Movie Reviews

Nanny McPhee is an ugly Mary Poppins indeed. A pack of rotten kids, a sad widowed father, an uneducated maid and nanny with instead a bag of tricks a cane that kicks. Adapted by Emma Thompson from the “Nurse Matilda” books, Nanny McPhee is a story with morals, lessons and love. A magical happy ending for both kids and parents alike.

Nanny McPhee
4 Stars

Nanny McPhee is an ugly Mary Poppins indeed. A pack of rotten kids, a sad widowed father, an uneducated maid and nanny with instead a bag of tricks a cane that kicks. Adapted by Emma Thompson from the “Nurse Matilda” books, Nanny McPhee is a story with morals, lessons and love. A magical happy ending for both kids and parents alike.

With the passing of their mother the Brown kids are lashing out for attention the only way they know how, by ill behavior and bad manors. Running the last nanny in town off in less than 2 days, Mr. Brown (Colin Firth), their father is desperate for help. Nanny McPhee is the person you need, he hears in the breeze. Knock! Knock! At the door on a dark stormy night and there she stood in all her moley glory, Nanny McPhee (Emma Thompson). She goes to work right away; starting with lesson one, go to bed when you are told. She has a special way about her, less than a force more like a push with a knock of her cane. She has but 5 lessons to teach and as soon as the kids have accomplished all 5, she must be on her way. (Marry Poppins anybody?)

A little magic and stern compassion Nanny McPhee whips the kids into shape and helps, in her own way, Mr. Brown with his looming engagement. He must get married within a month or the evil Aunt Adelaide (Angela Lansbury) will cut off his allowance. If he looses his aunt’s financial support the kids must separate and the older children would go to sweat shops and the younger to foster care or an orphanage. This he could not allow, so he attempts to marry a very colorful character, whose husband he had buried the year before. The children do not like her and she them, so they become their evil little selves for one day and get rid of her and turn their father around. Nanny McPhee throws in one last cane thrashing of hope, the love lorne maid, Evangeline (Kelly Macdonald) appears as an angel to save the family and marry the father.

 

Nanny McPhee is a happy little story with charming children, dashingly handsome father and one ugly nanny that will entertain kids of all ages. Nanny McPhee is a fitting family fairy tale ending film

A crazy on the edge hit man and an average blue-collar worker meet up in a bar in Mexico and strike an odd friendship. The Matador is a dark comedy crowd pleaser with colorful and unexpected moments. Pierce Brosnan and Greg Kinnear play off one another delivering stellar performances in a completely unethical story. Say goodbye to the slick tuxedo wearing 007 and say hello to Chelsea boots, black Speedo and a cheap beer; Pierce Brosnan plays up a character that audiences will love to hate and will be surprised to see. Greg Kinnear plays his typical nice guy role without flaw, but adds a bit of spice to his reaction towards his new buddy’s murdering profession. The Matador is both shocking and creative; it’s bullfighting at its prime!

The Matador
3 Stars

A crazy on the edge hit man and an average blue-collar worker meet up in a bar in Mexico and strike an odd friendship. The Matador is a dark comedy crowd pleaser with colorful and unexpected moments. Pierce Brosnan and Greg Kinnear play off one another delivering stellar performances in a completely unethical story. Say goodbye to the slick tuxedo wearing 007 and say hello to Chelsea boots, black Speedo and a cheap beer; Pierce Brosnan plays up a character that audiences will love to hate and will be surprised to see. Greg Kinnear plays his typical nice guy role without flaw, but adds a bit of spice to his reaction towards his new buddy’s murdering profession. The Matador is both shocking and creative; it’s bullfighting at its prime!

Julian Noble (Pierce Brosnan) a past his prime hit man chasing girls and getting drunk on Margaritas in Mexico becomes friends with a down on his luck everyday Joe, Danny Wright (Greg Kinnear). Danny is the good guy who married his high school sweetheart and took an average job to make ends meet. While trying to close a deal in Mexico he meets Julian in the hotel bar. After a few bad jokes on Julian’s part, Danny runs off a little scared and extremely uncomfortable, content with never seeing that crazy guy again.

As luck would have it, the 2 bump into each other in the lobby and Julian, in attempt to make a friend, invites Danny to an historical and local pastime, bullfighting. The 2 men strike up an odd friendship of sorts after Julian confesses his profession and gives Danny a mock hit demonstration. After the deal goes south Danny asks Julian for a favor that will save his marriage and his job.

As time goes by the 2 separate and go their own way. Julian completely looses touch with reality and his edge for killing, he wants out. Finding himself on the other end of a hit, he shows up at Danny’s door to ask a return favor, help him do one last hit. Danny agrees to his request and ultimately walks him through the complete job step by step. After all is done and over and Julian’s life is no longer at risk, he leaves a small token of his appreciation for Danny and goes on his twisted merry way.

 

Odd reactions, colorful moments and brilliant performances make The Matador a film worth watching. To see Pierce Brosnan walk across a hotel lobby with a beer in hand, Speedos crawling up is ass and zipped up ankle boots is absolutely priceless. Adding to the films entertainment value would be the reaction Danny and his wife had towards Julian’s murderous profession, like it was an everyday 9 to 5. She asked to see his gun and he helped him murder someone as if they were barbecuing in the backyard, great elements of the unexpected keeps the audience on their toes and not all too sure what will be coming next. Brosnan and Kinnear’s seamless ability to work off each other keeps you laughing at even the most lude moments. The Matador is a less than glamourous “hit” you won’t see coming.

