

La Femme Musketeer (2003) A Bennett   TiVo'd from Hallmark Channel   09 July 2004 Written by a woman, and showcasing at a minimum of eight female characters that displayed depth and variation, I probably enjoyed this more than I should have. Michael York, forever Tybalt, reprised his 1970s role of D’Artangnan, and was miraculously married to a woman of his own peer group. The titular character, his daughter, fights and kicks and duels her way through the programme, saving the Spanish enfanta, escaping capture, killing her nemesis (a Hal Ketchum look-alike), and unmasking Cardinal Mazarain’s evil scheme to subjugate King Louis. Cleverly echoing the plot of Dumas’ original ‘Three Musketeers’ (who show up halfway through, wishing to join in another adventure, and finding themselves perhaps not quite up to the task), this Hallmark presentation had gorgeous vistas and locations to film at in Croatia, some famous faces (John Rhys-Davies, Gerard Depardieu), well-filmed and well-staged swordplay—at least six major battles—and delightful chemistry among its leads. An unexpected pleasure. Also, shockingly without any sort of love plot.

Le Comte de Monte Cristo A Bennett   BRAVO DVD, avec les sous-titres   27 December 2002 (1998) This 8-hour French adaptation of the novel broke my heart. Because, until three minutes before the end I was entirely enraptured with it. I was making plans to marry Gerard Depardieu (an unlikely choice, yet oddly compelling as the Count). I was so *pleased* with it. And then, in three minutes (180 seconds) it fell apart. And its rating fell from a 10 to a 7. Am I a capricious viewer? Perhaps. I'd like to have some time alone with whoever wrote the ending, though, as it re-writes the novel's. I love this story. Always have. The Count embodies Man's idea of God: vengeful, seemingly subject to unknown whims, without mercy. And yet, of all the characters, it is Monte Cristo himself who is the only true believer. His anger at God and what he perceives to be God's injustice fuels the story and his actions. In attempting to battle the Almighty, the protagonist is the only one who truly acknowledges His existence, for all the other characters spend entire conversations debating it.

Le Divorce A Bennett   Hollywood Video DVD   22 February 2004 Muddled Merchant/Ivory production. Never decides on a main character or plot. The only lasting conclusion I could take from it is; "never divorce in France", coupled with "Kate Hudson is preternaturally thin".

Logan's Run (1976) A Bennett   TiVo taped off SciFi Channel   08 March 2003 Run, Logan, Run! I remember this film from my childhood. The sets alone are terriffically fun, and reminiscent of EPCOT Center. The story could have been better executed in the last third, but I'm going to state right here and now that Michael York in a caftan made up for it all, as did a brainless appearance by Farrah Fawcett-Majors. About a dystopic (masquerading as a utopic) future in which no one may live past the age of 30. One life is born, and another must die to keep the balance of their bubble/biodome-ish world. Logan, not quite pleased with this arrangement, and thinking he is operating on a secret mission, decides to run. I think quite a bit of Minority Report was stolen from this SciFi classic. Also, there is a groovy Planet of the Apes-twist in the second reel.

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King A Bennett   Milford:desperately ill, I agreed to accompany dad   27 December 2003 I can't quite get my head around this one--especially, like Kristin, in the wake of viewing the Special Theatrical Extended Editions in preparation for it. It felt to me like The Two Towers' original theatrical release: somehow unfinished, gapped in places I wanted filled out. And no, that's not a bad review; only, like the film itself, an incomplete one.

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers A Bennett   AMC Newport-on-the-Levee   21 December 2002 Mike, I must disagree about the Ents. While they were nice, their construction seemed to come from another film's art department entirely...What to say about this film? I've been eagerly awaiting it for a year, which is a lot of build-up, and I was not disappointed. Gollum repulsed me completely for the first 10-15 minutes he was on screen. And then, like a rubber band being pulled too taut and snapping, my disgust contracted into something much more like pity for the poor beast. Even in the darkest, densest moments of the Helm's Deep sequences, Peter Jackson is wise enough as a director to give the audience Gimli to chuckle at, Legolas to cheer for, and the Lothlorien elf from film one to mourn. Jackson has my heart, if not my pocketbook. And he deserves both.

Love Actually A Bennett   Milford Gigantic Cineplex-Funnel cake for everyone   24 November 2003 In retrospect, this film doesn't treat women very well. From repeated jokes/digs at the expense of a (let's face it, real-world thin) female character's weight, to the fact that 'love, actually', punishes and/or scars more women in the film's nine plots than it does the men (who, to a man, are rewarded for loving), well, it's getting harder to feel positive about the script as a whole. Not as funny as I thought it would be, and with more nudity than I've ever seen in a theatre film, possibly ever (oh, well, not *ever*). I haven't seen so much skin since "Dangerous Beauty", viewed in the seclusion of my own home. And the nude in this film? Not pretty, not well-lit. And chiefly NOT NECESSARY.

Love Rules! A Bennett   TiVo'd from ABC Family Channel   12 June 2004 Joey Lawrence may be better than this film. His female co-star definitely wasn't.

Mambo Kings A Bennett   Hollywood Video VHS - !Tonya Stayed Awake!   04 June 2004 When you've made a movie with Antonio Banderas and Armand Assante in which you have to lose one of them? Antonio Banderas? Totally the wrong choice, hermano.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World A Bennett   Milford Giant Cineplex-my brother was late. Again.   15 November 2003 Greatly enjoyable. Oscar-calibur effects (so seamless they hardly seem like effects), costuming, and set dressing. Russell Crowe again proves how easily he can sway men to die for him and whichever cause he is representing in his current film. The script, rather than using the tried-and-true inverted checkmark of plot/action culminating in climax and denoument, instead hearkens back to "ye olde" cinema serials (and weekly dramatic television) where too much progression can hurt in the long runs for which they were/are destined. Characters neither learn, nor change, nor experience (or give viewers) catharsis. It is this stasis only that keeps the film from earning a higher rating. However, there is still satisfaction to be had in such a solid entry of characters you enjoy being around, and places you've never had the chance to visit, lives you'll never live. Obviously set up for a potential run of sequels (much like those same cinema serials of old), you'll not hear me complaning. There's always something to be said for B+-level papers handled so well instructors feel compelled to award them the full A. And let's not even get into what a relief it can be to find an entertaining film amongst the dren and flotsam drifting in the current climate.

Masterpiece Theatre: Dr. Zhivago A Bennett   TiVo'd in two parts from Kentucky PBS   10 November 2003 Attempting to explain (to Westerners) the Russian mind, culture and political climate at the early part of the last century is no easy task--even given four hours. This adaptation of the novel chose to focus heavily on the fleshly aspects of the adulterous tale--no doubt as they best showcased the lovely-as-a-vision Keira Knightly.

