Priceless (2008)

"Priceless" (Hors de prix) is a romantic comedy of a sort only the French would make. Jean Simon (Gad Elmaleh) is a bartender at a posh hotel on the French Riviera so conditioned to fulfill the guests' every wish that he can't say "no". Irene Mercier (Audrey Tautou) is an attractive young woman kept by a wealthy older man whom she hopes to marry to secure a life of luxury. When Irene's companion Jacques (Vernon Dobtcheff) falls asleep and spoils her plans for the evening, Irene dejectedly saunters to the hotel bar, where she mistakes Jean for a rich guest. Jean sheepishly accommodates her mistake, and they have a drunken fling. When she returns to the hotel a year later, engaged to Jacques, their mutual attraction threatens her marriage plans, Jean's job, and everyone's equilibrium.

This is a genuinely charming and funny film, but I had to laugh at its effrontery as well as it script. "Priceless" adopts a jaunty, optimistic tone at the point when Jean and Irene begin prostituting themselves to rich patrons. This film would not be made in the Untied States. It accepts the casual exchange of sex for money as an amusing and self-evident aspect of life, and sexual jealousy simply does not exist. Irene couldn't be more charming than when she attempts to educate a smitten Jean on the arts of gold-digging and seduction. Irene and Jean's meal tickets, the wealthy bon vivants that keep them in designer fashions, are interesting and smart people themselves, which helps elevate the film.

And there is always something interesting going on the background. I enjoyed director Pierre Salvadori's peeks behind the scenes at how luxury hotels function. I was impressed by his respect for the support staffs that keep the hotels running, and it enhanced the feeling of grandeur that Irene single-mindedly seeks. "Priceless" was obviously inspired by "Breakfast at Tiffany's", a film that I don't care for. It is not as coy about the lady's profession, however. And Jean and Irene are much more appealing and good-humored leads. "Priceless" is a very good-looking film, a scandalous tale that wisely gives no hint of scandal, with a smart, funny script. There are no bonus features on the First Look 2008 DVD. Subtitles are available in English SDH and Spanish.

I'm going out on a limb and giving this film 5 stars. No it's not epic long lasting cinema, but it's a perfectly enjoyable, wonderfully well made, bit of entertainment. It's in the same vein as Cousin Cousine Cousin, Cousine, or when you read the synopsis, not a movie you would want to watch. However, the French have this ability to make films that take what, to American sensibility, would be an offensive film, and make it charming.

This film is a little charming film. From the start you are drawn in, beautiful scenery, an intriguing bell man (Jean) working hard to make money. Working so hard, Jean actually falls asleep standing up while working. And the counterpart is a young woman (Irene) with an older man. He passes out drunk on her birthday and she ends up with the Jean. You can think long and hard about what Irene does or is, but why? By this time you are hooked on the charm of this film. Just go along, enjoy the ride.

The scenery in and around Nice is wonderful. The people are beautiful. The language gorgeous. The sun, the sea, just enjoy.

We watched this movie on a cold December snowy evening, and enjoyed the full two hours non-stop.

The subtitles / translation is done rather well. The only nit to pick, the name of the film. Hors de Prix is more like outrageously priced, or extremely expensive. It's not necessarily pricelss. With the matercard ads we lean more to priceless meaning, can't be bought for any money. Like Jean, hors de prix, humans can buy these things, they might just have to take out loans to buy them. Priceless things can't be bought.

As was said in another review, the sex bits are very subtle. It's definately a romantic film. This is really a PG-13 film if you used language (the f word is never said or subtitled), nudity (there is none), and violence (somebody gets slapped with no blood) as your gauge (as the MPAA does on American films). However, the topic, well it's probably not going to be interesting to anyone under 15 or 16 anyway.

Very enjoyable film. Charming. A real pleasure to watch. A great cold night watch.

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This gem sparkles like diamonds on display in Tiffany's. Audrey Tautou shows her physical beauty and amazing acting range, pulling off a seemingly impossible character arc from selling her self to the highest bidder to finding true love. Twists along the way let us see the world from all points of view, a rare thing in storytelling. Having it all feel seamless and natural is an amazing tour de force by actors, writers, film crew and the director. "Priceless" is one of the very few romantic comedies that can be watched again without losing an ounce of its punch. And whoever did the costumes for Ms. Tautou deserves an Academy Award.

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Like Nicholas Stoller's "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," Pierre Salvadori's "Priceless" could be considered distinctly unsavory if the story weren't so funny and the actors so charming. Both films share a basic theme--sexual hanky-panky in luxurious resort hotels--but whereas "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" concentrates on the sex itself, making it thoroughly American, "Priceless" is very French in concentrating on the dollars-and-cents (or euros-and-cents) calculations of love for a price. "Priceless" redeems itself by having true love triumph over money in the end (and you knew it would going into this movie; this is "Priceless," not "Darling.") Audrey Tautou is alluringly hard-edged as a shameless golddigger who, through a series of mixups, ends up sleeping with a shy barman (Gad Elmaleh) she mistakes for a tycoon. The mixup costs Tautou her current sugar daddy, with nothing and no one to fall back on. When Elmaleh presses his suit, Tautou exacts an expensive revenge which leads to all sorts of repercussions and complications, all set against the opulent backdrops of Biarritz and Monte Carlo captured glowingly by cinematographer Gilles Henry. Tautou is funny and touching as a mercenary woman who gradually melts under the spell of true love, and Elmaleh is a perfect example of the lovable deadpan comedians France excels at producing. The various rich folk whom Tautou and Elmaleh, ahem, bump up against--played to perfection by Marie-Christine Adam, Vernon Dobtcheff, and Jacques Spiesser--become more loathsome with each second of screen time, making the ultimate triumph of love over money all the sweeter. "Priceless" is a prime, and unexpectedly pointed, example of French bedroom farce.

