Chalk -- B

I can't remember how I became aware of this film, but I popped it into the Blockbuster queue and soon it arrived.

Think The Office, but substitute your high-school for Dunder Mifflin.

Clearly they didn't have a lot of money, but they did have great affection for teachers and teaching. And actual life experience. PoMonkey, being a former teacher, absolutely loved it.

Waitress -- B

When watching a film that is directed by the same person who wrote it, I sometimes wonder if and how the film would have benefitted from bringing in someone else to do the directing (The Final Cut comes to mind).

Such was the case with Waitress. It's a good movie, perhaps even very good. But not great.

The longer the movie went on, the less believable I found Keri Russell's character. I believed that she would simply stand up for herself (compare her boldness with her doctor and Old Joe with her timidity with her husband).

My good friend Taran has a thoughtful review of the high and low points of the film (warning, he totally gives away the ending in the fifth paragraph, so you might want to skip over it). I agree with the points he raises, but I think I would still recommend the movie.

Mr. Brooks -- B

And now back to our regularly scheduled topic . . .

I'm tempted to give Mr. Brooks an A based solely on the fact that a late third-act surprise made PoMonkey scream out loud.

Otherwise we both enjoyed it. Sure, Costner is in some scenes a good bit beyond his acting abilities, and a few of the plot points are quite improbable. But I couldn't figure out how it was going to end. Would he get caught? Would he get away? What?

It also didn't hurt that it was filmed in the town where I lived for 22 years, and it was fun figuring out where the various locations are.

I can't say I highly recommend it because it is a bit violent (and PoMonkey couldn't sleep after watching it). He is a serial killer, after all.

The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio -- B

While I'm not in the target demographic (i.e., a woman), I found it to be genuinely sweet. Based on a true story, it is a warm story about a woman who holds her family (of 12) together by writing pithy jingles and overlooking her husband's not insignificant failings. Ladies will love it. Men will want to throttle the husband (a not so mellowed out Woody Harrelson) and tell him to snap out of it.

Jesus Camp -- B

One of the most disturbing things I've seen in a long time. It's a documentary that purports to be about evangelicalism, but mainly focuses on a single pentecostal church and a camp run by that church's children's pastor. The children are bombarded with overly-emotional messages about God and country that they are too young and too immature to comprehend. They are simply worked into an emotional frenzy. Much of what the film demonstrates seems like little more than brainwashing.

That said, the film is very, very heavily edited. Reaction shots seem to have been inserted for effect, and in some cases clearly do not reflect actual responses to what is being heard in the film at that time. It strikes me that the film-makers may be doing some emotional manipulation of their own.

It's worth seeing, though, to understand the widespread (mis)perception of evangelicals.

UPDATED: Shut Up and Sing — B

UPDATE: I don't want to be misunderstood about liking the song "Not Ready to Make Nice." I like it because it so clearly spells out how I do NOT want to be. I DO want to be ready and willing to make nice.

This documentary about the Dixie Chicks, and their lead singer (Natalie Maines) shooting her mouth off about the President and the War in Iraq is pretty good, particularly if you’re into media and public relations. Lots of behind the scenes discussions about how to manage their image. Maines ultimately comes off well because she is more concerned with being honest about what she believes than with managing her image. While I disagree strongly with what she believes, it’s refreshing to see someone actually being honest and not simply saying what people want to hear. Of course that could all just be in the editing.

I’m also pretty sure I’ve come to like their big hit song, “Not Ready to Make Nice.” While—again—I don’t agree with the ultimate message of the song, I think that it realistically portrays the fact that forgiveness and reconciliation are hard work when sincerely undertaken. And I think that we’ve all had times when we felt like the chorus. The problem is when we allow ourselves to get stuck there.

I'm not ready to make nice,
I'm not ready to back down,
I'm still mad as hell
And I don't have time
To go round and round and round
It's too late to make it right
I probably wouldn't if I could
Cause I'm mad as hell
Can't bring myself to do what it is
You think I should

Also, it has a nice beat and one could dance to it.


Wow, Mister Ginger made a long post.

You, Me and Dupree - B

It had the potential to be as annoying as What about Bob, but somehow it comes of as quite a bit more likable. Michael Douglas does an Alec Baldwin-esq turn as an over the top father-in-law/boss. Molly's brief speech at the end of the movie was a tad counter-cultural (in a good way), even if it was not exactly consistent with Kate Hudson's real life.

Lady in the Water - B

The least believable of the M. Night Shyamalan movies. While setup as a bedtime story for children, and indeed based on a book Shyamalan wrote, I tend to think some of the scenes are probably a bit intense for most young-uns. Self-deconstructing, and entertaining for the over 13 set, though.

The Devil Wears Prada – B

So we’re supposed to believe that the former editor of the student newspaper at one of the top (if not the top) journalism schools can’t find a job in journalism? Well, maybe . . . suspending belief and all that (oh, and based on a true story, so . . .)

That said, it’s an interesting movie that shows the lengths one will go to in order to win the approval of another.

Here’s a review worth reading for its literary breadth as well as for the deeper implications the reviewer finds.