Masterpiece Theatre: Henry VIII (2004) A Bennett   TiVo'd from PBS in two parts   15 January 2006 Let’s be fair, Henry VIII did more than just kill off or otherwise dispose of his six wives. After all, there were those wars, troubles with France, and that whole Papist/Reformer thing that changed England forever. The annexation of Wales, for instance. But of course people mostly care about the wives. Part I gave us an Anne Boleyn more scheming than any version of her I have seen to date (unlike Anne of a Thousand Days, for example), making her transformation from schemer to consort to queen to whacked out super-jealous wife more than a little disappointing. Part II gave us the bulk of the other wives, and the sad realization that this version of Henry’s story wanted to show us that Henry JUST WANTED TO BE LOVED. By hyper-condensing Henry’s reign of 38 years into three hours and the single quest for a viable male heir, we ALL lose. Which is a pity, because Ray Winstone as Henry really could have made something memorable with his performance. (NOTE: It was weird to watch an older Helena Bonham Carter once of young Lady Jane 9-day reign fame to get beheaded here as a forerunner queen to Jane herself. Interestingly enough, Jane was born the same year Anne was separated from her head.)

Me & Mrs. Jones A Bennett   TiVo'd from Masterpiece Theatre   17 March 2004 Still a bit fuzzy on what made this a 'masterpiece'. Probably not a good sign my favorite character barely spoke. Sorry, PBS--you're just going to have to work pretty hard to get me to cheer for an adultery-based love affair.

Men With Brooms A Bennett   Hollywood Video Rental DVD   18 January 2003 Perhaps the only film ever based on the sport of curling, I know it had big things to say about beavers--I just never did figure out what it was. I can't even really review this film, as it was written, directed and acted by the Mountie from due South and I've a bit of a blind spot where that's concerned. I think the script probably should have gone through maybe two more drafts.

Michael Collins (1996) A Bennett   TiVo'd from (?) FOX in the wee smalls   10 March 2004 Now and I was led to believe (for many years, aye) that Julia Roberts' part in this film was nothin' but a wee cameo. Not likely! The lone female in the cast (lessen you count your Johnathon Rhys-Meyers), she even sings (her voice being a mark above adequate). As for the film itself, a 'version' of the life of the big fella, it must be confessed that I know little more about the Troubles than did I at the start of the two-hours and thirty minutes (though 'tis no fault of Mr. Liam Neeson's). Perhaps the uncut version would tell a fuller tale. Then again, perhaps 'tis time to pick up a book and educate meself. Dead at thirty-one he was, and what a legacy, his.

Miss Rose White A Bennett   Owned VHS   12 April 2003 Yes, again, me with the WWII. And why not? There's drama for you, there's horror and immediacy, and, I don't know--hurt/comfort? Angst? Oppressed people groups? Everything I needs me in a moving picture. From the play "A Shyana Meidel" (I probably mis-spelled that). Perhaps a bit talky, but the writing is good and the acting (particularly Amanda Plummer) is affecting enough to still grab me by the guts after multiple viewings. Rose White, American, tries to deal with her past as Polish immigrint Raizel Weiss, when her sister (whom she has not seen for 17 years), who was in a camp comes to New York five years after the war is over and disrupts Rose's carefully created world.

Monkey Business (1952) A Bennett   TiVo'd from AMC   08 July 2003 Not particularly enjoyable. I hesitate to criticize Cary Grant, Charles Coburn and Ginger Rogers, but there you go. Some oldies take a youth elixir--it ain't quite Cocoon, but it does have (for those who enjoy such things) Marilyn Monroe, whose hiring her boss (Coburn) defends, stating, "anybody can type". Also, everything Meg Ryan has ever done is just a cut-rate Ginger Rogers rip-off. Why hasn't anyone else noticed? Not that I begrudge her for stealing from a true artist.

Monsoon Wedding A Bennett   Hollywood Video DVD Rental   08 February 2003 Where was all the rain? Where? I loved the father/uncle in this picture by the end. I do believe the DVD-viewing experience would be greatly enhanced if it included even the briefest documentary on traditional Indian weddings, as this was the first Indian film I have ever watched, and I am all but ignorant of their culture.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington A Bennett   VHS Rental Hollywood Video   20 November 2002 Most uses of the term "graft" in a film ever. It was like they couldn't spring for the rights to another word that meant the same thing. Film does not even pretend to having a plot beyond the shallow waters of chest-thumping patriotism that it glorifies. Strangely, for all that, still not too bad an outing. With so many Capra-ites in the cast, more than a little like an "It's A Wonderful Life" reunion.

Mrs. Miniver (1942) A Bennett   Hollywood Video Rental VHS   13 February 2003 An interesting look at the propaganda machine in Hollywood during WWII. And, not a bad film to boot. If I was ever staring down an escaped German flyer in my British kitchen, I'd want Greer Garson right there with me--that is, if Xena (always a first choice in any situation) were busy elsewhere and couldn't make it. Per Tonya, the eldest Miniver child's name (Vin) is said over 90 times in this film. How's that for partiality?

My Big Fat Greek Wedding A Bennett   Kentucky Great Escape 18 Movie House   30 August 2002 I cannot imagine a single, living person that I would enjoy spending time with not smiling and laughing repeatedly while watching this film.

Mystery, Alaska A Bennett   Hollywood Video DVD   08 October 2003 Every once in a while an actor, on the cusp (or sometimes in the middle) of Big Fame makes a small movie. These movies tend to either be spoiled by the actor's Presence (as Winona Ryder admits Little Women was by hers) or tend to spoil from viewer's expectations, as happens with Hugh Grant in The Englishman Who Went Up A Hill, etc. or Ewan MacGregor in Little Voice or Brassed Off--films where Big Fame takes Small Parts in Ensemble Drama. Like it or not, Big Fame tells us, as viewers, where to invest and where to focus. In these cases (let us call this, "Big Fame meets Small Film"), that rule does not usualy apply, which can lead to confusion and disappointment.

Mystery, Alaska (cont'd) A Bennett   Hollywood Video DVD   08 October 2003 Sometime between 97's L.A. Confidential and 00's The Insider & Gladiator, Russell Crowe made this film. In truth, it would mark the last time he would play a normal guy: not an iconic genius, not a famous whistle blower, not the baddest Roman general/imprisoned gladiator to ever live. No, he's just a guy from Alaska, the local sherriff who likes (along with just about everyone else in town) to play hockey. Probably, without question, this is my favorite Russell Crowe. In this BFmSF scenario, there's lots of characters, lots of familiar faces. It's not a great film. It could have been greater if it had been filmed less studio glossily (its subject matter doesn't really deserve big studio treatment), and more like an indepedent film. Some scenes are handled this way, and the change in immediacy is noticeable and effective. Points for the only film where Crowe actually seems well-matched with his female partner, as both an actor and romantic interest. Points for making me believe the kids were his. Points for Burt Reynolds showing he can act (and pretty well, too). Negative points for someone else being brought on to tinker with David E. Kelly's script (whose third act was doubtless better than the one I suspicion was written in).

Nicholas Nickleby A Bennett   Owned DVD   23 February 2004 Is it wrong to blame a film for insufficiencies inherent in its source material (in this case, Dickens)? The titular character changes not one whit, making any forward motion only that of changes in geography (both landscape and character). The good endure, the bad repent not. Goodness triumphs, if only by sheer stick-to-it-ness. We never fear a moment for the hero's corruption, we never fear for a moment that Christopher Plummer will turn from his evil, evil ways. "You cannot stain a black coat," Plummer tells us. And indeed, in Dickens' world, neither can you stain a white. (Harsh words, yes. But a little tension would have made a good film better.)