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Hors de Prix (Priceless) stars audrey tatou ("amelie," l'auberge espagnole," "dirty pretty things")as a woman who exists and subsists on the kindness of rich old men but only for a short time: before she gets bored, before he dies, before she realizes that there is another bigger score afoot. tatou plays irene (she is painfully thin in a play i think to replicate the mesmerizing, luminous audrey hepburn of "breakfast at tiffany's") and to add some friction to the mix, director pierre salvadori manipulates a meeting between irene and jean ( gad elmaleh) a poor guy who irene mistakes for her next victim but who meets a rich woman who absurdly wants jean to be her paid escort. Irene takes on the job of transforming jean into a proper french gigolo.

what is refreshing about this film is that director salvadori and his writer are not conflcted in the least about irene and what she does: there is no judgement about these kinds of things in french films. irene's actions are deliberate and goal oriented. irene is a prostitue (a high class one, yes but a prostitute nonetheless), a gold digger, a woman who lives off the kindness of old men who crave her company and her affection.

gold digging as an elevated, something to be strived for activity/way of life: the interplay between jean and irene is witty, fun and thoughtful as irene teaches jean the ropes.

"Priceless" is a frothy bit of film making, made even lighter by Audray Tatou's ethereal Irene and gad elmalah's sad sack Jean.the idea that we americans are going to re-make this film sends shudders up my spine. quelle dommage!

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Youth in Revolt (2009)

Youth in Revolt is the adaptation of C.D. Paynes cult book by the same title. It follows the storyline of his first three novellas (later combined into a single book) that follow a young man by the name of Nick Twisp, who after discovering the love of his life does whatever he must to stay with her.

The film itself is a far cry from the hilarious prose of the witty novel that inspired it. However by itself, Youth in Revolt is surely a great romantic comedy, and Michael Cera's best performance to date. If you are looking for a short, well-directed, well-acted and hilarious romp then look no further. This is a movie I think all movie buffs should add to their collection and one that sadly went unnoticed in theaters.

After you watch the movie, if you find the characters entertaining I highly suggest picking up the books. They are a light read, very entertaining and even more well-crafted than this short feature film.

Two Thumbs Up!

Well, it's been a long wait, but Youth in Revolt is finally hitting the big screen in a wide release. And it's worth the wait. I laughed through just about the whole movie. And before I get deep into the review, I have read the book. So let's get into it.

BAD:

1. Quite short. A 90 minute romp through a 500-page novel. What?

2. CUTS! Many characters from the novel such as Apurva and Fuzzy hve been severed from the movie. Maybe Apurva was cut from them film to emphasize Nick's love for Sheeni. But Fuzzy's cut? He's the whole reason they can go to the French boarding school in Act II. What?

3. No Carlotta, really! If you have read the book you know what I mean with this.

That's it for the bad.

GOOD:

1. Hysterical! Does this really need an explanation? It's funny!

2. Animation sequences. These occur at certain points in the film to facilitate scenes. Very creative!

3. Good Acting/Cameos. The film has very good acting. Michael Cera and Portia Doubleday really steal the show. Also, they have an ensemble cast of cameos, such as Fred Willard and Steve Buscemi. Very well acted.

4. Quite faithful to the novel. Miguel Arteta did good with the novel. No new characters were introduced, only cuts.

Overall Score: 9.0 out of 10

A ten, but not really any Carlotta and no Apurva or Fuzzy. And, way too short.

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This is a film that seems strange at first watching, but after a second viewing the movie is absolutely hilarious. Similar to films like "Little Miss Sunshine" and "Observe in Report," "Youth in Revolt" is an indie-esque movie with amazing performances praising its great source material. This is my favorite film with Michael Cera, and he definately displays all of his talent in this movie. The ability to play two distinct personalities that do not seem as if they are the same person, is a quality that makes Cera a fine actor. The supporting cast is perfectly formed with actors like Buscemi and Justin Long. I disagree with the critical reviews saying that Cera and Doubleday have no chemistry. Their chemistry is practically flowing out of my big screen and spilling onto the floor. And then I'll have to call Stanley Steamer to clean the chemistry off my rug. Anyway, what makes this a five star film follows:

*Hilarious script due to source material

*Every actor perfect for the role

*Amazing soundtrack that's worth buying

*The indie flavor to the film

*Crisp cinematography

*Animations and claymations(very creative way to move through a scene)

Is it worth getting on blu-ray you ask? Absolutely! The picture looks astonishing. The special features kind of lack, but there's enough to satisfy the casual Blu-rayer. Youth in Revolt is not for everyone, but it's one of my favorite comedies. Now I'm definately drawn to the C.D. Payne books. I'll be satisfied if they're half this entertaining.

