Saturday, September 27, 2008

What I’ve watched recently

The Women (2008)
George Cukor’s 1939 version starring Norma Shearer, Joan Crawford and Rosalind Russell got 7.9 stars in http://www.imdb.com/. The 2008 version, starring Meg Ryan, Annette Bening and Debra Messing got 4.4 stars. IMDB may not be right every time but they’re on the nose with this one. It’s not that there’s anything really wrong with this version—it’s just way too long and way too slow. I was curious about the movie because, being a fan of “Project Runway,” I wanted to see the clothes. Surprisingly enough, I didn’t even like the clothes! This is a chick flick and if you have a bunch of girlfriends you want to see a movie with, either look for another one, or don’t go with high expectations.

Kiss of the Dragon (2001)
This is my personal favorite Jet Li movie. I caught the tail end of it yesterday, just in time to see some of the best fights and I couldn’t resist so watched till the end. Jet Li’s character, a high ranking Chinese law enforcement officer, is in France working on a drug trafficking case. He becomes involved with a prostitute (Brigitte Fonda) who is a streetwalker only to pay the ransom for her daughter who has been kidnapped by the evil chief of police, who is also her pimp. The story may seem convoluted but there is a definite line between good and evil, where the bad guys are really bad and poor Brigitte Fonda’s character is so weak and helpless. Jet Li is the ultimate hero here and the chemistry between he and Fonda is just right—a blend of respect and caring. The fight scenes are incredible and the “kiss of the dragon” is the ultimate in kicking ass.

Then She Found Me
Directed by and starring Helen Hunt as a woman in crisis: her husband leaves her, her adoptive mother dies and her biological mother contacts her for the first time. Into this confusion she meets Mr. Right. His wife has recently left him with two kids. He’s wary, she’s wary. This is a sensitive and realistic portrait of a woman in mid-life who’s trying to start over. Also starring Colin Firth, Matthew Broderick and Bette Middler.

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