It’s been a rough year for favorites, most of mine have turned into guilty pleasures that are not considered quality films, but well done enough to be box office numbers. I’m including the best of 2005 for the more quality films that deserve some recognition for either quality of story, characters, acting and/or intelligence.

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Slim pickings this year, but many disagree with me. In the past years I would get so excited about films to come everything from independent, foreign, weird and off the wall, to your basic special effect blockbuster, but this year just didn’t deliver for me. Too many serious over blown reality pieces that turned out to be way too many story lines happening at one time and too close to reality. Film is an escape, an ability to run away from life for a couple of hours and fall in love, cry, laugh, freak out, jump or get mad, but to be reminded of the sorrow that happens everyday in life and to pay for that reminder, who wants that?

Brokeback Mountain: A love story to beat all. Brokeback Mountain will be remembered as a film of significance in entertainment history. Two actors pull out a brilliant performance risking not only their place in the spotlight, but their reputation in their chosen fields. A risk that both agree, have paid off. Based on the short story by Annie Proulx, 2 cowboys fall in love in the beautiful landscape of Montana. Unexpected, they continue their romance through marriages, kids and age, only to meet a couple times a year for a camping trip and back to their separate lives afterwards. Neither willing to give each other up, but not allowed to admit their love for one another, their true selves kept secret and ending in tragedy and sorrow.

Cinderella Man: Russle Crow and Ron Howard did it again. Cinderella Man works perfect on all levels, you get the perfect setting, costume design and storyline, it all works. Characters like Paul Giamatti’s is hard to pass up, it’s just like type casting. How could you not love a film about a down and out time in America, the depression, where a character gets to conquer and overcome, to be a winner in the end against all odds?

Mrs. Henderson Presents: A delightful romp about a rich old widow trying to find something to do with herself and her money after her husband passes away. She purchases a ran down theater in the bottoms of London and starts a nude revue during World War II. Mrs. Henderson Presents has sarcasm, wit and humor and the perfect pair of characters that compliments both each other and the film; Bob Hoskins and Judi Dench work together like 2 peas in a pod.

The Upside of Anger: It’s nice to see two main actors comfortable with getting older, it really shows in their performance and adds great depth to The Upside of Anger. Kevin and Joan both inhabit their roles and show life as it is, not always pretty and perfect, but livable. The Upside of Anger is a film for adults about falling in love again and learning how to take it in the chin when life throws you those unexpected punches. Be prepared to laugh, cry, pissed off and laugh again; a well done film compared to the likes of American Beauty and Sideways.

Pride & Prejudice: Jane Austen’s romantic and witty novel brought back to the theaters in this well made version of Pride and Prejudice. The mini-series made for T.V. bored audiences silly, but this much shorter version will win over hearts easy enough with the classic Keira Knightley pulling off independent Lizzie like she may have lived during Regency English times. It’s a novel romance after my own heart.

Memoirs of Geisha: It’s a pretty film, full of beautiful scenery and costuming, which keeps a grace to its acting and story. Memoirs is a moving period piece that is recognizable for both its talent and mesmerizing story.

The Constant Gardener: Compelling and riveting, but also very melodramatic and overblown in other areas. A story of medical companies testing new drugs on a civilization that is ignored by most, but has caught the attention of Tessa (Rachel Weisz), a radical out to save the world no matter what chances she must take.. She had investigated too far and tickled one too many fannies, after trying to convince her husband, Justin, a British diplomat, she strikes out on her own and gets killed. Justin searches for the reason, the truth and finds out that she was right and he ends up in the same place, but solves the problem first. The Constant Gardener is very quiet at times, but has some pretty powerful scenes that will turn you stomach and piss you off, if you have to patience to go through the editing of events from back to front and front to back again, then this is a film to be seen.

My Summer of Love: My Summer of Love is a story of young and not so innocent love between two intoxicating beauties Mona (Natalie Press) and Tamsin (Emily Blunt). Both young ladies having a great deal in common with their beauty, intelligence & style, yet exact opposites in every way from social standards, dress, and demeanor. My Summer of Love shows a little adventure in sexuality and testing the boundaries of a friendship amongst two girls in a passionate summer tale.

Grizzly Man: Watch a documentary about a man that become more animal than human as he lived with the grizzlies. Timothy Treadwell lost touch with reality more and more as the film roles through his life among the wilds; beautiful unforeseen moments appear on camera and weird uncomfortable conversations occur. Whether it’s comical or dramatic, Grizzly Man will keep your attention and proves to be a different form of documentary.

North Country: North Country is not without a few flaws; the film does make every man, but one, Glory’s husband, Kyle (Sean Bean) out to be major pricks. Not one man will stand up for Josey and the other women, that’s a little unrealistic, surely there would have been a few that would have defended the women and stopped some of the ridicule and harassments. And in the last scene of the film where Bill asks the audience in the court if anybody would stand up for Josey and help defend their rights, just about the whole audience stands up, now that’s a little hokey. But overall North Country completely works on all levels and does not disappoint in anyway.