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*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I really wanted to like 'Youth in Revolt' since it began with a likable protagonist, Nick Twisp (in another typical Michael Cera 'insecure with woman' role) and his love interest, Sheeni Saunders (played by attractive newcomer, Portia Doubleday). Also in the mix is a quirky supporting cast including such luminaries as Steve Buscemi, Zach Galifianakis, Ray Liotta and Justin Long.

One is immediately drawn to Nick and Sheeni with their intellectual discussions focusing particularly on film (Nick loves art house Japanese director Ozu and Sheeni is a committed Francophile, with a particular infatuation for the famed French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo). You would never guess that Nick and Sheeni were so cerebral and liberal minded. considering the background of their parents. Nick's mother Estelle has taken up with a low-life boyfriend, Jerry (Galifianakis) who has just sold a lemon of a car to three sailors who want their money back. Jerry and Estelle with Nick in tow, take off for Clearlake (California) where they spend the week in a beat up trailer. Later Jerry has a heart attack and dies and Estelle takes up with an obnoxious Oakland police officer. Meanwhile, Sheeni's parents, who are more middle class, also happen to be fanatical fundamentalist Christians and won't let Sheeni keep 'Albert', a mangy mutt that Nick has purchased for Sheeni.

All of the offbeat banter and characters proves pretty engaging for the first thirty minutes of the film until Nick invents an alter-ego character, Francois Dillinger to help him win Sheeni's heart (he also must contend with Sheeni's preppie boyfriend, Trent Preston, who seeks to undermine Nick at every turn). The alter-ego assisting an insecure male in an attempt to woo a seemingly unobtainable love interest calls to mind the Woody Allen classic,"Play It Again Sam". You'll recall that the 70s comedy also features a lovable loser who must call upon an iconic film figure to help transform himself into a character who is decidedly confident with women. Play It Again Sam works because the alter-ego is Humphrey Bogart, who not only represents the apotheosis of male confidence with women but also the 'bad boy' who refuses to dispense with his ethical principles despite all the temptations (in Play It Again Sam, Bogart plays Rick, the good guy cafe owner from Casablanca, who saves the girl and defeats the Nazis).

Youth in Revolt, on the other hand, unfortunately gets it all wrong. Dillinger, with his pencil thin moustache, is also supposed to be a 'bad boy', attractive to women. But unlike Bogie, he's ethically challenged. He ends up advising Nick to "blow up half of Berkeley". Nick listens to his wilder, demented half and ends up crashing Jerry's Lincoln into a restaurant, causing a fire. Nick's now a wanted man (or rather a juvenile delinquent wanted by the police). Nick does more sorry things.

After going to the exclusive French private girl's boarding school where Sheeni has been exiled by her parents, Nick meets Bernice Lynch, Sheeni's next door neighbor at school, and tells her that Trent has been badmouthing her. In order to get back at Trent, he convinces Lynch to place sedatives in Sheeni's drinks. Sheeni ends up getting expelled after constantly falling asleep in class.

Since Dillinger is so unlikeable and Nick constantly takes his advice, we lose complete respect for the protagonist. Unlike Woody Allen, who through Bogart's advice becomes self-actualized, Nick becomes completely unhinged. At the end of the film, Nick attempts to stage his own death by pretending to be in a car that falls off a cliff. The bungled stunt is seen for what it is in front of a few local police officers who observe Nick fleeing in his underpants. What kind of moral are we supposed to take away from this film? That committing crimes are advisable, leading to success with women? In the end, even Sheeni has lost her sheen. She falls for the pathetic Nick and appears to acquiesce in his misbehavior. It's Sheeni who reassures him that he'll only do three months in the slammer.

Nick has more than one sidekick in 'Youth in Revolt' and they're all underdeveloped. His best friend Lefty has little screen time and by watching the DVD extras you can see that the rest of his scenes were left on the cutting room floor. Better is the second sidekick, Vijay, an Indian from South Africa played by the talented Adhir Kalyan who I predict we will see more of in the years to come. Vijay has a few amusing bits when he accompanies Nick in his foray to Sheeni's boarding school. He's also seen in an animated sequence while he drives with Nick in his grandmother's car. Finally there's Paul, Sheeni's brother, who Nick bonds with for a short time over a bunch of psychedelic mushrooms.

While the quirky characters which I alluded to before are initially engaging, they are all so underdeveloped that by the time the film concludes, we care little about them. Buscemi is particularly left high and dry in his one-note depiction of a constantly angry parent who finds himself unable to connect and bond with his alienated son.Youth in Revolt does have some rather neat 'claymation' animated sequences, highlighted during the opening and closing credits. Coupled with an effective 'folky' soundtrack as well as clever editing, 'Youth' comes across better for its look rather than its content.

