Rocket Science (2007)

This is a story about a young boy with a stuttering problem finding his voice, who knew it would be the voice of anger and revenge? 15-year-old Hal Hefner (Reece Thompson) is an outsider both at home and at school. He has a terrible stutter and doesn't know how to overcome it and find a way to fit in somewhere. He meets and falls in love with the star of the high school debate team, Ginny Reyerson (Anna Kendrick), and even joins the team due to his crush's urging. All is bound to not go well, especially with her intense drive to win and his intense love for her.

Reece Thompson and Anna Kendrick in ye olde cheese wagon

Everything about this movie is completely irreverent - the characters, the story and even the music. Have I mentioned how I love irreverent? Plus, all of the young actors are amazingly good and the script is pretty darn tight too. At first, the story is hard to follow, then you think it might be meandering, but once the surprise "evil plot" in the film is uncovered you realize the story has all been leading up to the unveiling. Very cool.

I love the conversation that is taking place in the scene the above picture is taken from. Ginny is telling Hal about how she was identified a few years ago as having debate potential and as such, she must strive to ferret out other folks that have similar talent and she believes Hal is such a person. She sums it up with, "I ferreted you".

The downside of this is that even though this is completely original and not predictable, about halfway through I had the eerie feeling I was sitting through a Wes Anderson film. I don't think that is really the fault of the writer/director Jeffrey Blitz. I doubt that he sat down with the idea of ripping off a Wes Anderson film, but yet, it is unmistakable how similar it is to the feeling of "Rushmore" or "Royal Tenenbaums".

Overall I would say this is very quirky, very irreverent and funny so your funny bone definitely needs to lean in the quirky/irreverent direction to appreciate this one. Needless to say, if you like Wes Anderson films, you will love this one.

Step Brothers (2008)

I have been pretty sick for the past few days and I have a hard time with high brow films while I am near death's door (slight exaggeration there) so I almost always reach for the stupidest thing I can find. Luckily, Netflix had just sent me "Step Brothers" and well, that certainly fits the requirement.

Mary Steenburgen, Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly and Richard Jenkins as a picture-perfect dysfunctional family

Dr. Robert Doback (Richard Jenkins) and Nancy Huff (Mary Steenburgen) meet, fall in love, marry and move in together in the first 10 minutes or so of this film. Their happily ever after is tested by their middle-aged sons who both still live at home with no desire to move out or on. Even worse, Brennan Huff (Will Ferrell) and Dale Doback (John C. Reilly) hate each other instantly and turn the newlyweds home into a war zone.

I find it funny that after dissing "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" I am so quickly back into Judd Apatow land. I can't seem to escape him. Of course, this isn't a romantic comedy, it is definitely a dude's comedy so that is totally cool beans with me. I won't do a full in-depth review of this as ... I am not really sure it is possible to do that credibly. This film is exactly what you expect from a Ferrell movie - constant low-brow humor with shining moments of comedic genius scattered here and there into the fabric of the film. I usually don't love these kinds of films, but I chuckle now and then and forget that I am sick and miserable, at least for an hour and a half, which I consider to be a very good thing.

I would say my biggest surprise of the film was Richard Jenkins. I have seen his face everywhere, it seems, in the past couple of years as a character actor. The thing that amazes me is his range - he excels in drama (example "The Visitor" or "North Country") and also excels in comedy (example "Step Brothers" or "Burn After Reading"). I am going to keep a watch out for future films of his as he seems to be full of surprising, brilliant performances.

I guess the bottom line on this is if you are into dude comedies or Apatow creations or Ferrell's films - this is a great one for those fans and you MUST see this. If you don't really dig low-brow, somewhat stupid comedy, give it a pass and pull out a foreign film. :-)

Marty (1955)

Marty Piletti (Ernest Borgnine) is a lonely butcher from the Bronx who lives with his mother and has little hope for ever finding a woman to marry. Luck is on his side one Saturday night when he finds a lonely schoolteacher, Clara Snyder (Betsy Blair), who shares the same fears about never finding someone to marry. That should be the happy end to the story, but as his family and friends dismiss her as unsuitable for him, does he go with his heart or cave to everyone's opinions?

Marty and his Ma

The first thing that really stood out to me about this film is that it is more like our modern character-driven type independent movies. It is just a story about Marty. No twists of plot, no sub-plot, just a straight-forward movie about Marty. I think that was pretty unusual for the time. In fact, I read that Burt Lancaster helped finance this film because he believed it would bomb and he planned to use it as a tax write off. Oops.

The second thing is that I don't see either characters as terribly ugly like they are referenced in the film. Poor Betsy Blair is referenced as a dog more than one time, yet, although she may be a tad bit plain, she is in no way a dog. I expect that if you stepped out of Hollywood, both Betsy and Ernie would be average looking folk and not "dogs".

