Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
When a movie title has the word “funny” in it, viewers have an expectation that the film will incite at least a few laughs. In Funny Money, mild-mannered white-collar accountant Henry Perkins (Chevy Chase) literally stumbles upon a bag full of money, through a series of improbable mishaps. Mayhem ensues when he finds himself the illegal recipient of a few million dollars.
Moody dialogue, drab lighting, and characters who aren’t quite who they say they are pepper the indie film z’A Little Trip To Heaven.” Starring Forest Whitaker as Holt (an insurance investigator looking into a man’s suspicious death), and Julia Stiles as Isolde (the frightened and sketchy sister of the deceased), A Little Trip’s destination actually is closer to hell than heaven.
Equal parts documentary, children’s story, and narrative drama, Cave of the Yellow Dog is a beautifully filmed adventure that the entire family will enjoy. It’s unique on many levels, the most notable being that the charismatic family portrayed in the film are an actual family, and none of them are professional actors. The eldest daughter (played by adorable Nansal Batchuluun) appears to be about 6 or 7 years old.
During her recent three-week trip to Vietnam, actress Jordana Spiro made do with just one backpack. “Really, there’s almost nothing you can’t buy there if you need it,” she says. “It’s a completely amazing place and I’d go back in a second.”
Equal parts Romeo and Juliet and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Shinobi offers breathtaking cinematography, appealing actors, and ninjas. What more could a movie fan ask for?
“Sparkle” tells the rags-to-riches (and rags again, for some of the characters) tale of three sisters with gorgeous voices. There’s Sister (Lonette McKee), Sparkle (Irene Cara, Fame), and Delores (Dwan Smith), who team up with a couple of players (including a very young Philip Michael Thomas, pre-Miami Vice) to form a singing group.
In Because I Said So, Diane Keaton outdoes any pushy parent trying to marry off their children. On the eve of her 60th birthday, Daphne (Keaton) decides that she will find a suitable suitor for her youngest daughter Milly (Mandy Moore). Never mind that Moore was barely into her 20’s when she shot the film and easily could pass as a high-school senior. The film asks us to believe that an otherwise smart, loving mother would push marriage on a young woman who obviously wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment.
At its core, “Stomp the Yard” is a romantic drama disguised as a dance film. Or is it the other way around? DJ (Columbus Short) is a troubled teen from Los Angeles who gets a chance for a better life when he is admitted into Atlanta’s privileged Truth University. Just when he thought he had escaped a life of gangs, DJ finds himself in the middle of a “war” between two upper-crust fraternities where stepping (a popular dance form) is their weapon of choice.
By focusing on controversial congresswoman Cynthia McKinney–who has been a vocal opponent of President George W. Bush and his administration–and a few others, Inaba doesn’t lose the viewer with too many subjects.
A complicated movie about the Central Intelligence Agency and its agents, “The Good Shepherd” isn’t your typical spy movie. Though it stars Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie–actors with considerable experience in the action-espionage genre–“The Good Shepherd” requires that they play more subdued and (much less interesting) characters here.
When “liberators” don’t understand the country they’re trying to help, the end result can be well meaning, but diluted. In the documentary The Beauty Academy of Kabul, filmmaker Liz Mermin focuses on a group of American hair stylists who travel to post-Taliban Afghanistan to teach local women how to beautify themselves and their customers.
Based on the true-life story of Chris Gardner, a San Francisco salesman forced at times to shelter his young son (played by Smith’s adorable look-alike offspring Jaden Smith) in a men’s room, there is little suspense to “The Pursuit of Happyness” in terms of Chris’ outcome. (His story and eventual accomplishment as a successful and wealthy Chicago businessman was well-publicized on the newsmagazine show 20/20.)
A comedy aimed at the inner kid in all of us, “Unaccompanied Minors” provides a few laughs and some good acting by its young thespian stars. But the hyuck fest doesn’t offer enough substance, or even some so-bad-it’s-good vignettes, to hold the viewer’s interest for long.
A disturbing film about a recovering drug addict trying to regain control of her life, “Sherrybaby” succinctly depicts what can happen when want and desire aren’t offset by control. In this bleak indie film, Sherry Swanson (Maggie Gyllenhaal, Stranger Than Fiction, Secretary) has just been released from a three-year stint in prison. Dressed in her inappropriate uniform of a halter top and oh-so-high platform heels, she goes to brother’s house to see her 5-year-old daughter, Lexie (Ryan Simpkins).
The movie has some sweet moments, but doesn’t spend enough time delving into the challenges of being part of an Asperger’s couple. The problems that they have in their relationship (insecurity, commitment and communication problems) really aren’t that different from that of your “normal” couple.
A slapstick comedy starring Matthew Broderick and Danny DeVito, “Deck The Halls” tackles the Christmas spirit with lights, music, and plenty o’ pratfalls–none of which makes much sense in this floundering film. Steve Finch (Broderick) is a persnickety dentist who enjoys being the town’s go-to guy when it comes to all things Christmas. Buddy Hall (DeVito) is his new neighbor–a car salesman who finds that decorating the exterior of his house in bright, garish decorations and lights makes him feel like the big man he never was
A compelling film that delves into the lives of young women with eating disorders, the HBO documentary Thin offers sobering insight into why anyone would sacrifice her health for the pursuit of unrealistic body perfection. Set in a Florida clinic that specializes in treating patients with bulimia (binge eating followed by self-induced vomiting) and anorexia (consuming barely enough to survive), the film introduces viewers to four women.
A bittersweet film about a Chinese-American family living in New York, “Red Doors” offers moments of humor as well as emotional triumph.
A feel-good movie that highlights the beauty of France as much as it does its stars, “A Good Year” provides a languid, gorgeous viewing experience. Director Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe–who first worked together on the Academy Award-winning “Gladiator”–are reunited in this romantic film, which is based on Peter Mayle’s book “A Year in Provence.”
Penelope Cruz is an anomaly. As talented as she is gorgeous, the 32-year-old thesp has defied categorization. At a time when actresses complain about a lack of juicy roles for women, Cruz balances a career that includes Hollywood blockbusters and foreign films in which she speaks fluent Italian, French and her native Spanish. She’s a red-carpet favorite, and during her off-time, she’s not above punking her good friend Salma Hayek.