Thursday, June 25, 2009

New this week:

The Butterfly Tattoo
A chance meeting at an Oxford party leaves seventeen-year-old Chris with hope for a summer romance - and no premonition of trouble. Busy with his job and soon in love, he misses all the signs of danger. Before he knows it, he's caught in the sinister web of a criminal whose desire for revenge crushes those who stand in his way. From the book The White Mercedes by Philip Pullman, this teenage romance thriller should appeal to fans of Twilight.

Confessions of a Shopaholic
‘"Shopaholic" is about a woman searching for happiness in the places that are absolutely right for her: Prada, Gucci, Macy's, Barneys, Saks and on down the avenue.’—Roger Ebert. Isla Fisher is very funny as the shopaholic making for a fun film to watch.

Crossing Over
Crossing Over is a multi-character canvas about immigrants of different nationalities struggling to achieve legal status in Los Angeles. The film deals with the border, document fraud, the asylum and green card process, work-site enforcement, naturalization, the office of counter terrorism and the clash of cultures. Harrison Ford, Ray Liotta and Ashley Judd star.

The International
An Interpol agent attempts to expose a high-profile financial institution's role in an international arms dealing ring. Clive Owen and Naomi Watts star in this slow-burn thriller.

Jesse Stone : Thin Ice
“Perhaps the best Jesse Stone so far, Jesse Stone: Thin Ice expertly creates tension not only from its intricate, multi-layered plot, but also from its tension-grounded characterizations. It's an exciting, suspenseful film trapped inside a melancholic, morbid, emotionally-shaky drama, and that's a neat trick. Selleck is letter-perfect as the troubled, self-destructive Stone; he just keeps getting better and better. These Jesse Stone films are about as good as it gets for made-for-TV films; they stack up with anything you can find in the theatres, and I eagerly await the next installment. I high, highly recommend Jesse Stone: Thin Ice.”—Paul Mavis, www.dvdtalk.com.

Phoebe in Wonderland
The fantastical tale of a little girl who won't - or can't - follow the rules. Confounded by her clashes with the rule-obsessed world around her, Phoebe seeks enlightenment from her unconventional drama teacher, even as her brilliant but anguished mother looks to Phoebe herself for inspiration. “Let (Patricia) Clarkson and (Elle) Fanning take you to the rabbit hole of seductive enchantment that defines this movie. And don't ask what to do — jump.”—Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

The Rape of Europa
The story of Nazi Germany's plundering of Europe's great works of art during World War II and Allied efforts to minimize the damage. “A startling documentary”—Roger Ebert.

Waltz with Bashir
Waltz with Bashir is a devastating animated film that tries to reconstruct how and why thousands of innocent civilians were massacred because those with the power to stop them took no action.”—Roger Ebert “… Waltz with Bashir, submitted for Oscar consideration by Israel as both foreign-language film and animated feature, is hallucinatory brilliance in the service of understanding the psychic damage of war.”—Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Monday, June 22, 2009

New to the library on June 10th

August Evening
August Evening follows an aging undocumented farm worker named Jaime and his young, widowed daughter-in-law, Lupe, as their lives are thrown into upheaval. (Spanish)

Gran Torino
Walt Kowalski is a widower who holds onto his prejudices despite the changes in his Michigan neighborhood and the world around him. Walt is a grumpy, tough-minded, unhappy old man, who can't get along with either his kids or his neighbors. He is a Korean War veteran whose prize possession is a 1972 Gran Torino he keeps in mint condition. When his neighbor, Thao, a young Hmong teenager, becomes pressured by his gang member cousin to steal Walt's Gran Torino, Kowalski sets out to reform the youth. Drawn against his will into the life of Thao's family, Walt is soon taking steps to protect them from the gangs that infest their neighborhood. This is a tremendous film with an outstanding performance by Eastwood.

