Good Bye Lenin

Daniel Bruhl, Kathrin Sass, Chulpan Khamatova, Florian Lukas (German) -- It was in the German with English subtitles. It took me about six hours to get through it ( I had to stop and read the subtitles), but I was glad I did. It was about a East Berliner (Daniel Bruhl) who is arrested during the fall of the East. His mother (Kathrin Sass) witnesses his arrest and as a heart attack. She is in a coma a long time. When she wakes up, he doesn't want to tell her that East Germany is no more. He sets up an elaborate rouge to fool her. This is the story about what happens. A fine film. I would give it a 4 out of 5 stars. (2003 - R)

American Cowslip

Ronnie Gene Blevins, Val Kilmer, Rip Torn, Diane Ladd, Cloris Leachman, Bruce Dern, Peter Falk, Priscilla Barnes, Hanna Hall, Josh Perry -- The greatest cast - a horrible movie. A heroine addicted, agoraphobic 30 year (Ronnie Gene Blevins) old finds solace in his garden. He and his neighbor (Rip Torn) compete for the "Most Beautiful Garden" in the neighborhood. One particular flower that he has, the American Cowslip, requires a lot of TLC. Take note of "The Retarded Policeman" (Josh Perry) as featured on YouTube. He is good. Sorry, Bob, but it was absolutely horrible! I would rate it 1 out of 5 stars. (2009 - R)

Pickup on South Street

Richard Widmark, Jean Peters, Thelma Ritter, Milburn Stone -- A grifter (Richard Widmark) steals a wallet with microfilm in it. The microfilm belongs to some communist agents. Darn those evil commie dupes. Disappointing as far as Film Noir goes. I would give it 2 3/4 out of 5 stars. (1953 - NR)

Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer

Eliot Spitzer -- Like it says, the rise and fall of N.Y. Governor, Eliot Spitzer. It seemed kind of long (almost 2 hours), but it makes one realize that Clinton, Gingrich, Ensign, Edwards, and Sanford were caught doing the same stuff as Spitzer and were basically slapped on the wrist for their indiscretions. Go figure. I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars. (2010 - R)

Dogtooth

Christos Stergioglou, Aggeliki Papoulia, Mary Tsoni, Hristos Passalis (Greek) -- The weirdest film I ever saw. It's all Greek to me - literally. A man (Christos Stergioglou) and his wife live with three grown children. They are not allowed outside the fenced in yard. All day long they learn a new language. I quit watching it when his son (Hristos Passalis) killed the cat (about 45 minutes into the film). WEIRD! I understand that it is up for an Academy Award for best foreign film. Go figure. I would rate it 2 1/2 out of 5 stars. (2009 - NC-17)

PS: 2/9/11 I finished "Dogtooth" today. A 110% weird.

Nowhere Boy

Aaron Johnson, Thomas Brodie Sangster, Sam Bell, Kristin Scott Thomas, Anne-Marie Duff -- About the teenage years of John Lennon (Aaron Johnson) including his getting together with Paul (Thomas Brodie Sangster) and George (Sam Bell). It was kind of interesting during the second half. I would give it 3 1/2 out of 5 stars. (2009 - R)

Let Me In

Chloe Grace Moretz, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Richard Jenkins, Elias Koteas -- A young female vampire (Chloe Grace Moretz) teaches a boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee) to say enough is enough were bullying is concerned. I like Chloe Grace Moretz, but this is the wrong movie for her. It went on forever. It should have been titled "Let Me Out" (of this movie). I would give it a 2 3/4 out of 5 stars. (2010 - R)

Animal Kingdom

Guy Pearce, James Frencheville, Ben Mendelsohn, Jacki Weaver -- A seventeen year old named "J" goes to live with his maternal grandmother after his mother overdoses on heroine. The grandmother has some very nasty kids (bank robbers). Guy Pearce plays a cop. (He played in "L.A. Confidential" with Russell Crowe and Danny DeVito.) I thought it was an excellent movie. I would rate it 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. (2010 - R)

Stone

Robert De Niro, Edward Norton, Milla Jovovich -- Waste of time. De Niro plays a prison shrink and Norton plays the one getting shrunk. Another movie about "feelings". I remember both of those guys played in "The Score". Unfortunately, I would not recommend "Stone". I would rate it 2 1/4 out of 5 stars. (2010 - R)

Jack Goes Boating

Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Ryan, John Ortiz, Daphne Rubin-Vega -- The first half showed promise; the last half of movie absolutely sucked. Amy Ryan plays a much better part in "The Office". Don't rent this one. I would rate it a 2 out of 5 stars. (2010 - R)