I don't know how the films' backers could have allowed the scenarists here to so easily undermine the solid character of the films' protagonists. This could have been a simple story about an insecure, geeky kid who gains confidence with women by inventing and then following the lead of his own 'bad boy' creation--a bad boy however, that still has some heart and soul. Unfortunately, the alter ego has no class and it makes little sense that the 'good kid' would choose to go down such a dark path.

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There aren't very many adaptations of books into film that manage to not to wreck themselves. I am very happy to say Youth in Revolt does not mangle the book, but in fact adds a layer of realism and earnest emotion that the book strays away from.

Youth in Revolt is a teenage fantasy coming-of-age story set in central and northern California, about one young man's quest for love. Beyond this basic setting, we have no other cues to tell us when the action is happening; the protagonist Nick uses a computer that looks like it's from 1992, the teenage characters all speak with Shakespearean wit, and everyone seems to regularly write letters and keep journals. (Like I said, it's a fantasy.)

This otherworldly element was fortunately imported in from the original book. Another spectacular motif that was thankfully maintained is showing the extreme lengths teenage guys will go for love; some of the more twisted elements of the novel (like Nick drugging his girlfriend so she is expelled from school and forced to go back to her hometown, also where he forced his father to move) ring true to the source material. Which I think is really commendable and brave on the filmmakers' part; not many studios would make a movie where the character we are supposed to sympathize with pulls that kind of stunt, even in the name of love.

What the film does even better is bringing this often-fantastical story back down to earth. Eventually Nick's crimes (yes, they are crimes) do catch up with him and he is forced to reconcile with his past, while in the book he is able to skirt it yet again. In literature though, disbelief is much more easily suspended than in film, so it is refreshing to see this problem actually brought to light for a medium in which that plot development is simply implausible.

The film also humanizes the actions taken by the characters. Both the young lovers, Nick and Sheeni, pull some pretty bad s*** throughout the course of the story. Exhausted with the situation, Sheeni eventually tells Nick that she can't put up with Nick's shenanigans any longer. "I'm tired of being alone." He thoughtfully replies, "I've been alone all my life. That's why I'm doing this." A real motive is fueling their love, not just the boredom of disaffected youth (which appears to be the case in the novel).

One minor (unrealistic) critique I have of the film is how comparatively minor in scope the movie is when looking at the novel. The original is an epic 500-page trilogy of books (bound together in one volume) and deservedly so; Nick goes through a lot to finally win over Sheeni. I had been expecting similar treatment for the film (clocking in at at least 2 1/2 hours?) but alas, my contemporary American epic can apparently be told in 90 minutes. Still, I'm amazed they pulled off the stellar project they did.

This movie seems perfect for our contemporary era of culture and sophistication re-entering the base requirements for courtship. The characters (convincingly) discuss arthouse film and dress fashionably (but affordably). Despite its more fantastical elements, this film still seems incredibly weighted and a more realistic depiction of teenage life (well, mine anyways!) than the typical teen sex comedy fare you get in the multiplexes. By far the best high school film in recent memory, and one of the best movies of 2009.

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Bruce Almighty (All Region)

This is one of the funniest movies I've seen in some time. Bruce Almighty starts Jim Carrey, Jennifer Aniston, and Morgan Freeman. The basic premise is this is a comedy about one man who is given the powers (and responsibilities) of God and we get to see what he does with this power. Knowing that the movie stars Jim Carrey we expect quite a bit of over the top humor. While we do have a fair amount of the typical Carrey humor, Bruce Almighty is a lot more than that.

Bruce Nolan (Jim Carrey) is a reporter for a local television station. He gets the assignments that show off his warm and humorous side. But Bruce wants the anchor position that will be opening up when the current male anchor retires. Bruce does not feel that he is getting the respect or the opportunities necessary for him to be able to get the job he has always wanted.

Bruce is living with his girlfriend Grace Connelly (Jennifer Aniston), an elementary school teacher. When Bruce loses his job (have a nice Jim Carrey fit) he blames everyone and everything including God for his mediocre life. Grace sees that Bruce is also calling their relationship mediocre and is now upset with Bruce. Bruce blames God some more, asks for a sign (he gets several, which he promptly ignores) until finally he realizes that there is something going on and actually meets God (Morgan Freeman). God is tired of listening to Bruce whine so much so he tells Bruce that if he thinks he can do a better job at running the world, then perhaps Bruce should try. God endows Bruce with the divine power and lets Bruce have a go at it.

Bruce does what most of us would do with the power of God. He plays around with it for his own convenience, messes with the people who he doesn't like and uses it to help out his sex life with his girlfriend. His use of power is very funny, but it appears that he is not happy with life. Finally, Grace leaves him because even though Bruce is improving his life he has not changed who he is or how he acts to other people.

The movie changes gears and turns into a film about Bruce's redemption with God and with Grace. The film presents a positive message about God and faith that does not feel heavy handed at all (the director happens to be Christian). I thought this was a fairly well thought out and incredibly funny movie. It is the funniest movie thus far this year and I would definitely recommend it.