Last of the Mohicans
In 1757, during the French and Indian War, half-sisters Cora and Alice Munro set out to join their father, the British Commander of Fort William Henry. After they are betrayed by Magua, the sisters are rescued by Hawkeye whose efforts to lead them to safety are aided by the noble Mohican Uncas, the last of this tribe. This BBC version is the most faithful to the book by James Fennimore Cooper.

Nobel Son
On the eve of Barkley Michaelson's father receiving the Nobel Prize, Barkley is kidnapped and the requested ransom is the $2,000,000 in Nobel Prize money. When his father refuses to pay it starts a venomous tale of familial dysfunction, lust, betrayal and ultimately revenge.

Reversible Errors
Arthur Raven is a successful corporate lawyer whose world is turned upside-down when he is assigned to draft the final appeal of a potentially innocent inmate as he is nearing his execution date. Based on the book by Scott Turow.

Second in Command
An official has just been appointed as Second in Command to the U.S.Ambassador at an American Embassy in a small, turbulent Eastern European nation. When local insurgents attempt a coup d'etat, the nation's President takes refuge inside the embassy. This is a better than average Jean-Claude Van Damme movie.

Secret
A young boy who has a vivid imagination dreams up a brother for himself and a better past for his family. On his 15th birthday he finds his dreams shattered when he uncovers a shocking secret that ties his family to the Holocaust. (French)

Shampoo (1975)
George is one of L.A.'s most desirable men, a Beverly Hills hairdresser who makes all his female clients look, and feel, better than ever. Encouraged by his girlfriend Jill to open his own salon, George approaches conservative businessman Lester for financing. Unbeknownst to Lester, George is sleeping with his wife, his mistress and his teenage daughter. “Beatty says he approached Towne to do a modern version of the classic restoration comedy called The Country Wife… Here in the updated "Shampoo", Beatty and Towne make the hero an assumed-to-be-gay hairdresser (instead of impotent) and the results are inspired bedroom farce mixed with social satire.”—imdb.com

Taking Chance
This is the remarkable true story of one soldier's death in battle, another soldier's journey of discovery and a nation's reverence and gratitude toward its war dead. After hearing of the heroic death of a young Marine in Iraq, veteran officer Lt. Colonel Michael Strobl volunteers to escort the remains of Lance Corporal Chance Phelps back to his hometown in Wyoming. As Strobl crosses America's heartland, he will find himself on an unexpectedly emotional journey into the soul of a country mourning not only Chance, but all of our country's fallen heroes.

Timecrimes
A man accidentally finds a time machine and travels back in time where he is involved in a mystery filled with murders, terror, and another version of himself. (Spanish)

Wallander
Three new crime dramas based on the best selling books by Henning Mankell - Sidetracked, Firewall, and One Step Behind follow Inspector Kurt Wallander, a disillusioned everyman, as he struggles against a rising tide of violence in southern Sweden.

What I've been watching

Last Chance Harvey
This was a nice albeit lightweight story of two rather sad & lonely people who meet in London, become friends & finally fall in love. I’m a sucker for middle-aged romances & am also an Emma Thompson fan so I found this film to be enjoyable. Plus, I have to admit that Dustin Hoffman has a very cute smile!

Gran Torino
The story is of a miserable old man who comes to terms with his immigrant infiltrated neighborhood. This is a great film! Clint Eastwood’s performance is spectacular! If he never acts in another film this is a tremendous swan song. This one got my vote for best film of last year.

Cape of Good Hope
This South African story of intersecting lives takes place around an animal shelter. I’ve never seen a film with so many likeable characters! I truly enjoyed spending time with them.

The Hitch-Hiker
This is one tough film. Two men on a trip pick up a hitchhiker who happens to be a notorious killer. We, the viewer, suffer the fear, the victimization, along with the men. It is an intense experience. William Talman’s performance is very creepy!

The Lost City
16 years in the making, this film is Andy Garcia’s homage to the Cuba he loved and lost. It depicts the Cuban revolution by looking at the effect on one family, on the music and on the culture of the country. Very romantic with great music!