Ernie won a Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Marty. I have to say that both he and Betsy did great jobs in this. I use the word subtle often, but there are several scenes where it calls for a close-up of Ernie's face where he is being rejected or hurt and he does a good job of allowing it to come across. The scene where he calls a woman he met for a date is so painful. She rejects him numerous time and he closes his eyes as if to shield himself from the rejection. Really heart wrenching. In another scene he talks about how he was so depressed he considered suicide, not your average fare, and it is very touching.

I am not sure if some of the lines are supposed to be funny because they are usually in such a serious scene, but one I found kind of funny was when Marty and his mother were having a fight over her desire for him to go out in hopes of meeting a girl. Marty yells at her, "I am just a fat little man. A fat, ugly man." His mother calmly replies, "You're not ugly."

Another one is when Marty is dancing with Clara. He says, "Your not such a dog as you think you are." What a swell pick-up line. :-)

The one thing I had trouble with was believing that Marty would even listen to the people telling him that Clara is not worthy of him. Here is a man that was just saying no woman ever pays him any attention. He finds a decent woman that is interested in him. He enjoys talking to her and has a good time. When he drops her off he is so excited he can hardly contain himself. So, after that, a few unkind words from people who selfishly don't want to share him with a wife and he suddenly isn't sure if he should call her up again? I mean, excuse me? Not only that, but he promised her he would call and the whole movie builds up what a nice guy he is that always helps others and does what is right. I know him questioning calling her is crucial to the plot - it is the whole movie - but I just had hard time believing his indecision.

The last thing that I loved was a quote from Marty's mom when she was talking to her sister. I hope to use this quote some day in the future. She said, "Where you go, rain goes. Some day you are going to smile and we are going to have a big holiday." I love that line. I can think of so many people that would be appropriate for.

I fear that some people might find this a bit of a boring movie since nothing really happens - it is all about Marty having to make a choice to call up this girl for a second date or not. The acting is really well done as is the directing. I think it is a fine film for anyone who enjoys character-driven dramas. If you don't, you will probably fall asleep about halfway in.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

I had been saving this movie for when I really needed a stupid comedy to make me laugh. Since I haven't been feeling well, I thought there was no better time than the present. The fact that expectations were semi-high is always a sign for disaster.

Movie Poster of "Forgetting Sarah Marshall"

A lovable loser type music composer Peter Bretter (Jason Segel) gets his heart broken after a 5 year relationship with TV star girlfriend Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell). He has a really hard time getting over her so he decides to go to Hawaii for a change of scenery so he can forget her. Of course, as fate would have it, she happens to be vacationing at the same resort with her current rock star boyfriend Aldous Snow (Russell Brand).

Before I say anything else, let me first say that I do not mind puerile, mindless comedy. I do not mind some crude humor here and there. I laughed at "Borat" and actually loved "SuperBad". This one which is closer to a romantic comedy, should be right up my alley then, right? Wrong.

I had to ponder to figure out what the difference was - why I didn't like this one - but liked the others. It finally occurred to me that this is a romantic comedy ... for DUDES. Borat was a comedy and SuperBad was a buddy comedy - that's cool beans. But now we need to make romantic comedies for dudes? I almost find it offensive. Almost all genres of movies are already focused on the male audience so we have to take one of the few genres previously known as chick flicks and make those for men too? What about movies for women? Do we as an audience no longer matter at all?

That is why I didn't like this movie very much. I don't mind going in to see a men's comedy, a men's buddy film, a men's action movie - I know what I am going to get from them and enjoy many of them. But I also like to see the occasional chick flick. I am worried that there is a new trend of trying to add elements that men find funny into the chick flicks so more men will watch them too. I will be honest, I don't want my romantic comedies littered with stupid penis jokes and crude humor every five seconds. I will watch a guy's comedy for that stuff, not a romantic comedy done up for dudes. If we sit through their "death and destruction" movies to be with them they should be willing to sit through a true "chick flick" with us.

Feh. Please, anyone else seen this and have an opinion?

Count Three And Pray (1955)

This is going to be a review-lite as I didn't expect to watch this when I stumbled across it. It went something like this: I couldn't sleep, turned on TCM and this one was just starting and I couldn't help but watch the whole thing.

