Chocolat
Released on DVD 2001
Running Time: 121 minutes
Seemed like 2 hours
4 out of 5 stars

This movie falls in the realm of Amelie or Like Water for Chocolate. It is the fantasy that goodness and kindness will conquer all other troubles and evils in the world. This is a great escapist movie.

There aren't many stars other than Dame Judi Dench and Johnny Depp. This lack of big names works perfectly for this village of very common people.

There's not much to speak of in the way of cinematography or plotlines. This is just a heartfelt story of a stranger transforming a town. This is a very pleasant movie.

The Da Vinci Code
DVD released 2006
Running time: 2 hours and 29 minutes
Seemed like 2 hours and 15 minutes
5 out of 8 stars

Read the book. It's very entertaining, but it wraps up a little too easily, like a Hardy Boys' mystery. The movie comes across exactly the same way.

The Da Vinci Code is great for its discussion and relative believability of a religious mystery. As a religious skeptic, I loved the possibilities this story presents. Amie, on the other hand, contends Dogma presents the same arguments in a different form. It's all great fun. But when it's all said and done, this is just a murder mystery, with a Hardy Boys/Scooby Doo finish.

DVC is very dark. The first half of the movie is steeped in shadow, adding to the mysterious murder that starts the movie. Unfortunately, it's hard to make Audrey Tautou dark. Her unusually beautiful eyes and sprite-like face make it difficult to view her as a frightened heroine. Who was in charge of casting, anyway? Tom Hanks did not come across as an amateur detective, and Audrey Tautou was not a convincing cop. Of course, Ian McKellan stole the show, and pulled off his role flawlessly.

I have negatives and positives for Ron Howard. First, was he afraid of the reaction this movie would get from the religious community? He bends over backwards and almost apologizes for the ideas presented in the movie. He throws in several lines of dialogue that water down the theories. Come on, it's only a movie! On the other hand, he did a great job of telling the "back" stories of the characters in montages. Deftly edited, he was able to bring the viewer up to date without slowing down the pacing.

This was an action packed movie, like the book. But like the book, it's lightweight fare.

Angels in America
DVD released in 2004
Running time: 2 disks total of 5 hours and 52 minutes
7 out of 15 stars

This HBO drama has a wonderful cast. Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Mary-Louise Parker, and Emma Thompson create a diverse, talented ensemble. All of the stars played more than one role in the movie, displaying true depths in their talents. I am beginning to think Meryl Streep is the greatest living actress. She seems to be middle-ageless. Sexy and mature. She really stretches in her roles here.

AiA tries hard to be campy avant-garde. It creates fantastic quirky characters to evoke prejudice and tolerance. Dreams and imaginations pull us into amazing worlds. Plot twists bring these disparate characters together in a tragic dance. It nearly hits the mark as a really good production.

OK, enough gushing. This mini-series had great intentions with mediocre execution. It seems the playright, Tony Kushner, presumed we all wanted to hear his preachy opinions at the end of the piece. Please, Mr. Kushner, create some entertaining or disturbing stories, and allow us to react in our own ways. I would have been annoyed at your soliloquies at a stage play, let alone in a television production. The last episode totally ruined what was otherwise an A- story.

Watch this, but don't expect too much.

Lucky # Slevin
2006
Running Time: Approximately 109 minutes
Seemed like 100 minutes
******* out of 9 stars

This was a pleasant surprise. We're usually not big fans of action adventure flicks, but the team of Ben Kingsley, Morgan Freeman, and Bruce Willis was irresistable. And who knew Lucy Liu could act? She is delightful as a ditz in the movie. This movie was well written, directed, and had great plot twists.

The action was bearable. Just a few bullets through some heads, but handled in almost a Pulp Fiction style. Death is a part of lfe here. The best facet of the movie is the sense of humor the characters have toward their lifestyles.

Watch this for a fun evening!

Water
2006
Running Time: approx. 117 minutes
Running time seemed like: 140 minutes
*** out of 7

Did you think the USA was a mess in the 30's? Wait until you see this piece set in 1930's India. This movie requires a lot of the viewer. First, it uses subtitles. Most of the dialogue is Indian, with about 10% in English. But what a screwed up society. We've all heard of the caste system that still exists in some form today. This movie is based around a house of widows, a lowly status in Indian society. None of the actors are common names in the US. They may be famous in Bollywood, but who cares. The storytelling was a little melodramatic as well.

The best part of the movie was a glimpse at a different culture. The colors and celebrations were interesting. It was also interesting to tie in the Gandhi movement that was transforming the British colony at the time.

Watch this movie if you're a student of film. I can't recommend it for an evening of entertainment.

North Country
DVD released 2006
*** out of 8
Running time 126 minutes
Seemed like 150 minutes
Extra features: Don't know, didn't watch.

This is based on a real story. It is the first class action lawsuit for sexual harassment against a company. Charlize Theron is pretty good, and Frances McDormand is excellent as pioneering women in the mining industry. That's about where it ends.

Niko Caro takes great liberties with the true story, but shouldn't have bothered. She created a dull story that was barely believable. Her knowledge of courtroom protocol must come from Perry Mason reruns.

Woody Harrelson turns a decent performance, but again it was wasted on this crappy screenplay. It's not very interesting, and not very factual.

Don't bother.

A Prairie Home Companion
Running time: 105 minutes
Seemed like it took: 130
Extra features: I actually watched the full length commercials. This was as good as the movie
DVD released 2006
*** out of 5

If you're a fan of theMPR radio show, A Prairie Home Companion, you'll enjoy this. I'm not sure what you'll think if you're unaware of PHC. The movie is as quirky as the radio show. As a casual listener of the radio show, I found this movie to be amusing, but without direction. But, that's what I think of the radio show. It has cute skits and wonderful stories, but it never goes anywhere.

Garrison Keillor wrote the screenplay, and didn't fall for the star factor. His role was actually rather understated. It was probably wise to give the names (Kevin Kline, Merryl Streep, Lily Tomlin) the real acting roles. They were all polished and funny. Unfortunately, the story was just so quirky, and the characters never really developed beyond their initial appearances.

Don't expect a riveting story, just sit back and let the time sit still.
Next: North Country.