"Bruce Almighty" is another fine effort by Jim Carrey. Anyone who enjoys his work will enjoy this movie. Unfortunately, the DVD edition starts with four minutes of movie trailers. Unlike other DVD's, this one locks out the controls on your player so that you HAVE to watch the trailers before accessing anything else on the disc. You cannot even stop the disc from playing once the trailers start, except by ejecting it. AND, this happens every time you load the disc.

This is unacceptable, especially in a medium that normally allows the viewer such varied control over how a movie is presented on their screen. Because of this bone-headed decision by the DVD makers, I cannot recommend you purchase this disk. Indeed, I would encourage anyone else who has purchased this DVD to protest to Universal about this forced advertising. Anyone who pays full price for a new DVD should not have to sit through unwanted advertising to view their purchase.

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Bruce Nolan (Jim Carrey) is a local TV news reporter in Brooklyn, NY who is constantly sent out on the least desirable assignments and made into the "funny" guy instead of the serious person he wants to be perceived as.

His goal is finally sit in the anchor's chair and be taken seriously as a news personality. He is so goal oriented, it causes strife with his girlfriend Grace (played wonderfully by Jennifer Aniston). Nothing seems to go right for him. His dog eliminates in the house, his car gets demolished, he gets embarrased on TV and continues to butt his head against the wall.

Grace is a school teacher that has a special bond with her students. She is spiritual and loving, and cares deeply for Bruce, warts and all. Bruce only sees his goal and as the world crashes around him, he blames God for his troubles.

In a scene reminiscent of "Oh, God!" (starring George Burns and John Denver), Bruce goes to an unusal, nondescript building to talk about a job offer. Little does he know that it's God (Morgan Freeman) who has contacted him and who offers Bruce the opportunity to have God's power so he can try to prove he can do a better job than God.

Needless to say, giving Jim Carrey omnipotent powers is a recipe for non-stop laughter. A number of the funny scenes have already been shown in the trailers, but there are many more. Beyond the humor, however, there is a much more powerful story going on in Bruce's heart.

While he has the power of God, he doesn't have the knowledge or wisdom of the Almighty. He finds himself deluged with prayers still overwhelmed with pressures of the world. He uses his new powers for selfish things, and when he finally is moved to do something for others, he does a half-hearted job at it.

Despite his powers, he still finds himself going nowhere nothing works out the way it should. He can manipulate people and things, but he does not have the power to interfere with a person's free will. Free will is the only thing we have when we're born and the only thing we take with us when we leave but despite being told not to interfere in free will, Bruce tries at it anyway.

After nearly 2 weeks with omnipotent powers, God confronts Bruce asking what good things he has done for other people, or what things has he done at all that were good. As his life continues to unravel, Bruce realizes what God was trying to tell him subtly all along.

This is not just a film about the funny situations one can get into with almighty powers the story is more about the individual relationship each person chooses to have with God... and how to look at yourself before pointing out the problems in others.

There is some foul language in the film, but it is minimal and not anything beyond what is seen on prime-time TV these days. The film is very entertaining, but also very deep. It's hard to watch this film and not have at least a moment of looking at yourself in a different way and more importantly, looking at the people around you and trying to see them as God sees them instead of in the selfish way we usually look at others.

In many ways, this is a timeless movie almost an instant classic... and one of the few blockbusters in recent years that it's safe to take your family to watch.

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Bruce Nolan is a flunky reporter who is always sent on remote locations to cover ridiculous assignments for a local television station in Buffalo. His life goal is to be head news anchor, but his career is cut short when he swears on the air. After his neglected girlfriend dumps him and everything in his life goes awry, Bruce asks God for Help. God answers him, but Bruce cops an attitude and tells God how unfair He is and what a terrible job He is doing in the world. God listens patiently and tells Bruce that he can play God for a while, which is similar to giving explosives to a child.

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What happens when God gives a whining, complaining ordinary Joe his powers? "Bruce Almighty" attempts to answer that question, with Jim Carrey playing Bruce Nolan, the whining, complaining ordinary Joe. And Carrey has a field day with the character, delivering some of his funniest stuff yet, which include a tyrade on a newscast from Niagra Falls and making his rival newsman speak in gibberish. Jennifer Aniston does well in her first mainstream role as Nolan's girlfriend Grace, and Morgan Freeman never takes his God role too seriously, which adds an extra layer of humor to a movie already chock full of Carrey's physical gags.

Nolan (Carrey) is a reporter at a Bufallo news station, buts what he really wants to be is an anchorman. But when his rival takes the job instead, and he loses his job because of his tyrade at Niagra Falls, he gets fired and starts to get on God's (Freeman) nerves because of his complaining. All the while, he is starting to neglect his girlfriend Grace (Anniston). But God hears Bruce's complaints and bestows his powers on him. Carrey thinks all his problems are now solved as he now becomes known as Mr. Exclusive because he makes it so he covers amazing, freak stories, like a metorite hitting Earth. Although, Bruce soon finds out that his new found fame is taking him away from what he really enjoys, i.e. grace, and he is going to lose all that if he does not change himself and how he acts.