The American

George Clooney, a bunch of people that aren't as famous as George Clooney -- I didn't get it. I guess a weapons expert (George Clooney) is supposed to sell a gun to a "hit lady". I do know that it takes place in Italy. The rest of it is a mystery to me. I would rate it 2 out of 5 stars. (2010 - R)

Drawn Together - The Movie

Adam Carolla, Seth MacFarlane, Jess Harnell, Tara Strong, Cree Summer, Jack Plotnick (Animated) -- I really liked "Drawn Together", and so I assumed I would like the movie version. 'Tait so. Besides a bunch blue language, it had nothing to offer. I wish they would put it back on the air, but I am afraid that the series is dead. Oh well. I would rate it 3 out of 5 stars. (2010 - R)

Cyrus

Jonah Hill, Marisa Tomie, John C. Reilly, Catherine Keener -- Some of the brightest names in comedy were not so bright here. Neither comedy nor tragedy; it went on for an hour and a half of virtually nothing. I was disappointed. It is about a guy (John C. Reilly) and a girl (Marisa Tomie), and the trouble they have with her son, Cyrus (Jonah Hill). I would rate it 2 3/4 out of 5 stars. (2010 - R)

Despicable Me

Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Kristen Wiig, Will Arnett, Julie Andrews, Russell Brand, Miranda Cosgrove, Jemaine Clement, Jack McBrayer, Danny McBride, Mindy Kaling, Ken Jeong, Rob Huebel (Animated) -- The evel "Gru" (Steve Carell) and his Minions plan on stealing the moon. A worse evil doer, Vector (Jason Segel), plans on taking the moon for himself. Gru, his Minions, and the three girls he adopts, plan on stopping Vector. It was fun. I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars. (2010 - PG)

The Black Camel

Warner Oland, Bela Lugosi, Robert Young -- The oldest Chan in the book. It was made in 1931. It has to do with the murder of Shelah Fane. The suspicion points to her psychic advisor (Bela Lugosi). But the maid did it. It was Robert Young's first picture. I would rate it 2 1/4 out of 5 stars. (1931 - NR)

Infamous

Toby Jones, Sandra Bullock, Jeff Daniels, Sigourney Weaver, Peter Bogdanovich, Daniel Craig, Lee Pace, Hope Davis, Gwyneth Paltrow -- The story of Truman Capote (Toby Jones) in the years he was working on "In Cold Blood". I was particularly impressed with Sandra Bullock as Harper Lee and Jeff Daniels as Chief of Police in Holcomb, Kansas; Alvin "Foxy" Dewey. I didn't know that Bennett Cerf (Peter Bogdanovich) was at the executions of Smith (Daniel Craig) and Hickock (Lee Pace). Oh well, I guess you learn something new each day. I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars. (2006 - R)

Inception

Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Berenger, Michael Caine, Lukas Haas -- Look, you either like the film very much, or you hate it. I liked it very much. It's about a guy who enters your dreams (with a group of people) and tries to get you to reveal your secrets to him. Heady stuff. You will have to see it to know what I mean. The only thing is after the movie I was confused about whether I was still in the movie or not. Like I say, you have to experience it for your self. I would still give it a 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. (2010 - PG-13)

Howl

James Franco, Jon Hamm, Mary-Louise Parker, Jeff Daniels, David Strathairn, Treat Williams, Bob Balaban -- The biography of "Beat Generation" poet Allen Ginsberg, and the time that his work, "Howl", was on trial for being for being obscene. Jon Hamm played the defense lawyer, David Strathairn was the prosecuting attorney, and Bob Balaban was the judge. All whole bunch of famous people played the witnesses. I would have turned it off after a half an hour but there were so many famous people that I kept on watching it. I now know all there is to know (unfortunately) about Allen Ginsberg. I would rate it 2 1/4 out of 5 stars. (2010 - R)

The Special Relationship

Micheal Sheen, Dennis Quaid, Hope Davis -- About the special relationship between the UK and the United States during the reign of Tony Blair. Half the movie was about Monica Lewinsky. I almost fell asleep. I would rate it 2 3/4 out of 5 stars. (2010 - NR)

A Perfect World

Kevin Costner, Clint Eastwood, Laura Dern, T.J. Lowther, Bradley Whitford, Ray McKinnon, Bruce McGill, Linda Hart -- In the early 60's, a convict escapes (Kevin Costner) from prison and holds a little boy (T.J. Lowther) hostage. It was directed by Clint Eastwood (who also stars in the movie). Eastwood's movies are either terrific ("Changeling" and "Million Dollar Baby") or a disappointment ("Honkytonk Man" and "The Bridges of Madison County"). Unfortunately, I would have to put this in the latter category. About a half an hour too long. I would rate it 3 1/2 out of 5 stars. (1993 - R)