Movie Poster - best graphic I could find

Luke Fargo (Van Heflin) returns from the Civil War to find an entire town against him. They are upset that he chose to fight for the North and most think it was just to be contrary and not because he felt he needed to fight for the cause. To make matters even harder on him, he returns telling people that he had a calling to become a preacher. Most of the town recalls him as a gambling, drinking, fighting, womanizer type of a man and they can't believe he has possibly changed. One of the most powerful men in town, Yancey Huggins (Raymond Burr) - the merchant, especially can't get over the fact that he went "blue-legged" (fought for the North) and is determined to bring the preacher down no matter what he has to do. If all of that isn't enough to contend with, when he moves into the parsonage he discovers he has a squatter to deal with. Lissy (Joanne Woodward) is a wild orphan that refuses to leave so Luke allows her to stay and tries to help get her pointed in the right direction. Of course, to the townspeople, the preacher who claims to be reformed appears to be living in sin with a young girl.

This movie is about the struggle of Luke, who is a confirmed sinner, to do right and turn the townspeople around so that he can help them do right too. I always love the theme of bad girl gone good or bad guy gone good. It is nice to think that love can transform a person, be it religious love or parental love or partner love, from caring only about themselves to being truly altruistic.

This is Joanne Woodward's film debut and she plays the part well. I have little patience for the wild shrew bratty type character so I did get a little tired of watching her throw temper tantrums, but that isn't her fault - she was an expert temper tantrum thrower. Van Heflin was very believable as the sinner turned do-gooder. In fact, I am not sure I have ever noticed him before, but dang, he is a good actor! Some of the scenes where he is struggling internally are played brilliantly. You can see him shaking and grappling with his own thoughts and demons, while trying to maintain decorum. Really good acting there. Lastly, of the main characters, Raymond Burr plays a terrifying meanie in this one. He is most excellent at sitting in a chair and just looking menacing and intimidating.

The thing that totally ruined the movie for me was the ending. I have to talk about it, so unfortunately, I have to throw up a spoiler alert.

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I was shocked that in the end, out of nowhere, Luke and Lissy suddenly get married. There was no romance there. I mean, it was obvious that Lissy had a crush on Luke, but that looked like puppy dog love - just a childish crush. So ... tell me ... she comes back from the whorehouse all dolled up and that makes her a woman? I know someone tosses in a side-statement that she is actually 18, but I totally don't buy it. She acted like a bratty 14 or 15 year old. This man who went through the war and has a past and scars to heal doesn't need a bratty 18 year old as his wife. I mean, seriously, what the heck was going on with that? Was it a marriage of convenience because they had been "living in sin", but even so why not just move her somewhere else where she can interact with people her age and learn how to be a young woman? I was totally disgusted by that ending. It was way too Woody Allen and Soon-Yi for me. Gross.

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Aside from the absolutely dreadful ending (imho), this is a really good Western that kept my attention throughout. The script is really strong and moves at a good pace. Also, the redemption theme is always interesting to me and I love seeing how other people react to it. If you see this coming up on TCM, I suggest giving it a watch. If for no other reason than seeing Joanne Woodward play a young brat - that is amusing in itself. :-)

Pocketful of Miracles (1961)

This is Frank Capra's last film. As with any movie with this most terrific director, it is a little hokey, a little corny, a lotta syurpy and a definite pleaser of the feel-good fans. And you know what? I loved it - I love a wonderful feel good movie as long as it has the acting performances to back it up and oh, boy, does this one have the needed talent.

Bette Davis as Apple Annie

Apple Annie (Bette Davis) is a panhandling, alcoholic who sells apples on the streets of New York City. Early in the film we learn that Annie has a daughter, Louise (Ann-Margaret), that was born out of wedlock and raised in Spain so that she could have a better life than what Annie could have given her in NYC. They have never met, only conversing through letters, and Annie has embellished her life quite a bit over the years. The trouble comes when Louise writes to tell her she is engaged to the son of a Spanish Count and plans to visit her mother in NYC very soon. Annie is afraid her daughter's life will be ruined once her future in-laws discover her true identity so she manages to secure the creativity and resourcefulness of a powerful bootlegger, Dave The Dude (Glenn Ford). With his help and those of his various associates, they manage to turn Annie into the New York socialite her daughter is expecting to see.

Let me start off saying I loved Bette Davis in this role. I loved everything about her performance. For starters, she doesn't go loud and over-the-top with this, she reins her performance in appropriately. She even was careful with her voice, making it sound slightly frail and raspy - which is perfect for Apple Annie. I like how she is tough on the street, but when she is begging at the fancy pants hotel for her daughter's letter, she is so vulnerable and humble. And when she is drunk and explaining the predicament about her daughter's visit to Queenie and Dave the Dude, the feeling of hopelessness is so palpable - my heart was breaking for her. Just, an amazing performance by Ms. Davis all around.

I also have to say how much I really enjoyed Peter Falk in this. He was fabulous as Dave the Dude's right hand man, Joy Boy, and handy with the zingers. When he walks into the room after the row between Queenie and Dave the Dude, "Look at this place, like the inside of a goat's stomach!" He seriously stole quite a few scenes in this film when Glenn Ford wasn't looking.