And that is the film's moral: instead of asking for everything, you have to get off your butt and do it yourself, and think about people other than yourself. Despite the occasional corny moment, director Tom Shadyac (Who collaborated with Carrey on "Liar, Liar") still manages to lend enough gravity and emotion to the message, and makes a wholly satisfying conclusion to a movie that will make your sides split, as well as make you rethink the way you go about life.

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Rocky Horror Picture Show (2011)

I loved going to "Rocky Horror" when I was in college, but watching on home video just wasn't the same. I'm probably committing heresy but there's a reason why this sci-fi, horror, B-movie satire, rock musical didn't really make it big until theaters started showing it as a midnight movie and fans started attending in costume and talking back to the screen. The 25th anniversary DVD, with several audience participation options, really is the next best thing to being there.

For the uninitiated, "Rocky Horror" tells the story of two clean-cut American youths, uptight Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick of "Spin City") and Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon of "Dead Man Walking") whose car breaks down on a dark, deserted road in the middle of a storm--the classic beginning to many horror movies--and who seek help at a nearby castle. Castles, as Rocky fans know, don't have phones! What this castle has instead is a cross-dressing mad scientist Frank-N-Furter Tim Curry, in perhaps his finest performance), two very creepy servants, Riff-Raff (Richard O'Brien, who wrote the musical) and Magenta (Patricia Quinn), and various other hangers-on, including lovers Columbia (Little Nell) and biker Eddie (Meat Loaf). Brad and Janet walk in on a party celebrating the creation of Frank-N-Furter's muscle-bound boy-toy "Rocky." Bed-hopping chaos soon ensues, until the servants reveal their true identities and take control.

Punctuating this wacky plot are some of the wildest rock-musical songs ever written. In addition to the classic "Time Warp," there's O'Brien's salute to cult-classic B-movies, "Science Fiction Double Feature," Meat Loaf's "Hot Patootie," and Sarandon ode to sexual self-discovery, "Toucha Toucha Touch Me!"

So much for the "Rocky virgin" portion of the review... What makes the DVD so exceptional is the chance to experience "Rocky Horror" at home nearly like you would in the theater. The DVD has the option of turning on the audience screen comments as well as another option for viewing members of the Rocky Horror Fan Club performing select scenes before returning to the main movie. For those less familiar with audience participation, the DVD can prompt when to throw toast, toilet paper, rice, etc., light a match, put your newspaper on your head, etc.

The second disc contains fascinating interviews with cast members, where fans can find out about their reaction to starring in this cult classic. Meat Loaf's description of not realizing what "Rocky Horror" was going to be about and running out of the theater when Tim Curry entered wearing fishnet stockings, spiked heels, a merry widow, and a leather jacket and singing "Sweet Transvestite" is hysterical. Patricia Quinn talks about how her fondness for the opening song, "Science Fiction Double Feature" made her want to take the role even though she hadn't read the rest of the script. What? Don't remember Quinn singing that number? In the stage versions she did, but the song got reassigned in the film version--and Quinn makes her feelings about that QUITE clear. Sarandon makes the interesting observation that "Rocky Horror" probably kept a lot of art house theaters in business over the years, since they could count on good revenue from the midnight movie, even if the latest regular-hours offering flopped. In Bostwick's interview, however, the actor sounds a bit like William Shatner giving his anti-Trekkie diatribe on "Saturday Night Live."

The only disappointments on the DVD are that the outtakes really aren't that interesting and actor bios aren't provided. I would have liked to see what else the "minor" cast members did after Rocky, but that information is limited to a few lines in the companion booklet. Also, some of the audience-participation comments are nearly impossible to understand because fans are talking over each other. But then that's part of the modern-day theater experience. Even Sarandon noted in her interview that talking back to the screen has gone from the more unison catechism approach to a loud free-for-all.

What seemed so risqué and shocking a few decades ago seems much more innocent today, but it was great when it all began and it's still great! If you've never ventured into the theater to experience "Rocky Horror," this is the best way to experience it at home.

Having owned several 35mm prints of this film and watched many others, I know how this film should look. Overall, this disc looks amazing with intact grain structure and details; however there are 2 major issues.

1. For unknown reasons Science Fiction is LETTERBOXED ( within the 1.66 frame which the Fox logo and the rest of the film is in), cutting off the top and bottom of the lips during parts of the song. The entire film was 1.66 on the dvd so this blunder on the Blu-ray is unforgivable.

2. The blue tint from Brad's bedroom scene has been removed. The blue tint from the Timewarp flashback has also been removed.

I have emailed FOX and have not heard back.

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So you haven't seen this movie and you call yourself a true movie fan! BAH! I'm sorry, folks. Whether you like it or not, this one's required-reading. And I will tell you something now: I've seen worse on USA's UP ALL NIGHT. In fact, that's just what this movie makes fun of. It takes all those late-night science-fiction thrill-omedies and skewers them mercilessly. A favorite of mine since first-viewing, it's a great musical and an outrageously fun romp. Misunderstood greatly when it first came out, this satire preys on cheesy musicals("Dammit, Janet" is a wondeful indication of this), sex-and-science-fiction films(read "Flash Gordon" & "Barbarella") and a bit of society's judgement of man("Frank-n-furter!/It's all over/your mission is a failure/your lifestyle's too extreme") and how we're crucified if we're not perfect. The performances are on par(including early ones from Barry Botswick and Susan Surandon) but it's truly Tim Curry who steals the show(as the transsexual Vampire known as "Dr. Frank-n-Furter") in a role STILL arguably unequaled to this day.

