Sigourney Weaver

Political Animals – Pilot

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Political Animals – Pilot
  • tv.com: link

political-animals-pilot

USA Network’s new six-part mini-series stars Sigourney Weaver as Elaine Barrish, the current Secretary of State and former First Lady and Governor, who is dealing with the fallout of her recent divorce and failed Presidential bid, trying to keep her family together (and out of tabloids), and a pain-in-the-ass journalist (Carla Gugino) who has spent her career trying to undermine Elaine but might just become a valuable ally.

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Rampart

/ / Uncategorized
  • Title: Rampart
  • IMDB: link

RampartWoody Harrelson stars as David Douglas Brown, a crooked cop forced to face up to his choices in the midst of the 1999 Rampart Scandal in which more than 70 Los Angeles police officers were implicated in the most widespread case of police misconduct in history.

The story is presented in the form of a character study of “Date Rape” Dave, a womanizing, bigoted bully who has daughters (Brie Larson, Sammy Boyarsky) from a pair of sisters (Cynthia Nixon, Anne Heche) and is facing charges of police brutality and viciously beating a man who crashed into his police car on camera.

In need of help Dave recruits a retired cop (Ned Beatty) and old friend of his father’s who puts him onto a heist that only gets him in further trouble with the LAPD. His involvement also puts an investigator (Ice Cube) from the District Attorney’s office on his case.

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The Tale of Despereaux

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: The Tale of Despereaux
  • IMDB: link

If Dumbo were a mouse he might look like Despereaux.  Adapted from the Newberry Award winning children’s book by Kate DiCamillo our little hero, the bravest mouse in the world, takes a bit of a light-hearted and bloodless (don’t expect to see in mouse tails cut off here) jump to the big screen.  The result is a so-so movie which hints and teases at more than the animated action-adventure we receive, but never delivers.

“Reader, you must know that an interesting fate awaits almost everyone, mouse or man, who does not conform.”

There is a skill to adapting a book into a movie.  The rise and fall of action in a series of chapters often doesn’t translate directly to screen and the necessary beats of a feature film.

The Tale of Despereaux isn’t a bad film.  It’s got an all-star cast, sharp animation, and a lovable protagonist.  It also has too many characters, a convoluted plot, and a less than satisfying ending.

It’s 20+ minutes into the film before we even meet young Despereaux (Matthew Broderick), a small mouse with a big heart who takes instantly the notion of chivalry.  Despereaux doesn’t fit into a society that wants mice to cower and run; he dreams of adventure, and even doodles drawings of cats.

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Baby Mama

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Baby Mama
  • IMDB: link

“I just don’t like your uterus.”

baby-mama-poster

Kate Holbrook (Tina Fey) is a career businesswoman and a Vice President of a successful line of health food stores.  Her life, however, is incomplete.

Informed by her doctor (John Hodgman) of her inability to conceive, and unable to wait for adoption, Kate decides to go in a different direction.  She enlists the help of Chaffe Bicknell (Sigourney Weaver) who offers the service of uniting women wanting children with surrogate mothers.

Kate shells out $100,000 and finds white trash Angie (Amy Poehler) and her deadbeat common law husband Carl (Dax Shepard) on her doorstep.  Angie agrees to carry Kate’s baby to term and before you can say shenanigans things get crazy.

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Hidden Gem – The TV Set

/ / Home Video
  • Title: The TV Set
  • IMDb: link

“I’m fucking freaked because this show, it’s not Shakespeare I know.  It’s not The Sopranos, but it’s my show and if I don’t worry about the content of my show, if I just sit back and let them turn it into another cannibalized piece of shit then I’m part of the problem.  I am the one who’s responsible for pumping shit into people’s living rooms.  I’m making the world more mediocre.”

the-tv-set-poster

Mike Klein (David Duchovny) should be on top of the world.  He and his wife (Justine Bateman) are expecting their first child and a television network is interested in this script for a new comedy based on the aftermath of his brother’s suicide.  So what’s the problem?  Well, this is Hollywood.

At every turn Mike is forced to make concessions to casting, shooting, and script which slowly chip away at the original premise until it is almost unrecognizable.  Here’s a great look at how talented people get roped into bad television shows, and how the power does not come from the actors, directors or writers, but the network.

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