I wouldn't have thought Glenn Ford would have handled this kind of role with the twinge of comedy, but I thought he did fine. As did Hope Lange as Queenie. I can't say either stood out as amazing, but I thought they handle the roles well.

I was thrilled to see Edward Everett Horton as Hutchins, the Butler, in this. I swear, that man has the best comedic timing and is a sheer genius. I do adore that man and he had some great lines too. I especially loved the reception scene when the Count asks when they guests are supposed to arrive. He says, "Oh, well, no one arrives first, sir, they all come in last." He just has such a perfect way of delivering lines that sound flat when you read them, but when HE says them, they are riotous.

Also, I enjoyed Thomas Mitchell's performance of Judge Henry G. Blake. I love an exchange between him and Apple Annie as they are preparing for the reception and she asks about the menagerie of fake socialites that Dave the Dude is sending over.

Judge: "Orchids bloom where weeds once grew."
Annie: "What if they make mistakes?"
Judge: "The Dude will kill them."
Annie: "Aww, the poor dears."

My final favorite quote comes from Junior, one of Dave the Dude's cronies. When he sees Apple Annie, all dressed up as the socialite for the first time he says, "It is like a cockroach turned into a butterfly." Niiiiiiice. :-)

I do have a question for those of you who are much more knowledgeable than myself. I read that this is a remake of "Lady For A Day", which I have not seen. I was curious as to which one you prefer and why?

Also, did anyone else notice the Nutcracker music playing softly in various scenes throughout the movie? There were also a couple of Christmas trees here and there. I didn't plan on watching a "holiday" film, but I guess this is another holiday, non-holiday-ish film. You can't escape! :-)

I highly recommend watching this one. It is a great one for when you need one of those pick-me-up feel-good movies after a rough day. It is such a sweet film and I wouldn't mind watching it again, myself, just to see Bette in this first-rate performance.

Remember The Night (1940)

I was lucky enough to be under the weather and stuck on the couch channel surfing when this was starting on TCM. Not having scoured the filmography of Stanwyck or MacMurray I had no idea they had starred together in more than just "Double Indemnity". I know, I am an idiot.

Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck

Given the title of the movie, I was surprised to discover it takes place over the holidays and is therefore a holiday movie. "Remember the Night" is a horrible title for this one - maybe they should call it Christmas in Indiana? Heh. Anyway, the plot goes something like this: just before Christmas, Lee Leander (Barbara Stanwyck) is caught shoplifting. Again. It is her third offense. The District Attorney assigns John Sargent (Fred MacMurray) to prosecute the case since he is the best at getting convictions against women. After an abysmal defense attorney makes a mistake at trial, Sargent seizes an opportunity to get the trial postponed till after the holidays. He does this because the jury's heart is always softened around Christmas and convictions are much harder to get. Sargent has an attack of the old conscience and feels bad that his trick will keep her behind bars for Christmas, so he arranges for the bail that she could not pay. Much like feeding a stray, he suddenly can't get rid of her and after discovering they are both Hoosiers, they take a trip home to Indiana for the holidays.

This film is a comedy, romance, drama, holiday film and even part film-noir. I mean, really, and does it all well. The sentimentality of some of the scenes is well justified after the dark scenes like the one at Leander's childhood home. I loved how it somehow balanced out all the disparate elements.

I really thought Stanwyck and MacMurray had great, great, great chemistry in this and their performances were wonderful. Stanwyck was so beautiful and played it in her usual sassy manner until her character realizes Sargent is a genuinely nice guy. MacMurray played his part carefully so the he wouldn't look too slick in New York or too corny in Indiana. I don't know how he managed that, but it really was a great performance by him. I also loved the touch of Sargent's mother (Beulah Bondi) and aunt spinster (Elizabeth Patterson) not to forget the farm-hand Willie (Sterling Holloway). The scenes at the Sargent's home are so warm and touching that it makes anyone ache for the familiarity of home during the holidays.

TCM also made an interesting note that I wanted to pass along about this one. Preston Sturges wrote the screenplay for this but was apparently very unhappy with the cuts the director, Mitchell Leisen, made. He decided that if he wanted his scripts done the way he wrote them, he would have to direct the movies too. So, when he finished "The Great McGinty" he offered it to the studio for $1 with the condition that they let him direct it. They agreed and that is how he made the jump from writer to director. Pretty shrewd on his part.

As far as "Remember the Night", other than the title, I think this is a very sweet and wonderful movie. I highly recommend watching it, especially around the holidays. Just remember to bring along a couple of tissues for the ride - you may need them.