Shampoo
The 1970’s were a great decade for films & this is one of the comedies that made it great. Warren Beatty plays a hairdresser
hoping to get his own salon who hustles to satisfy: 1) his customers in the salon & at home, 2) the man he hopes to borrow money from, 3) his girlfriend & 4) his ex-girlfriend. Fast-moving & very 70’s.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

New this week:

Defiance
Jewish brothers in Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe escape into the Belarussian forests, where they join Russian resistance fighters and endeavor to build a village in order to protect themselves and about 1,000 Jewish non-combatants.

Hard Boiled
Action-packed and supremely entertaining, Hard Boiled remains one of Hong Kong's finest film exports. Woo's direction has arguably never been tighter, while the performances of Chow Yun-Fat, Tony Leung and the supporting cast are solid across the board. From start to finish, there's almost never a dull moment.--dvdtalk.com

Rumpole of the Bailey
This courtroom drama revolves around the colorful Horace Rumpole. Rumpole is an endearing old curmudgeon who often ends up with ne'er-do-well clients and is paid, more times than not, through public assistance. Though he's not an expert on the law, he is an excellent orator, and his ability to read jurors and eloquently sway them to his way of thinking is his strength, one that often wins him cases.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
The prequel story traces the origins of the centuries-old blood feud between the aristocratic vampires and their onetime slaves, the Lycans. In the Dark Ages, a young Lycan named Lucian emerges as a powerful leader who rallies the werewolves to rise up against Viktor, the cruel vampire king who has enslaved them. Lucian is joined by his secret lover, Sonja, in his battle against the Vampire army and his struggle for Lycan freedom.

Wendy and Lucy
Wendy is a migrant soul on the move from the Midwest to Oregon, with hopes to make it to Alaska for work and a fresh start. At her side is her dog Lucy, a faithful companion who Wendy adores, but can't always properly take care of due to monetary limitations. When Wendy's car stalls in a small town, it sets off a series of events that separate Wendy from Lucy, leaving the nomadic woman in a panic to find her friend and continue on her way.

New last week:

He’s Just Not That Into You
Gigi is struggling to find true love while shifting through men who are simply not interested. This is a delightful movie about marriages, relationships and affairs.

New in Town
A high-powered consultant in love with her upscale Miami lifestyle is sent to a small Minnesota town, in the middle of nowhere, to oversee the restructuring of a blue collar manufacturing plant. She endures a frosty reception from the locals, along with the icy roads and freezing weather but she warms up to the small town's charm, and eventually finds herself being accepted by the community. When she's ordered to close down the plant and put the entire community out of work, she's forced to reconsider her goals and priorities. Now she needs to find a way to save the town.

Paul Blart: Mall Cop
Paul Blart is a mild-mannered, dutiful family man who works as a security guard in a New Jersey mall. He has applied to become a cop for years, but he always fails the physical exam because he is overweight. One day, a gang of organized criminals put the mall under siege and take hostages. Blart becomes trapped inside and because of his sense of duty, refuses to leave. He becomes the police department's eyes on the inside and attempts to stop the criminals on his own.

Revolutionary Road
Revolutionary Road is a smart, emotionally brutal literary adaptation that shows the way average lives go bust. Kate Winslet and Leonard DiCaprio star as a 1950s couple who have seen their dreams and their love fade, and who fight and kick against their own fears that it's all going to go away by tearing one another apart.—dvdtalk.com

Monday, June 1, 2009

What I've been watching: Taken and I Have Found It

Taken

Wow! Wow! Wow! And wow! This is definitely a thrill ride! I guarantee you won’t look at your watch once during this film! I'm so sorry that I didn't see this one in the theater. It was incredibly exciting!

I Have Found It

This is a Bollywood version of Sense and Sensibility. It starts out a little slowly but you’ll be rooting for the daughters by the end! The dance scenes are great! And the saris beautiful! I really enjoyed this one. And if you haven't seen Bride and Prejudice, be sure and catch that one as well. It's another Bollywood winner!