Playing For Keeps

I hadn't seen the cover and knew nothing about this film, so I expected it to be a low budget B movie. Jessica Beal was a known star, her husband didn't stand out and the lead actor was familiar but I didn't remember his name (Gerard Butler).

Then all of these stars showed up during a soccer game, Dennis Quaid, Uma Thurman, and Catherine Zeta Jones. Hmm, this might be more than a B movie. It was pretty good. Jeanne and I liked it, but it was a lot like a Hallmark movie. You know, fairly predictable plot. Happy ending..but wait, maybe that ending wasn't so happy.

Anyhow, it was worth seeing. I'm not sure if this is one I'd need to see again but it was a good evenings entertainment. Judy Greer was in a great supporting role and I loved what they did with her character.

Broken Discs

I have recently undergone an amazing number of broken discs received from Netflix. I got a disc that was broken, reported it, got the replacement which was broken and expect to get a new one today or Monday. In the meantime, I received two more broken discs the next day, another on the following day...five discs in a weeks time! The folks at Netflix have been great, they have sent extra discs to make up for the lost viewing time and been understanding about the breakage. I told their rep that I've noticed that it's the older titles I order that get broken. Maybe I order too many old titles!

The point is that occasionally things pile up and we could be dissatisfied, but I've taken time to reflect on the state of things before Netflix. Remembering how I used to have to buy or rent discs from local video stores and wondering how we were going to convert all those purchased video tapes over to the new format. Things are so much better now that we can get discs sent to us and stream videos with no breakage ever. It's the best of both worlds!

Take Me Home

Jeanne and I stumbled upon this movie on Netflix and watched it instantly. It's always a surprise to me when I find a really interesting movie on their instant viewing because there is so much garbage on Netflix streaming.

This a well done  romantic comedy, some parts of the storyline were thin but it moved on at a quick pace and was very enjoyable.

So we both recommend it!

Valentines Day, I Hate Valentines Day

"Valentines Day" is  one we have watched already, but neither of us could really remember much about it.

The story weaves in and out of several peoples lives and is a delightful blend of romance and heartache, perfect for Valentines Day viewing..we saw it a few days later and it was still worth watching.
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Then the other day

I found this gem that we have seen before

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I Hate Valentines Day
The chemistry is great, even though we've seen it before,
it's worth another viewing.

Morning Glory

Morning Glory is a 2011 treat about a young carrer woman who needs to fix a low performing news show. The tone is fresh, upbeat and amusing. While watching it, I had a real thirst to know what was going to happen, how was she going to survive, how would I turn this show around? This is a nugget, which Jeanne and I watched on netflix streaming the other day. We had seen it before, but couldn't really remember it, so it was like seeing it again for the first time. Rachel McAdams shines brightly amost a cast that features Harrison Ford, Dianae Keaton and Jeff Goldblume.

A Simple Twist Of Fate

Talking at the school the other day I was surprised that none of the teachers had heard of "A Simple Twist Of Fate" written and produced by Steve Martin. I thought teachers would have seen or heard of it since it was loosely based on Silas Marner, the book that my generation was required to read in certain English classes. Somehow, I managed to escape that particular required reading..but now I'm not so sure that was good luck.

Because the story in this movie is delightful. Reviewers panned it, said it was a mistake for Martin to do it, too self serving..blah blah blah. I'm often surprised that a good, well done movie that I find entertaining can be met with negative insults. And it's almost as if they all pile on with the same comments. And they are all wrong.

I liked it and recommend it.

Conversations With God VS The Answer Man

"Conversations with God" is a serious biographical account about the man who went through much ordeal and wrote a book about his imagined or real conversations with God. As I watched it, I was driven nuts becaise I had seen a movie that was so similar about an author. The other day I stumbled on the movie which is "The Answer Man."

Answer Man came out 2 years after Conversations so it's a parody on the other. Both movies were intersting in their own way. The biographical Conversations movie was a thought provoking look into the life of a human being who went through some serious trials in life, found some answers and learned to deal with lifes challenges.

Answer Man is R rated for some bad language toward the beginning of the movie. It's about an author dealing with the fame that his writings bring him. It's a heart warming story that is full of promise as the story unfolds.

Both movies are worthy of a view because they each show a spiritual side of people and demostrate folks who are interested in life's questions. But each is completely different in the way they are presented.

Gone

This thriller was a fast paced, enjoyable escape about a girl with a history. She was abducted years ago and been haunted by the experience ever since. But here's the twist, the cops don't believe her, they treat her like "the girl who cried wolf" so when her sister goes missing she has a difficult time ralleying the troops and has to take matters into her own hands, something law enforcement frown on.

A great escape movie with all you'd expect from the genre.

Man On A Ledge

I got the movie this week and asked my married daughter and her husband if they wanted to watch it. "No, did you see the previews, it looks boring, it's just about a guy standing on a building."

And on the surface, that's what it's about...but this movie is anything but boring. The storytelling is exciting and well crafted.

Sam Worthington (Avatar) is no stranger to action and he gets a few scenes in flashbacks that are pretty spectacular.

Elizabeth Banks (30 Rock regular) plays the negotiator trying to talk the jumper down and does a believable job as the cop who lost a negotiation with a jumper only a month ago.

Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer) was an underused and underdeveloped character in the movie, they could have done more with her and I was really expecting more. And I thought the cop ex-partner played by Anthony Mackie was played well but could have been developed more.

But, this is not a boring movie, and it's not just about a guy standing on a building. Give this one a try!

A Knight's Tale

I made a copy of this movie for a teacher at school. She had a pre-recorder copy on tape but no longer has a way to show tapes to class.

I rented it fron Netflix and after the copy was complete, Jeanne and I watched it. We enjoyed it a great deal. It's better than I remembered. The upbeat rock musical tracks really add to the film.

Ledger died in 2008 of prescription drugs poisoning. Vicodin, Oxycotin and Valluim were among the several drugs in his bloodstream. How could he have gotten so many prescriptions is beyond me. Just trying to get one prescription for pain meds is tough enough. His performance as "The Joker" was world class and had him headed for superstardom.

This movie isn't the best, but has many great moments and is certinly worth another watch.

The ensemble cast was very good. Paul Bettany plays the part of Chaucer, a down and out writer who adds witt and charm throughout the movie. Cast as his companions in the adventure, Roland (Mark Addy) and Wat (Alan Tudyk) keep the adventure moving right along..always with the threat that they might quit at any moment. Laura Fraser is the blacksmith, Kate who joins the band and adds even more comraderie to the group.