Wonderfully kinky, catchy and definitely DIFFERENT, it's not a film for everyone but then again, wasn't that the aim to begin with?

--Matt

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This is a movie you either love or hate. I first heard of this movie when I saw "Fame" ... when I saw the kids in the movie watching this in the theater, it not only looked stupid, but the whole environment of people throwing things at each other in the theater seemed a little scary... and what's with all the midnight theater showings?

I finally had to find out what the big fuss was about and so I rented it on video and watched it at a friend's house. The beginning moves pretty slow, but you will soon be either taking the video back (without rewinding) to the store, or you'll be doubled over in laughter during the few minutes your jaw isn't hanging open.

Tim Curry is absolutely hilarious and perfect for his role... an outerspace Transexual from Transylvania (a planet, not the country I think)... Dr. Frankenfurter.

Despite the slow parts here and there, the music is great and funny to boot. Where else can you see Susan Surrandon walking around in her underwear and Meatloaf riding a motorcycle with stitches all over his head like Boris Karloff? This is a cult classic, but not just because it's weird and twisted... it's also a musical and a comedy. The soundtrack is great just by itself, good beat, peppy tunes, clever (albeit not mainstream) lyrics.

If the idea of seeing a man walking around wearing lipstick and a garter belt makes you want to scream and take a bath, then this isn't the film for you... you'll feel like you need an exorcism afterwards!

If you like a good laugh, good music and a movie like you've never seen before, this is worth a shot.

After seeing this in the safety of my friend's home, I saw it a couple of years later in the theater. It was an interesting experience I can say I've been through, but that's about it... the movie is enjoyable by itself, just watching it on your tv. The closed captioning makes the DVD worth the cost immediately, so you don't miss any dialogue or lyrics... but this DVD includes hilarious out-takes, previously deleted musical numbers AND terrific THX sound!

If you are already a nostalgic fan of this film, this is a must-have DVD.

The film includes simulated violence (you see Frankenfurter swing a pick-axe at someone, later he's covered with blood).... and the themes are adult in nature and should not be viewed by children.

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I've been a Rocky Horror addict for years and have watched it hundreds of times in theatres, on VHS, DVD, and anywhere else I could find it. Therefore you can imagine my surprise when I popped in this blu ray and felt like I was watching a 2010 remake. The picture quality is STUNNING! Details pop out vividly that went by unnoticed in standard definition and colors blast the screen in absolute perfect clarity. I cannot go on long enough about how perfect the picture looks. I'm not new to blu ray and I know how much data 35mm film holds, but releases like this still blow my mind and remind me how amazing a good 1080p transfer is.

Likewise the audio transfer is a miracle. Whatever restoration they used is beyond wonderful and sounds 1000000x better than my old CD soundtrack.

My only complaint is that the song "There's a Light (Over at the Frankenstein Place)" is noticeably different from the versions I remember. I don't know how or why this is (maybe i'm just not used to hearing it in surround sound?) but the backup chorus sounds really awkward to me. If anybody knows why this is I'd be interested to find out.

Overall A+++ transfer! If you have any love for this movie or have never seen it before you owe it to yourself to purchase it on Blu Ray. I haven't watched any of the special features yet (there are a lot to watch) but based on the picture/audio quality of the movie, Rocky Horror is one of the must-buy BDs of the year.

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Love Guru, The (2013)

When you sit down to watch a Mike Myers movie realize that you have made the conscious decision to view something totally inane, slapstick and crude. On the other hand, there is another valid line of thought that would argue anyone who would watch a Mike Myers film is incapable of rational, conscious thought. A point well taken I must admit. With that said, if you're still reading this review we know what camp you fall into.

In the '08 film `The Love Guru' Mr. Myers plays Guru Pitka, the second most popular spiritual teacher in the Occidental world, second to Deepak Chopra of course. Guru Pitka finally gets the opportunity to possibly move out of the number two position when he's hired by the owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team (Jessica Alba) to restore the broken marital relationship between their star player and his estranged wife who has moved in with the Los Angeles Kings well endowed goalie (Justin Timberlake). If he's successful he will not only be handed a two million dollar check but has been promised a booking to appear on the Oprah Winfrey Show! As you should have already guessed his spiritual instructional methods are, shall we say suspect and the storyline loaded with the usual gag routines, inside jokes and shots at anyone and everyone. In other words typical Mike Myers faire.

Hey, it could be a lot worse, Jessica Alba is gorgeous, diminutive Vern Troyer is adorable as the Maple Leafs coach and Justin Timberlake is surprisingly entertaining. There is definitely an audience out there for this one and you know who you are. For everyone else a couple beers before viewing might by in order.

