Potiche

IMDB: Potiche

Source: Cinema

Date viewed: March 14, 2011

A friend invited us to go to a local International Film Festival screening of this film, and until it started I didn't even know the title. It turned out to be quite entertaining. Catherine Deneuve is fantastic. It's not perfect, but it's not too bad. - T

Potiche had panache. Deneuve looks great and is very good in her role. Jérémie Renier as her son entertains. But, as I find is often the case, there was a little something wrong with the ending. - A

Parking Lot Movie

IMDB: Parking Lot Movie

Source: Netflix streaming

Date viewed: March 13, 2011

Chosen largely for its runtime of 74 minutes, this turned out to be a very enjoyable movie. I am thankful for the image of the traffic-cone monster being lassoed and whipped, and I loved the unbridled contempt. This might just be the feel-good movie of the season! Stream it today! - T

If you are going to use your car to get someplace, at some point, you are going to have to park it. This movie shows how some people deal with that fact of life and with the parking lot attendants. - A

The American

IMDB: The American

Source: Netflix

Date viewed: March 7, 2011

Boring and pointless. - T

I have no idea what they were going for here, story-wise, but Clooney looked good. - A

The Pillars of the Earth

IMDB: The Pillars of the Earth

Source: Netflix streaming

Date viewed: March 4, 2011 (final installment)

Too much strife for too little payoff. What should I have expected, I suppose, for a Middle Ages tale of deceit and war? Well, tough. I hated almost all of the main characters, except for Eddie Redmayne, and even he was hatable at times. It was not worth the eight-hour commitment. - T

All kinds of stupid, but it did get me to brush up on the British monarchy of the period. - A

Bright Star

IMDB: Bright Star

Source: Netflix streaming

Date viewed: February 20, 2011

I liked that this made me look into Keats's poetry a little more, but I have a love/hate relationship with bio-pics, which really is more of just a hate relationship. This one wasn't so bad, though, because I didn't really expect truth, I just expected a story based loosely on truth. Paul Schneider made Mr. Brown very hatable, which may or may not have been the real case, but now I'm going to be prejudiced against him... see what I mean? Anyway, Keats was a nice poet. It's a shame he died so young, but at least he was able to glean some of his teeming brain, and now high piled books, in charact'ry, hold like rich garners the grain of those who attempt to deconstruct the huge cloudy symbols of his high genius. - T

Hunh? - A

Good Dick

IMDB: Good Dick

Source: Netflix streaming

Date viewed: February 15, 2011

I liked Marianna Palka, and I wanted to like this film, but in the end it was sadly unsatisfying. - T

I was more satisfied with Good Dick than was my esteemed colleague. The ending seemed to follow smoothly and appropriately from all the prior build up. - A

Star Trek

IMDB: Star Trek

Source: Netflix streaming

Date viewed: February 13, 2011

Second viewing. Holds up very well. - T

Great! It boldly went where it had to go. - A

Ginger and Cinnamon

IMDB: Ginger and Cinnamon

Source: Netflix streaming

Date viewed: February 8, 2011

Loved it. - T

Ditto. - A

The Third Man

IMDB: The Third Man

Source: Netflix streaming

Date viewed: February 6, 2011

For some reason I had it in my head that this was a Hitchcock movie, but it's not. It was directed by Carol Reed. And now that that's out of the way, I can say that it was an enjoyable thriller. - T

I enjoyed the setting, most of the characters, and the plot twists. The ending could have been managed better. - A

Best in Show

IMDB: Best in Show

Source: Netflix streaming

Date viewed: February 5, 2011

Second viewing, but it holds up very well. Parker Posey, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, John Michael Higgins and Fred Willard are all fantastic. Hilarious. - T

I second my esteemed colleague's review of our second viewing of this film. - A

Someone Like You

IMDB: Someone Like You

Source: Netflix streaming

Date viewed: February 3, 2011

Ridiculous and terrible, but enjoyable enough when seen in the right company. Too little of Marisa Tomei. - T

Poor. And why not allow Hugh Jackman to have an Australian accent in the movie? Would that be so wrong?- A

Man on Wire

IMDB: Man on Wire

Source: Netflix streaming

Date viewed: January 29, 2011

Interesting story of the very well thought out and very well documented (it seems as though they knew all along that they'd make this film) stunt of tightroping between the two towers. The main character, despite not being entirely likable, is remarkable in his abilities and his daring. - T

The man walks a fine line between crazy and cool. The emotional impact this event had on the participants was fascinating. - A

Croupier

IMDB: Croupier

Source: Netflix streaming

Date viewed: January 21, 2011

I did not like this film. - T

Turns out, the movie wasn't about serious lung ailments. Who knew? It might have been better if it had been. - A