Notorious (1946) A Bennett   VHS from commercial-free AMC (back in the day)   05 July 2003 Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman generate more heat and passion than really should be (or should have been) legal, and it's all in the details.

Ocean's 11 (remake) A Bennett   TiVo'd over two nights from TNT   16 September 2004 So stylish, so full of handsomely dressed men on a sliding scale of handsome (Brad Pitt to Carl Reiner and on the lowest end, Matt Damon) you quite forget to care one whit for the meat of the story. I do think that Soderbergh meant to end on the Bellagio fountains as the group of confidence men disperse, and it’s a shame he wasn’t allowed to do so. It’s a perfect ending to a film whose pedigree and care in production far outweigh its [rather] thin emotional investment. I have almost managed to swallow down the fact they rip several plot points from the premiere/pilot episode of the ‘Mission: Impossible’ TV Series.

One Against the Wind (1991) A Bennett   TiVo'd from Hallmark Channel   25 July 2003 Fascinating story (true, apparently) of one woman smuggling downed RAF out of Paris into Vichy and on to freedom during WWII. Played with incredible charisma by Judy Davis, whom I might feel led to follow to my death, so compelling a personage she is. Lastly, perhaps the only time you might encounter someone being sent to a death camp to *save* their life. (Prior to that, Davis' character spent nine--count 'em--nine months in solitary confinement--without going mad) Must find book source material to read.

Persuasion A Bennett   Owned VHS   12 February 2003 This subtle Jane Austen adaptation about second chances, and the long, hard winters of the soul that bring parted hearts again to such opportunities, is entirely without the crackling wit and spry vitality of her earlier work. It's a mature departure, and well worth the trip. However, do not be distracted by the VHS box and its swoony cover. Those nubile lovebirds are not even represented in the film.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl A Bennett   AMC 20 Newport-on-the-Levee I ordered a Dasani   12 July 2003 Sword fights. True love. Legolas in boots. Pirates. Treasure. Curses. Weirdly well-done special effects. Locations and sets that seem real. Johnny Depp and Geoffrey Rush proving that good (and in Depp's case, exciting) acting can elevate a script and make a film memorable. Oh, yes, and Johnny _Depp_. Some critics have panned his turn as Captain Jack Sparrow as indulgent and weird. And I say to those people; go home and read your new update to the tax code, or watch a rare German underground arthaus film and discuss it with the rest of your stuck-up cadre of elitists. *Whatever*. It's a _pirate_ movie. To be watched by people who want to have a good time. We can solve the existential crisis of Western Literature later. Right now, let us enjoy some adventure, some slippery characters, and some unironic humor and universal goodwill. And some handsome Johnny Depp in eyeliner--the fey-ist of the fey--who still, in old cinema style, gets the girls.

Please Believe Me (1950) A Bennett   TiVo'd TCM - I've missed you, sweet channel...   21 July 2004 Young woman from UK is left 50k acres of property by her Texas penpal in his will. Crossing the Atlantic to claim the bequest, she is pursued by 1.) a flat-broke gambler pressured by the mob to wed her in order to satisfy his debts, 2.) a notoriously wealthy cad, 3.) said cad’s lawyer attempting to keep his client from incurring further breach-of-promise suits. Each falls in love with her. She, inexplicably (though perhaps not, it’s 1950, after all) falls for the distrusting, bullying lawyer. Then again, he is the only of the three able to support her financially and possibly stay faithful to her at the same time. Upon arrival in America, it is discovered her inherited ‘wealth’ is 50k acres of worthless brush. At this point I predicted oil would be struck, but no. A pleasant, if not laugh-out-loud funny romcom, starring Deborah Kerr on an oceanliner a decade before meeting Cary Grant in “An Affair to Remember”. Then, if you recall, she had the sense to choose the charmingly breezy cad. Also, she lost the use of her legs. Surely that wasn’t related.

Possession A Bennett   DVD - 2003 Jeremy Northam Film Festival   15 February 2003 I am probably just "touched by academe"-enough to believe that a literary mystery, based on scholarly research, could probably be a pretty engaging film. This film, however, with its missed chances, lackluster screenplay and mis-matched present-day couple fails to accomplish any level of intrigue or suspense as they uncover (read: mostly find and then talk about, lite on the research) a famously married 100-year dead poet's possible affair with a lesser-known colleague. Nancy Drew is more compelling. Perhaps Carolyn Keene (may he/she rest in peace) should have been given a go at the script. Also, there was a great deal of mistreating historical artifacts, mostly perpetrated by an American. Untenable, that. Northam, as always, a pleasure to watch no matter what surrounds him, or what period-piece set design and costuming may or may not weigh him down. This time, without mustache.

Reign of Fire A Bennett   Super Saver Cinema Biggs   14 September 2002 This is quite possibly the most unintentionally homo-erotic film I may have ever seen. The men are frequently bare-chested and sweating together, the women are for the most part entirely off screen. Dragons vs. the GIGANTIC upper arms of a bald, tattooed, insane Matthew McConaughey. So funny to Kristin and I it's a miracle we weren't ejected from the theatre.

Riverworld A Bennett   TiVo'd from SciFi, like six months ago   31 May 2003 The world is over for you--you’re dead, dude. And you wake up not in the afterlife, per se (at least not conventionally)--but on another planet--overrun with everyone else who ever died. They’re all in somewhat altered circumstances, though. Yet, unchanged, so that Nero is still a power-hungry slighly-mad commander of men with a passion to rebuild Rome, and Mark Twain is still a grumpy man (old only in spirit--not in body) with an affinity for steamboats. And suppose that when you killed someone at this new place they died, only to be reborn endlessly from the titular river. And then, one day you found out by meeting some other folks from what would be your future (you died in 2009, after all) that Earth was destroyed in 2038, all human life ceased, save in this place, RiverWorld. Would you care? Would you have, like 1,000 more questions about life and spirituality, time travel and additional dimensions? Because, dude, I totally did.

Robert Louis Stevenson's St. Ives A Bennett   VHS Home Video   05 October 2002 I've often read about hussars, and people in olde tyme books often drink port. It was nice to see both "come to life" on the screen. Set during the Napoleonic Wars, staged equally in France, England, and Scotland.

Romeo Is Bleeding A Bennett   VHS Home Video   19 October 2002 What this movie wants to be I'm unsure, what it is I am also unsure. Gary Oldman, however, does an excellent job convincing me he is not British (take some notes, Christian Bale!). But Lena Olin looks better on Alias. And she was really the only reason I rented it in the first place.

Romeo Must Die A Bennett   Hollywood Video DVD   06 April 2003 In fair Verona (San Francisco), where we lay our scene/Two houses (Black - Chinese), both alike in dignity/From ancient grudgebreak to new mutiny. Finally, a film that proves once and for all that the NFL is, unquestionably, evil. Romeo and Juliet, if Romeo (Jet Li) began the play banished, the Capulets and Montagues were warring mafia/gangs, and both Tybalt and Mercutio were each trying to engineer hostile takeovers of their master's territory. Dad-gum-it, I *enjoyed* this film. Jet Li TEARS UP the screen when he fights--and any scene where he's allowed to speak Chinese. Aaliyah brings the charisma, and together they actually have some interesting "opposites attract" chemistry. Could have been more tightly scripted, or cut to an hour and a half. Julie, I miss you, good person with which to view fu.

