Saturday, December 26, 2009

What I've Been Watching:

Star Trek
I’m not a trekkie but I love a good, exciting, adventure film and this is a great one! They truly did a perfect job of selecting the cast to remind you of the original characters. Good story, great cast and tons of action and excitement—what more can you ask for!

A Christmas Tale (French)
Catherine Deneuve stars as the ailing matriarch of a family. She needs a transplant and one of her sons and her grandson are both good matches. The family has a rare get-together for Christmas as she decides her fate. I thought this was a fascinating look at a French family.

Jekyll
This BBC mini-series is a twist on the original Jekyll/Hyde story. James Nesbitt is terrific in the title role as is Gina Bellman as his wife. Was the potion drunk by the original Dr. Jekyll really kept secret? The role of the woman as the trigger for Mr. Hyde was fascinating!

The Island (Russian)
In a far north Russian Orthodox Monastery lives an eccentric monk, Father Anatoli. He seems to have magical powers but lives the life of a completely self-sacrificing hermit. He carries a secret with him resulting from his experiences in WWII. This fascinating film is a parable on faith and salvation.

Four Christmases
Vince Vaughan and Reese Witherspoon star in this silly comedy of family Christmas. Only by experiencing the holiday with their various families do they come to realize what they truly want and need in life.

World’s Greatest Dad
If you are thinking that this film will be Robin Williams at his funniest--it's not. This is a black humor story of teen suicide. It’s an interesting idea—a completely unlikeable kid dies but becomes glorified after his death. Directed by the comic Bobcat Goldthwait, it’s an intriguing but slightly disturbing film.

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