Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: An out of work governess (Frances McDormand) shows up at an American actress's (Amy Adams) loft, and pretends the employment agency has sent her to work as the actress's "social secretary." This one day together changes both of their destinies forever.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Frances McDormand, Amy Adams, Ciaran Hinds, Shirley Henderson, Lee Pace, Tom Payne, Mark Strong

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. It's cute but totally predictable, light, and theatrically hyper-stylized.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Maybe.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you're hungry. (That's an inside joke between me and the people who have actually seen the movie.)

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Keep your eye on the costume design. Amy Adams' clothes are original and classic looking at the same time, for this 1939 set piece. And man, is she good at wearing the stuff! She manages to walk and saunter in ways that draw your attention to the flow of every article of clothing she wears, as it sweeps off of her dramatically. Additionally, there is a lingerie show in the film that reinforces the costume designer's (Michel O'Connor) undeniable cache of talent.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Frances McDormand is an old pro, but Amy Adams, while remaining one of the most enjoyable actresses to watch on screen, may be a little over the top in this one. Though her performance is grounded in reality, she seems to be living in a heightened reality as compared to most of the other characters in the film-- which worked perfectly in Enchanted, but is a tad too much here.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: It is reminiscent of a 1940s comedy, which is clearly exactly the point.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Though based on a book, it feels more like it's based on a play. The characters are few, and it is very self-contained, sometimes requiring the kind of coincidence that can only be pulled off on a live-theater stage. The old fashioned farcical elements are strong, but as a film, it could perhaps have been opened up a bit.

Back To Top

The Bank Job

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: The true story of a group of small time criminals who are covertly hired by high level English secret service men to rob a bank, so that they can recover compromising photographs of Princess Margaret.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Jason Statham, Saffron Burrows, Richard Lintern, Stephen Campbell Moore, Daniel Mays, Michael Jibson, Hattie Morahan, David Suchet, Peter De Jersey

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! It's hard to believe this incredible story really happened. What seems like a simple heist gets gradually more and more complicated, as it begins to include and affect top level government officials and crime lords. It's at the top of its genre.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Whether from the tension or the dark humor, the audience will be listening to your reactions--

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: --none of which will be crying.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: It's the kind of movie that should be recognized for Editing Awards, but isn't.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Jason Statham is raw. Saffron Burrows is pretty.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The pacing is perfect. It starts fast and never lets up.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: At first, it's hard to keep up, but pay attention. Before you know it, you will have a handle on everything, and be glad you stuck with it, as it twists and turns in clever and ever more complicated ways.

Back To Top

Married Life

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: Based on the 1951 pulp novel, "Five Roundabouts to Heaven", by John Bingham, this is the story of a man (Chris Cooper) who is cheating on his wife (Patricia Clarkson), and decides that killing her would be easier on her than getting a divorce.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Chris Cooper, Patricia Clarkson, Rachel McAdams, Pierce Brosnan, David Wenham

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Go! A smart, mature movie for adults, that keeps you wondering what's going to happen next.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Yes, there is an underlying dark humor boiling under the surface of the drama.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: No, but it will have you on the edge of your seat-- emotionally-- not in an action way.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: Could do, if it's remembered in the fall. The script and Patricia Clarkson's performance are worthy.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: It stars Chris Cooper, Patricia Clarkson, Rachel McAdams and Pierce Brosnan-- how do you think the acting is?!

Q: How is the Directing?

A: I was sitting in the second row, underneath what was possibly the biggest screen I've ever seen, so I'm going to go with: very tall... In other words, from my seat it was hard to get a fair view of the visuals, and I don't think I'm in a position to judge.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Clever, original, and constantly turning in unlikely directions. Right when you think you know what's going to happen next, you find out that you don't. It lets you think, and puts your morality in direct conflict with your compassion. And here's the most unlikely part... one of the writers was also responsible for the hateful script known as I'm Not There.

Back To Top

The Savages

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: A brother and sister (Philip Seymour Hoffman & Laura Linney) find out that their father has dementia, and struggle with their choice to put him in a nursing home.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Laura Linney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Philip Bosco, Peter Friedman, Gbenga Akinnagbe, David Zayas

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Stop! It all plays very much like real life. You know what else plays like real life? The annoyed sighing, yawning, and shifting in their seats of the audience. The difference is we, the audience, had the decency not to put our struggle to get through these boring 2 hours on film and assume people would want to watch it.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: My friends and I giggled when we realized we had all lost interest in what was happening on the screen.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: You'll have to bring your own personal baggage to the theater if you want to achieve tears this time. Preferably something to do with a parent who mistreated you as a child, and now hardly knows who you are, due to dementia... although I'm sure Alzheimer's or amnesia would do the trick, as well.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: The Spirit Awards have the annoying habit of confusing the terms "boring" and "great," when they're deciding who to recognize. As was to be expected, they nominated this one for Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Actor.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney live up to their reputations as indy darlings.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: The film has a very independent, low budget look. It starts out with some interesting stylized shots of old ladies dancing in cheer leading outfits, but soon forgets where it started. The established style gets completely dropped. The one consistency is the frequent shots of the sky. Bo-ring.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: I'm so tired of "small film" being equated with "pointless film." This is the kind of story that keeps audiences away from small movies.

Back To Top

Enchanted

Q: What’s the movie about?

A: An animated fairy tale princess (Amy Adams) falls through a magical well, which leads her straight to New York City, where she becomes a three dimensional live-action person, who is lost and confused in this strange and deeply jaded new world.

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A: Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, Susan Sarandon, Timothy Spall, Idina Menzel, Rachel Covey, and the voice of Julie Andrews

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A: Proceed with Caution. This is a very cute movie with a very cute premise, but it wasn’t quite as clever as I hoped it would be. There were several winks and references to classic Disney animated tales, but all the jokes that really drive home the concept are in the preview trailer. Still enjoyable, it’s just not as spectacular as its premise had the potential to be.

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A: Yes, although not as often as it should.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A: If you’re under three, and scared of dragons, maybe.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A: The composers, Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, might add to their enormous collections of Oscars. I say this because the Academy often chooses its nominees based on the, “To know him is to love him,” principal. And since between the two of them they already have more than enough statues to bowl with, I conclude that the Academy knows them, and therefore loves them.

Q: How is the Acting?

A: Amy Adams is truly a pleasure to watch. Her comic timing as well as her sense of joy will sweep you off your feet. Meanwhile, James Marsden proves once again that he’s not to be discounted as just a pretty face. Between the way he commits to this role as a cartoon prince, and his role earlier this year in Hairspray, he is quickly proving himself a force to be reckoned with in the broad comedy arena.

Q: How is the Directing?

A: Having begun his career as an animator, and moved his way up to experienced director of both animation and live-action, Kevin Lima is probably most appropriate director they could have found for this piece.

Q: How is the story/script?

A: Close, but no cigar. While the movie is not particularly flawed, for me there were a few moments that were just a little too “easy.” The supposedly jaded, Robert’s (Dempsey) willingness to bring this seemingly insane woman into his house—where his young daughter sleeps—as well as his willingness to bring her to work, and to forgive her for cutting up his curtains are all good examples of moments that could have used a little more justification, which in turn might have deepened the levels of the tale. Sometimes the story forwent real-world logic a little too much in favor of fairy tale logic, and in so doing lost opportunities for both humor and cleverness.

Back To Top