Ron Howard's Cinderella Man A Bennett   Lexington Green, KY - I had nachos & hot dog   04 August 2005 Because it’s set in the Depression-era past, it really seems the best melding I’ve seen of Ron Howard’s ability/sensibility and material. So engaging you almost overlook its one major flaw (it took me three days to notice it): the main character HAS no flaws.

Sense and Sensibility (1995) A Bennett   owned VHS   01 November 2003 Never a disappointment, no matter how many times I watch it.

Shanghai Knights A Bennett   Milford Showcase Cinemas   08 February 2003 Mindless, but not unpleasant. As always, Jackie Chan deserves better material.

Sherlock Holmes: A Case of Evil A Bennett   Taped off TV, USA Original Movie   04 November 2002 HIGHLY enjoyable, for all that it likely leaves Holmesian canon in its dust. Does not shy away from issues of the great detective's addiction. D'Onofrio's Professor Moriarty is one of the best nemeses to watch in recent memory. He doesn't want Holmes dead so much as destroyed. And in his pursuit of that he manages to hurt every main character in the film along the way. Oh yeah, and he invents heroin. Not too shabby.

Since You Went Away (1944) A Bennett   TiVo'd from PBS   08 July 2003 US answer to Mrs. Miniver, produced in war time, film about life on the homefront. Moving, six hanky plot despite the fact its over-the-top good intentions and barely veiled inspirational/propoganda value are showing through all the seams. Nonetheless, it's made with class, style and artistry, from the throwaway day-in-the-life details that make it seem so real and believeable to the stunning black and white cinematography and the zeitgeisty Max Steiner score. BUY WAR BONDS!

Skinwalkers: An American Mystery! A Bennett   TiVo'd from PBS   30 November 2003 True Navajos avoid eye contact, and point with their lips. Try it sometime. You just might creep someone out. The first of two (Coyote Waits being the second--with a third on its way in the Spring), this entry did not grab me quite the way its follow-up did, but it's still very watchable, due largely to the charismatic cast. It is possible that my enjoyment was impeded by the fact I watched it over two nights, and during the break in-between was able to puzzle out the killer before the detectives did. I have some lingering suspicions that Chris Carter read a great deal of Hillerman's Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee novels before writing the greatest X-Files arc ever (Paper Clip, Anasazi, The Blessing Way). Not that I hold it against him. We've all a history of stealing from the Indians.

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow A Bennett   Milford Gigantic Cineplex   17 September 2004 It's sort of stunning that a film wherein it can be said 'nothing's new' can yet be so interesting to watch.

Smoke Signals (1998) A Bennett   Owned VHS   10 March 2003 [I'm coming for you, Gephart! And your myseriously free HBO, too!] Adam Beach is more than the Native actor that every casting director looks to cast when the script calls for an Indian. Thing is, he's a really good, affecting actor whose skill is often far above the parts offered him. This is one of his better vehicles, about an odd couple of two young men who leave the Rez to bring home a father's ashes. Beach's (as Victor) speech on how to be an Indian is nearly priceless, as is the song/chant, "John Wayne's teeth (way-ah)." Smoke Signals is noteable entry in Amerind cinema, and I'm all for that, in-it?

Stompin' at the Savoy (1992) A Bennett   TiVo'd from USA   19 August 2003 I'm not sure I've ever seen Vanessa Williams looking prettier, or acting better than she does here. Four Harlem women in WWII. The first two-thirds is much better than the two stars TiVo gave it, the last third probably more deserving of that rating. But that still doesn't answer the question of why it was categorized as a Musical, or why Jaleesa from 'A Different World' played Ella Fitzgerald. Not that I'm complaining.

Sweet Home Alabama A Bennett   Great Escape 14 in Wilder, KY   19 October 2002 I will never be a Reese Witherspoon fan. That said, this film was enjoyable, there were some laughs, the husband did a quite nice job with his part. Script stumbled where most romantic comedies (romcoms) do anymore, but manage to make me not notice so much until after the credits rolled.

Sweet Home Alabama A Bennett   Hollywood Video DVD   01 April 2003 The only scenes really worthwhile in this film (especially once you know the plot turns) are those including Josh Lucas as Jake. What was released as inoffensive fluff is revealed (as often is) in DVD extras and deleted scenes, to have been intended to be something a little more, a little better. Once again proving that kowtowing to test audiences is the best way to ruin a picture. For some reason, this second viewing of this film kind of soured me on it. Hmmm.

The Affair of the Necklace A Bennett   Hollywood Video VHS   05 April 2003 This movie tastes like foot. Kudos to cast and script--director as well--for garnering my utter A*M*A*Z*E*M*E*N*T that THREE Oscar-winners (Hilary Swank, Christopher Walken, Adrian Brody) could appear in such an OUTRAGEOUSLY ill-made film. And, a curse upon all their houses for dragging Simon Baker (TV's The Guardian)--possibly the best actor on ALL television--down with them. UNFORGIVEABLE. I think, quite frankly, that they all should have to pay me some sort of reparations or wer-geld for sitting through this abysmal feature film that proves one thing only: bad movies are better when Kristin is at home to sit and make fun of them with me.

The Animatrix A Bennett   Hollywood Video DVD   08 June 2003 Series of nine anime shorts based on various aspects of the Matrix film(s) and concept. Varying in quality and my own level of interest in what they chose, individually, to address. As I was expecting more from it, a disappointment. Expected level of enjoyment: Viewing Logan’s Run. Actual level of enjoyment: Watching friend play newest Tomb Raider. (Aside: Explosions will never replace compelling storyline for me--even less so when the explosions and what they are exploding are animated.)

The Big Sleep (1946) A Bennett   Hollywood Rental VHS   04 April 2003 Tonya took the Big Sleep less than half an hour into this classic B&W film--and I'm not talking about the dirt nap to which Chandler's title refers. This film includes a script credited to William Faulker, and a scene in which Humphrey Bogart sweats copiously through his shirt whilst drinking straight gin. How's that for tough? But don't ask me to explain the plot, or decipher the "gangster-speak" dialogue. According to the tape case, the film centers around the shocking underworld of pornography. Um, when, exactly, were we supposed to catch that?

The Bishop's Wife A Bennett   Taped from television - B&W   23 December 2002 (1947) I don't know what it is about this movie. It's not a bad movie, but something holds it back from being a great movie. I've never been able to put my finger on it, but this time I may have puzzled it out: I don't think Cary Grant is in all his scenes. I think many times he was doubled. Why, I don't know. Maybe he was sick, maybe in his contract he had to work on every third day of production. Anyway, check out Ernie and Zuzu from "It's a Wonderful Life," and David Niven, who is more snippish than one would think most bishops would be to an angel. And that's always fun.

