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Frozen River – nf – Set in northern New York state at the icy cold Canadian border, this painful movie will hold your attention every second. It is about two women. One is a white women trying to survive with her two children and barely making ends meet, played by Melissa Leo in an Oscar nominated performance. The other is a widowed Mohawk woman from the reservation who is desperate to get her son back from her mother- in law and will also need money to survive. They become involved in smuggling illegal immigrants into the United States across the frozen river. There is tension mixed with real human struggles. The movie doesn’t make one false step. We can’t think how they could have done it better. It is directed and written by Courtney Hunt who received an Oscar nomination for the screenplay. There is no joy in watching this film but it is very good! 2008

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Frost/Nixon – rm – This is the story of the remarkable series of TV interviews that David Frost, a TV emcee type person had with the then deposed ex-President Richard Nixon. If you recall this historical time you will relive the unique situation our country was going through. The depiction of Nixon and Frost is quite good and the actual interviews are apparently true to the transcript of the programs. They do seem to have captured the fascinating personality of the flawed President. The writer and director did take some poetic license with some of the interactions which they purport to have taken place between Frost and Nixon which disappointed us when we learned this from other sources This made the movie less significant in our minds and takes away from our valuation of the movie although it is still immensely enjoyable. 2008

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Flawless – nf – You can call this a good diamond heist movie. Demi Moore plays the passed over women diamond executive who decides to try to change her life by going over to the criminal side. She is seduced into the big caper by an about to retire janitor played by Michael Caine who has his own motivation. There is the requisite detective who is working to solve the crime and moments of suspense with the appropriate musical background. The plot seemed a little contrived and at times somewhat fuzzy. You may even feel a little warm and fuzzy at the end after the clever plot twists and “hold your breath” moments. 2007

* *
Everlasting Moments – sp – This is Swedish movie which follows a women through her poverty, abuse and the discovery of her special gift which is being a sensitive photographer of the people and the times. The movie is one of the longest we have seen in awhile (132 minutes) and felt like it. Jan Treoll is a skillful director but the movie is having difficulty getting distribution in the US . We can understand why it hasn’t been picked up yet as it wasn’t quite our cup of tea. (In Swedish with subtitles) 2008

* *
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – nf – We had the thought that we better write this review before it was erased from our minds. Actually with this movie you had to buy into the idea that you could arrange to have the memory of a person and everything associated with him or her completely eliminated from your brain. Jim Carey who has been known to play in movies with unusual concepts plays Joe a nebbish guy who falls in love with Clementine a somewhat flakey girl with blue hair played by Kate Winslet. She is really into him and they get along great until she tires of him and decides to sign up to completely erase him from her memory. He gets wind of this and is very hurt so he decides to likewise with any memories of her. Wouldn’t you know it that while he is in the induced sleep having the memories removed, he and she in his thoughts decide not to go through with this. However the erasing team is far along in the process. In fact the team has their own issues which are a subplot in the movie. Now we enjoy a good comedy and science fiction story but we both felt that his movie didn’t really work. Perhaps the movie was raising the question can true love triumph even when people recognize each other’s flaws. However it was a long tedious pathway to get there and we hope to lose the memory of this movie to make room for better ones. 2004

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Easy Virtue – sp- Noel Coward was obviously a genius and this movie is based on a play that he wrote when he was 25 years old. It is a period piece set in England where a young man (Ben Barnes) comes back to the family manor with a new glamorous American wife (Jessica Biel) who just came in first at the Grand Prix auto race in Monte Carlo. Most of the stuffy British family especially the mother (Kristin Scott Thomas) can’t handle her and her modern ways. Colin Firth does an excellent job portraying the father who has his own history. The plot has depth to it and the screenplay is true to the Coward genre, which includes many witty lines from him as well as from writers Stephen Elliot and Sheridan Jobbins (the latter was a guest at our course). Although it is not a musical, there is a most enjoyable musical background with many pieces by Coward. 2008

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Doubt – sp – It is so remarkable that Meryl Streep can star in a musical comedy such as Mama Mia and also turn in such a perfect performance as the powerful but yet the ultimately doubting nun in this movie. Phillip Seymour Hoffman does an equally fine performance as the Priest of questionable character. Viola Davis is the supporting actress who plays the mother of a young student and matches these stars in her one moving scene. John Patrick Shanley wrote the Broadway play and the screenplay as well as directing this film version. He brings to us an ethical issue, which has relevance in many situations. 2008

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Departures – nf – A beautiful Japanese movie which blends wonderful music with a the touching story of a young man who takes up the profession of performing the ceremony in front of loved ones of preparing people to be placed in a coffin shortly after their demise. It is a lyrical story that is moving, melancholy and yet clearly uplifting at the same time. The story allows the viewer to examine social attitudes and approaches to death. Outstanding acting and direction. This film gave us some further insight into conversations, which we once had with some friends who have been part of their Jewish community “Chevra Kadisha” those who wash the bodies after death and how meaningful they felt this experience has been to them. This film deserves the acclaim that it has received as the 2008 Academy Award Oscar for Best Foreign Film. 2008

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Defiance – sp – This is a “Schindler’s List” type of movie which takes place in the forest. It features Daniel Craig (known elsewhere as the current James Bond) and Liev Schreiber who play the Bielski brothers who lead an increasing number of Jewish refugees while they are hiding from the Nazis. This is a true story and at it’s conclusion we are told the actual follow-up on many of the people depicted in the film. Edward Zwick, who spoke at our screening, was the director, producer and also wrote the screenplay. He did a magnificent job in capturing the relationship between the characters, the pathos and courage of the people along with the violence of their experience. Those of you who have vowed “never to forget” will have to see this movie. 2008

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Changeling – sp – The amazing thing about this movie as told to us by long time TV writer, first time screen writer Michael Straczynski is that all the details in this movie are true as is much of the dialog which was taken from court transcripts. The time is 1928 Los Angeles with period clothes and automobiles setting the atmosphere while the story with very fine acting provides the drama and emotion. Director Clint Eastwood stays true to the story and script and once again shows how he has evolved into one of our finest contemporary movie directors. The Los Angeles Police Department is the villain of this movie and a young mother who doggedly wants her missing child returned to her, magnificently played by Angelina Jolie, is the heroine. John Malkovitch also turns in a sterling performer as the anti-police crusading reverend. A totally unsympathetic depiction of psychiatric treatment disturbed Michael but probably was mostly true at the time. 2008