The Bourne Identity (2002) A Bennett   Hollywood Video   06 June 2003 To me, Matt Damon is like broccoli. I don’t like it, but if it stays out of my way I mostly don’t mind its actual existence. That said, this film was not unpleasant to watch, albeit forgettable on the whole. Written before Total Recall, The Long Kiss Goodnight, the Alias finale (though probably not before Spellbound), its subject matter of hysterical amnesia is always going to prove a compelling twist (as the Lifetime Channel attempts to illustrate for us again and again) to any storyline--and even more so to a story with espionage-ish run-for-your-life ties. Proficient characters are always good to watch, Damon’s many accents and languages seemed well-done and none of them inspired me to snicker at him behind my hand. Also, this film understood something essential about the stalking bad guy: the less he speaks the scarier he is. Viewing this really made me want to re-watch the Jacklyn Smith/Richard Chamberlain version from my youth, for which I still harbor pleasant memories.

The Bourne Supremacy A Bennett   Milford Giant Cineplex   16 September 2004 I still don’t know what the ‘Supremacy’ part of the title means, unless it’s that Bourne is the best of the Treadstone Project (?) A good time, though, and when I thought the script might sell-out the Bourne character and have him cry for some forgiveness in the final act, I found myself pleased to learn the contrary was fact. Two Xena/LoTR alumni (Karl Urban, Martin Csokas) make this a must-see, despite the ever-uglier carcass of Matt Damon decorating the playbill.

The Cat's Meow A Bennett   Hollywood Video Rental   01 September 2002 Let me save you some time: Charlie Chaplin was a good-hearted cad, and William Randolph Hearst a jealous, unstable man. For the same characters, but more fun, rent RKO 281 (about the making of Citizen Kane) with the excellent Liev Schreiber as Orson Welles and enjoy yourself.

The Devil and Miss Jones (1941 B&W) A Bennett   Hollywood Video Rental VHS   19 January 2003 Billed on the box as a comedy, I was disappointed in this film--had it been billed as the social satire that it indeed was, I may have been less dissatisfied. I wish there was more Charles Coburn and Jean Arthur out there for me to watch. Oh yes, and points for two *two* effigies in the film. Always pleased to see some nice effigy-work in films.

The Farmer's Daughter (1947) A Bennett   TiVo'd from PBS   06 April 2003 Oh my good heavens. What wants to be a Frank Capra-like film about truth and goodness and America and our forefathers gets so incredibly *boring* by the second hour that you don't even care if "Katie" the Swedish-American maid of the Congressman gets elected--or gets the man. You just really, really want her to stop chirping her lines like the Swedish Chef. A lot. How is it possible Loretta Young received an Oscar for this film?

The Four Feathers A Bennett   Milford Gigantic Cineplex   21 September 2002 There were many parts to this film that I enjoyed. The scope, the visuals, Djimon Honsou, Heath Ledger. I was disappointed to come home and find that many a reviewer dogged the film for not being political, for not being more than it was. A film about a man branded a coward by those closest to him, whose response to such mistreatment is the opposite of that of The Count of Monte Cristo's. A big film: fighting, dying, hardship, supposed redemption.

The Great Stork Derby A Bennett   Lifetime Original Movie   06 January 2003 The US doesn't have the market entirely cornered on really embarrassing historical events. This film depicts a race among (largely impoverished) Canadian women during the Depression attempting to give birth the most times over ten years in order to be awarded $1 million (Canadian) from a crackpot's strange will. Also chronicles the Toronto Star's complicity in covering (and in many ways) creating the event. A sad, sorry chapter in anyone's history.

The Guru A Bennett   Hollywood Video VHS rental   06 July 2003 Not as good as I wanted it to be. Should have focussed more on the (what I'm told is called) Bollywood connection, and less on the predictably bland romcom formulae. Heather Graham has devolved into all eyes and bone structure. Someone call craft services, stat.

The Hot Heiress (1931) A Bennett   TiVo'd from TCM   16 September 2004 Ona Munson, who one day would play Belle Watling to Clark Gable’s Rhett Butler, stars. There’s plenty of singing, though no musical numbers, and lots of necking to boot. I would say the plot is derivative (poor Depression-era riveter falls for wealthy society girl when a ‘hot bolt’ he’s working with on a high rise accidentally leaps into her nearby boudoir), but coming this early in the history of motion pictures, I’m instead forced to dub nearly every rom-com following it derivative. Take that, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.

The Hunchback A Bennett   Taped off of TV: TNT Original movie   02 November 2002 Made back when Selma Hayeck was still "Salma Hayeck" (my goodness she is a beautiful woman), this adaptation gets points if only for getting the story right, with an evil Frollo and a Quasimodo so strange and hideous it's hard to watch. Unbearably bleak.

The Inspector Lynley Mysteries: A Great Deliverance A Bennett   Taped off of PBS' Mystery! with Diana Rigg   02 September 2002 The under-used Nathaniel Parker as Lynley, the 8th earl of Asherton and Detective Inspector at Scotland Yard--compelling though he is--cannot quite bring the spark needed to juice up this series and its predictable, shockingly unshocking plot. Disappointing, but could improve with other installments.

The Italian Job A Bennett   DVD rental for 2004 "Marky-thon"   04 January 2004 Sort of disposeable, date-type film. Probably more car chases than I care to pay attention to (some with boats, but it's all the same). The female role was handled well, and I will remain a sucker for the training/preparation for a big heist sequences. A sin, though, that not only was Marky Mark's upper body imprisoned in clothing throughout, but he and Charlize Theron didn't even get to share any love moments. A chase and chaste film, sans even kissing. Wah.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen A Bennett   Viewed at Boston Radisson, in-room   16 September 2004 That smell? That smell is as fine an idea as I can imagine for a sci-fi/fantasy film being left for dead, and being, though not unwatchable, unintelligible, and needlessly crapping on—of all things—the fine work of Edgar Allan Poe’s genre-creating ‘Murders in the Rue Morgue’. An unintentioned laugh-riot to rival the likes of ‘Reign of Fire’, though perhaps somewhat less homo-erotic (though Peta Wilson’s—I hate to say it!--performance and attitude do leave one thinking she just might be a ‘gentleman’ in drag).

The Legend of 1900 (1998) A Bennett   TiVo'd from BRAVO   01 November 2003 For piano lovers, chiefly. Magical realism has Tim Roth as a man orphaned as newborn on an oceanliner in the titular year, becoming a piano virtuoso that neither sets foot once on land--takes a single lesson, nor hears music before setting down at the keyboard as a child and creating on-the-spot genius. An unfortunate ending fails to gather the film's disparate, pretty pieces into a moving whole.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Theatrical Version A Bennett   Springdale is the SECOND exit on I-275   07 December 2003 This version will only be in theatres until tomorrow, Thursday, Dec.11--when the extended version of 'The Two Towers' opens for its four-day run prior to Wednesday's 'Return of the King' debut. Carrying nearly 20 minutes of additional footage *IN ADDITION* to the additional 30-some minutes of footage available on the extended cut DVD, at three hours and fourty-five minutes, this is one long view. But, having known we were in for an EXTENDED level of enjoyment going in, I've no complaints. After all, who wouldn't like to spend more time in Lothlorien with Galadriel--and hear Celeborn actually get to speak? Or share more moments with Bilbo and Frodo, or Frodo and Gandalf--or pretty, pretty Legolas? Well, maybe some people wouldn't like it, but then again they wouldn't be me. Fellowship is a film I have loved since I first saw it two years ago. How pleasing it is to know that Peter Jackson understands what George Lucas never will: how to add things to your film that enhance the story, elucidate plot points, and _matter_. Besides, this cut? Still shorter than 'Gone With the Wind'.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Extended Theatrical Version A Bennett   Springdale: they gave away t-shirts,people cheered   13 December 2003 Put yourself in director Peter Jackson's place. Your contract states you *must* turn in the final cut of each film that is no longer than a set length. Your studio refuses to release anything longer than this into theatres. If you do not comply, someone else will decide on the final cut. Oh! What exquisite torture it must have been for Jackson to read the less-glowing reviews of The Two Towers! Especially since each and every criticsm made of this middle film is answered--yea, refuted--in this extended version! At three and a half hours (43 minutes longer than the original theatrical version) we have time to learn all about previously underdeveloped characters and storylines. Eomer gets introduced (and developed) properly; Eowyn gets scenes with Aragorn (who we learn is 87 years old--one of the Dunedin) that make her infatuation understandable, and even earned. In some excellent dramatic irony, we see Boromir get the order from his dad to attend Elrond's council in 'Fellowship', and we learn WHY Osgilliath is important to Faramir (and Gondor), and a little about who Faramir is, and why. Treebeard gets some more screen time (as do Gimli and pretty, pretty Legolas), and we see Pippin grow taller in Fangorn. The film's beginning and ending are altered by complete scenes, and valuable whimsy is infused where it had been lacking. Sam and Frodo actually smile (it doesn't last long)! And other happenings somewhat alleviate the darker tone of this mid-point. Unlike the extended "Fellowship", whose added parts are definitely a welcome addition--"Towers"' extras are/were actually *vital* to the film, and likely needed to build on for "Return of the King". Not to mention that extra scenes explain more than one 'deus ex machina' in the theatrical cut. (cont'd)

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Extended Theatrical Version A Bennett   1 of only 99 theatres in the country showing this   13 December 2003 (cont'd) Both my brother and my dad (repeat viewers of the original, truncated theatrical versions) announced post-credits rolling that they felt like they'd witnessed and entirely different--and greatly better--film than the original "Towers". As for myself, I'm still soaring on the experience--and a bit hesitant to take in "Return" this coming weekend--after all, perhaps I should just wait until Peter Jackson can release the story he actually meant to share, unedited, and in its full glory...of course, you'd be quite gullible to believe that I would be able to wait another year. Thank you, Peter Jackson, for showing us that what at first seemed a C+/B- was always, indeed, a Great Biggie A.

The Matrix Reloaded A Bennett   AMC Newport-on-the-Levee They serve Coke.   18 May 2003 Dear Official Print and Media Critics of Reloaded: SHUT *UP*. Your reviews are so tired, and so overly critical, as if The Matrix franchise had set out to cure cancer and had somehow let you down. So there’s some soliloquizing, so there’s a pastiche of some philosophy that you may or may not understand or care about. So there’s nothing new under the sun. So you think Keanu Reeves is an impassive actor whose talent (or lack thereof) you’ve never felt certain of. So what? Neo whines 600% less than Luke Skywalker. And he’s prettier. And, he has a girlfriend that’s not his sister…This film gave me a giddy feeling, like someone had shaken up a bottle of champagne and was waiting to uncork its fizzy goodness. And this feeling lasted hours (perhaps even days) after the credits rolled. I had forgotten how much Trinity ROCKS THE FREE WORLD. Just when I had decided they were relegating her to second place in this film, she TEARS THAT BUILDING DOWN. I loved grumpy Neo with his greatest fan, I was afraid for Morpheus on the freeway, happy to see the Oracle again, enjoyed the new characters and glitches that were introduced. People laughed together in the theatre, and when Morpheus gave a speech to the people of Zion, I wanted to stand up and cheer along with them. And I cannot wait for more Jada Pinkett Smith in the next film. If that makes me shallow, if that makes me the fan of a film that’s flawed, if that makes me a poor critical thinker: please, never tell me so to my face—I’ll probably just smile blithely back at you and recite something dialectic about the problem of free will, the root of causality, and the fact that Trinity? She kicks *high*.

The Matrix Revolutions A Bennett   Milford Giant Cineplex- I smuggled in a Chic-fil-A   08 November 2003 The sandwich was the best part.

The Mayor of Casterbridge (2001) A Bennett   TiVo'd from A&E who cut out more than an hour   26 August 2003 Dude? Dude. Wait--dude? Yeah.

The Notebook A Bennett   Lexington's The Regal $1.50   11 September 2004 Predictable script only saved by former 'The Young Hercules' star Ryan Gosling's amazing acting ability, particularly in the early half. For some reason he's either gotten his teeth 'fixed', or a la Christian Bale has been made to wear a denture. Not that there was anything wrong with his teeth in the first place...

The Pianist A Bennett   Hollywood Video DVD   08 June 2003 A sentimentality-free two and a half-hours (a bargain at any price). Easy to dismiss as overrated and just as easy to canonize as a new classic and an “Important” film, _The _Pianist_ is perhaps a bit of both. Told with a starkness of dialogue and narrative line, as though the German occupation of Poland and ensuing extermination of its population (Jewish and other) robbed the story of embellishments as much as the times robbed the main character of his dignity, the film stands as remarkable on two points. Point One: It tells us not one single new thing about war, suffering, or survival—or even, specifically, about World War II in Europe. And in doing so it wastes none of our time (or its momentum) with lectures, indictments or revelations. Point Two: In giving us a main character of whom we know very little before the War, and whose anguish and privation consume his character (and viewers) so fully as the film goes forward that we end the film similarly dis-acquainted with this man, and how he might be in the post-War society, this film offers an incredible gift: the journey of a single man, specific, yet general; a man boiled down to basest parts--and yet a man whose nobility and larger humanity illustrate that such things cannot be stolen from us without our own complicity.

The Pleasure of His Company (1961) A Bennett   TiVo'd from AMC a.m.   28 September 2003 Fred Astaire, as a globe-trotting ne'er do well, arrives to attend his daughter's wedding. In the past 15 years he's seen her (Debbie Reynolds) three times--the last time she was about 11--written a letter or two, and missed every birthday in between. But she's still crazy for him, as is her now-remarried-to-a-stable-boor mother. He nearly stops the wedding (as is his intent)--but the fact that this film can't decide between sincerity and heartbreak OR farcical comedy is probably a worse offense. Does anyone really want to watch Fred Astaire and Debbie Reynolds in societal critique? No one at my house does.

The Shop Around the Corner A Bennett   Netflix DVD   06 March 2004 Jimmy Stewart falls (inexplicably) in love with a shrewish harpy, played by Mia Farrow's mother (no, really), because she's so much nicer/better/less shrewish in longhand. Not much time is spent on the regular epistles that bring their hearts together, leaving you wondering a great big, all caps, 'W-H-Y'. Apparently an early entry in the 'they hate each other; it must be love' school of film--except in this case it really did seem that they hated each other and that we, as the audience, at least, hated her. Needlessly set in Hungary.

The Thrill of It All (1963) A Bennett   TiVo'd from AMC   22 May 2003 James Garner hates his wife, Doris Day. Sure, his jealousy, insecurity and misogyny are hidden under the very thin surface of this 60s-era comedy. It turns the stomach nonetheless to watch him attempt to convince her he's having an affair, has a drinking problem, and even--great Jehosephat--impregnate her as part of a wickeder-than-the-writers-want-us-to-believe scheme to get her to give up working outside the home and go back to being his on-call housefrau. Also includes a baby delivered in New York City traffic to a woman who neither sweats, nor cries out, nor removes her mink coat.

The Tuxedo A Bennett   Milford Gigantic Cineplex   28 September 2002 Someday Hollywood may come to understand what wonder is Jackie Chan, until such time, avoid Hollywood's bizarre misunderstanding and rent the Hong Kong films. Supercop costarring Michele Yeoh is a particular favorite.

The Unforgiven A Bennett   TiVo'd from Hallmark "the Western" Channel   04 August 2005 1960’s John Huston western. In which Audrey Hepburn is **REVEALED TO BE A KIOWA**. Interesting, but so long and detached and full of violence toward the Indians, it’s hard to give a succinct statement on it. Tries to deal with problems of racism.

There's No Business Like Show Business (1954) A Bennett   TiVo'd from AMC am   17 January 2004 I had only planned to TiVo-zip through this to quickly watch a few great musical numbers I could recall. No dice, the whole movie is great musical numbers. And Donald O'Connor's performance is really, really great, and believable. It's not hard to see why Marilyn Monroe (coincidentally in one of the only roles I can watch her in) falls for him, despite his unconventional lack of matinee idol good looks. Also, a double helping of Ethel Merman: Great legs, great pipes, and a whole lotta heart. And I think that Dan Dailey actually does full-contact smack O'Connor.

Tomb Raider 2: The Cradle of Life A Bennett   DVD rental, Bothell, WA   04 July 2004 [Viewer’s Note: I have never seen film 1.] Directed by ‘Speed’s Jan De Bont, and sharing a lot of that film’s structure, the first half or so of this film was pretty much fun. Attractive leads, pretty locations, potential romantic chemistry. Fights. In fact, at the act break I had expected the film to wrap up, rather than (like ‘Speed’ post-saving the bus) take off on an entirely brand new course of action. Had it ended there I could have been quite happy. Couldn’t have explained the plot, sure, but was feeling entertained. Instead, part two’s only positive addition was an appearance by Djimon Hounsou. JulieG’s review kind of shocked me, I thought she was equally enjoying herself. Perhaps it was my desire to have director’s commentary off during the DVD’s deleted scenes that sent her review south. Bonus star just for use of at least three Highlander: The Series alumni.

Two Weeks Notice A Bennett   Hollywood Video DVD   03 May 2003 Much funnier that it would ever have been without Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock. A higher functioning romantic comedy, lacking most of the mean-spiritedness most films currently made in this genre seem to suffer from. Possibly/Likely/Definitely Bullock's best film since her pre-Hope Floats era (though I did enjoy her in Forces of Nature). Did I mention it's funny? This film? Why is finding a funny, non-meanspirited, non-potty humor film so hard theses days? Why?

Two Weeks' Notice A Bennett   Whistler's Other Video Store   12 April 2005 One of the better (the best, even?) romcoms to come out in the last five years. Bullock & Grant should re-team. An even better script would surely create even better results.

Under the Tuscan Sun A Bennett   Milford Overlord Gigantic Cineplex   11 October 2003 From my, "Life Lessons" Notebook of Musings, the page marked, "Under the Tuscan Sun." Lesson Number One: The only way to get over being dumped by someone is to sleep with someone else who is, preferably, hotter than the person who dumped you. Lesson Number Two: Even if you are successful and well-respected in your job, responsible in your personal life, have positive effects on those around you, participate in your community, move to another country where you do not speak the language but manage to successfully renovate a home and command Polish-speaking carpenters WHILE at the same time you learn to cook fine cuisine, unite Romeo and Juliet-like lovers, make friends and support (emotionally and financially) your best friend having a baby, you will still not be considered (by yourself or others) to be successful in life until you've managed to find some version of lasting romantic love--with Christopher from Gilmore Girls.

Underworld A Bennett   AMC Newport-on-the-Levee; no popcorn this time   04 October 2003 Visually interesting to me, even though it is entirely shot in the dark, making the film seem as though all action passes in the space of a single, neverending night. I enjoyed this film, which has been pounded by critics. My position probably isn't defensible. After all, it was about 25 minutes longer than it should have been. It draws on a post-Matrix language of film. The characters tend toward mono-dimensional as much as the graphic novel genre in which the story is set. I don't find the leading man attractive. Kate Beckinsale kicked in a lot of doors. I want to know where all the lady werewolves are. I have a lot of questions that weren't answered. But I find myself still thinking about it. I really liked the heroine. Kristin complains she didn't do much--which is true, compared to a 'Charlie's Angels'-film female, she doesn't trounce a great many people on-screen with her vamp-fu. Then again, she doesn't traipse around pretending to be male eye candy, either. Selene is a rare breed of female heroine that I find myself liking; she's externally tough, taciturn, an actual thinker. Her focus is laser-sharp. She exhibits physical prowess just often enough so that you know she can mess you--and just about anyone else she wants to--up. She doesn't really have time or interest in your crap. She has a sort of sad backstory. And in the final shot, the guy follows HER off screen. Every movie doesn't need a Selene, but I enjoyed her in this one. Points for only three true Matrix-like stunt shots; in their restraint they proved more effective. Points also for stop-motion vs. CGI effects that I will, perhaps, always prefer. Points for an ending that also serves as a beginning. Points for vampiric transformations that actually are much less ugly (I'm thinking all those veins in 'Interview', and all those forehead wrinkles in 'Buffy/Angel') than they are groovy. I liked this film much more than either X-Men film--or Spiderman (sorry, Mr. Raimi!).

Underworld (cont'd) A Bennett   AMC Newport-on-the-Levee; no popcorn this time   04 October 2003 This review of a film so few would probably want to see is way too long. Laugh it up, Mike Gadd--the lacrosse stick's waiting to wail on you.

Veronica Guerin A Bennett   Hollywood Video DVD   04 August 2005 Somehow Jerry Bruckheimer was attached to this production. The violence is so real it’s upsetting, the story is dark (and allegedly true) and the bad men are truly, unredeemably bad. After all, it’s an Irish story. Cate Blanchett should be given a small kingdom (I’m thinking Monaco, or even Vatican City) in recognition of her performance here. Is there nothing she can’t do? I’d pay to watch her portray an African tribesman in Shaka Zulu’s time.

Warrior Queen A Bennett   TiVo'd from PBS' Mobil Masterpiece Theatre   16 October 2003 The only mistake the Romans made was letting her live.

Waterloo Bridge (1940) A Bennett   Taped off TV: Turner Classic Movies   03 November 2002 A story about ruin, and prostitution during WWI. Remarkable for many reasons, but largely for its ability to never once utter the word prostitution--yet never fails to get the point across. A perennial Alicia favorite, to both view and discuss.

We're Not Married! (1952) A Bennett   TiVo'd from AMC a.m.   01 October 2003 Five couples, in pre-Altman vignettes, learn that due to a technicality years prior their marriages are not legally binding. Marilyn Monroe and Man #1 are thrilled to learn she can now compete and win *Miss* America (non-husband, baby and all), after which they remarry. Eddie Bracken and Woman #2 rush to find a way to remarry before he is shipped off to Korean combat and she gives birth to their first child. Man #3 burns the letter, seemingly intent on not telling Eve Arden of their situation (yet in the last moments they re-wed as well), so loathe he is to jump back into the expensive live of the dating game. Zsa Zsa Gabor's marriage (and subsequent divorce proceedings) are caught in the wacky misunderstanding when she learns she was never married to very very rich Man #4. His infidelity--a hoax she herself initiated--loses her Man #4, and as a result of the glitch he keeps all his assets, both wiser and richer. Ginger Rogers and Man #5 prove the oddest situation of the five--married only so that they can win the spot of a coveted radio gig as "Mr. & Mrs.", the intervening years find them hateful and unhappy--except on air. Why they married in the first place was enough of a mystery. Why they choose in the final seconds of the film to remarry is even more so. Misery, perhaps, loves matrimony.

Wet Hot American Summer A Bennett   TiVo'd from Comedy Central   15 June 2004 Entertainment Weekly warned me that, by watching on Comedy Central, I'd be getting a less wet, less hot--and possibly less American version of this film. I confess, it was totally daffy (particularly the second part when the 'errant piece of Skylab' plot popped up). Who knows what I would have thought of it had I not been viewing it alone. As it was, though, it was awfully funny. Including arguably the funniest on-screen kiss ever. Did I mention it was funny? Why aren't they making funny movies anymore? P.S. As the Gephart parents once said of the original Austin Powers: 'but it's just full of sex jokes'. And I think, maybe, that goes for this film, too. The only thing I can say in my defense? At least I'm not giving high ratings to excretory humor [I'm looking at you Adam Sandler. And you, Ben Stiller]. (Small consolation, I know)

Whale Rider A Bennett   TiVo'd from Oxygen (and thank you, Oxygen!)   05 March 2004 I LOVE NEW ZEALAND! AND ITS PRIME MINISTER, HELEN CLARK! This film broke my heart (in a good way, I think). I felt real peril for Pai, the main character, emotionally and physically, and am willing to dismiss a nagging in the back of my mind that says her drive to be a leader had less to do with any idea she hatched on her own, than with a desire to please the men in her life and find acceptance/approval from them. I read a review that said Keisha Castle-Hughes did not deserve an Oscar nomination because she was a child who was only doing what the director told her. Well, if that's the case (and it so isn't), I wish all the Harry Potter kids and every other child in film could 'do what they're told' even a quarter as well as she did. ALSO, I LOVE THE MAORI!

What's Cooking? (2000) A Bennett   TiVo'd from Lifetime   30 November 2003 I probably don't watch enough Joan Chen films. Four families, each of a different race, confront issues that divide family members from one another (most having to do with matters of romantic love and choice of partners) during the Thanksgiving holiday. Stories only tangentially touch until the final moments, when it is revealed that each of the four own a house at the same intersection in suburban LA. Contains the occasional, small moment (as with Alfre Woodard and Mercedes Ruehl's seperate performances) that proves very rewarding.

Wimbledon A Bennett   Hollywood Video DVD   04 August 2005 Sort of surprising this charming film of good acting didn’t make more of a splash. Granted, I know nothing of tennis, but the two leads have chemistry to spare. Could have done without the lengthy, wooden, and painful cameos by John McEnroe and Chris Everett as announcers. The world cannot have enough diverting films that manage to entertain.

Xanadu (1980) A Bennett   TiVo'd off AMC a.m.   28 February 2004 I've consistently steered clear of this film my entire life, due to its reputation as one of the WORST films of all time, only to find that after watching it that that reputation REALLY, REALLY is not deserved. I mean, this is no cinematic giant, and the plot is really not at all cohesive (or logical, for that matter) but this fluffy star-vehicle for Olivia Newton-John hardly seems worthy of anything like ire. I will say that the direction/cinematography is something even I might have been better able to manage with just a hand-held video camera. And the special effects often seem to be something they bought at a discount from the people who made TRON (who did not have room to use them in their own film). ON-J plays one of the original Greek muses (Terpsichore, I believe), sent to earth by Zeus (still, post-Clash of the Titans miraculously around--though no one would think of him again until Hercules: The Legendary Journeys) to inspire a man who looks a lot like a cross between Heath Ledger and a lost Gibb brother to open a skating discotheque, bankrolled by a 68-year-old Gene Kelly. That's right. Gene Kelly, 68 years old, and the moment the camera pauses on him and he dances, his frame sloughs off some thirty years and he moves with the grace and athleticism of his ultra-talented youth. In other news, at the film's end, ON-J is called back 'home' by Zeus (and someone I assume is Hera, in some voice-over cameos), and though Heath Gibb claims to love only her and pine if she leaves, when she does, it only takes some other woman (also played by ON-J) to strut onto screen as a passing cocktail waitress to change his mind entirely. Oh, Heath Gibb! The callowness of youth! It's not a Barbie if it doesn't say 'Mattel' on the package. And it's never in your best interest to make promises to immortals that you don't intend to (or cannot) keep.

X-Men 2 X-Men United A Bennett   Great Escape 14 and Dairy Queen   03 May 2003 Comic books benefit from a character roster similar in size to the population of a former Soviet Republic. Two-hour films? Not so much. X-Men is a character-cluttered franchise--one that would fit perfectly if studios were still making weekly or monthly movie serials as they did in the 30s and 40s, but as is, one that would better develop after some pruning (or at least from establishing a firm focus on only two or three mutants). The cut wouldn't be a hard one to make, actors like Hugh Jackman and Gandalf--I mean Ian McKellan--are more than able to carry a film. And can anyone debate the fact that Jackman's Wolverine has the most riveting plot line/character conflict? Too many storylines, not enough for characters to do--it makes a pretty flash, but one that doesn't manage to stay with you after the lights come up. (And consequently, one I wish *would*. There's such potential here. I am sorry to see it treated more cheaply than I would prefer.)

Young At Heart (1954) A Bennett   TiVo'd from AMC a.m.   11 November 2003 Everyone in this film tells Doris Day what to do, so, in turn she tells Frank Sinatra what to do. Inexplicably he likes this enough to conceive a child with her--though the duo never share a single kiss onscreen. Somewhat Douglas Sirk-ian in its conception and execution. Important, life altering drama takes place regularly, but for the most part no one in the cast breaks a sweat. Also stars the Skipper (aka Alan Hale). Question: is Frank Sinatra the original 98-lb. weakling? His physical size in this picture raises the question of whether he thought he had been cast in a Holucaust drama.