From the moment I first heard Mike Meyer's new film "The Love Guru" and Steve Carell's new film "Get Smart" would be released on the same day, I was surprised. Common practice in Hollywood dictates you don't release two such similar films on the same day. At best, you are going to split the audience, and both films could suffer. This seems to have been born out by the box office, with "The Love Guru" suffering.

Because both films were released on the same day, I decided to see both, back to back. And I am going to write about both, back to back.

The Love Guru ***

Get Smart *

I really get the sense Mike Meyer's is trying to channel the spirit of Peter Sellers. Consciously or not, he has created two characters with more than a few similarities to some of Sellers' most famous creations. Austin Powers has more than a few things in common with Inspector Clouseau and now the Guru Pitka has more than a few things in common with Harundai V. Bakshi, Sellers character in the less well-known Blake Edward's film "The Party". Meyers is a talented guy, a funny guy, who seems to obsess over every detail in his films. Sellers was, reportedly, the same way. While Sellers' characters will continue to endure the test of time, we don't know if the more modern Meyer's work will have the same outcome. It's too early to tell.

Meyer's "The Love Guru" is a silly film. From the moment I first saw the trailer, I laughed, a lot. Filled with silly, "Austin Powers"-esque comedy, there were a lot of jokes packed in that trailer and the movie delivers more of the same.

The movie is very silly and packed with jokes, many of which work and many of which don't. The jokes fly fast and furious, and Meyers certainly tries very hard to get the audience to laugh. I half expected someone to throw a cream pie at Meyers. But there is also the smack of familiarity to many of the jokes. They could easily have been trans planted into "Austin Powers 4" and provided the same laughs. It also seems odd that Verne Troyer is also in the new film, playing a different character, but his presence makes the comparisons to Austin Powers all the more prevalent. And many of the jokes concerning his character revolve around the same humor Mini-Me elicited in the Powers films.

If anything is to be learned from Meyer's comedy, he loves midgets and fart jokes, both providing equal opportunity for laughs.

Meyers has done a lot of interviews and in many he has mentioned the profound impact the death of his father had on his life. This led him to meet Depak Chopra, the very famous guru and self-help coach who has apparently provided Meyers with a lot of guidance. "The Love Guru" tells the story of Guru Pitka, the Number Two guru in the United States, behind Deepak Chopra. Pitka desperately wants to become Number One and the Toronto Maple Leafs provide him with an opportunity, their star goalie Darren Roanoake (Romany Malco, "The 40 Year Old Virgin") has broken up with his wife Prudence (Meagan Good) and is not playing well. With the Stanley Cup around the corner, the team's owner, Jane Bullard (Jessica Alba), hires Pitka to bring Roanoke and Prudence back together. Naturally, there are complications. Pitka finds himself attracted to Jane and Prudence is dating the star goalie for the Los Angeles Kings, a Celine Dion-loving Canadian, Jacques "The Cock" Grande (Justin Timberlake).

Meyers lets the jokes fly fast and furious; from the opening frames when we hear narration by Morgan Freeman, to the Guru Pitka's constant use of bad trademarked sayings, the film has a lot of laughs. But Meyers is also dependent on scatological humor and there are a lot of jokes involving farts, bowel movements, accidents and more, jokes too silly for even this film.

"The Love Guru" suffers from a number of small problems. The first is the humor throughout the film is so juvenile; it is extremely hit and miss. Everyone can only take so many fart jokes or jokes about 'messing your pants'. The other thing I found odd about the film is that at a couple of key moments, they don't go far enough with the ideas. Early on, Pitka remembers a key moment in his life and we watch it much like a Bollywood film, complete with scratches and film burn. This is a great idea and only reinforces the wackiness of the story and the idea, but it only lasts a few moments. At the end of the film, Pitka claims "I want to dance" and a Bollywood musical number begins in a small seaside village. Jessica Alba dances out, his assistant becomes a part of the entourage, even Verne Troyer takes part. This is a moment, much like the end of "The 40 Year Old Virgin", when you would expect all of the characters to join in and start dancing in a highly synchronized way to an American rock song, in this case "The Rocker". But the dance number only involves the few characters mentioned and only lasts a few seconds. It seems like they ran out of money and simply had to get what they could.

Also, I have seen a number of films recently in which well-known comedians play Sports Commentators (most of these star Will Farell as he seems to have the lock on this franchise, "Semi-Pro", "Blades of Glory"). In "The Love Guru", Stephen Colbert and Jim Gaffigan play hockey commentators and they suffer from the same fate as the others; they simply aren't funny. Each of these characters is decidedly "wacky", and says "off-color" things, and tries to act like they are weird and funny. But in each of these films, the characters look like they are trying to act weird and funny and this does little than to slow down the rest of the story.

It is amusing that Meyers is making fun of something so ripe for parody. But he also takes aim at the very type of thing Chopra has risen above, making his character a more desperate version of someone like Chopra. It works, but not all the time.

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I remember the negative rumblings when this film was in production. The advance screening reviews did not treat it well, and most reviews once it opened also were not good, some of them downright brutal. Then it was in and out of my local megaplexes in less than a month. Now it's on DVD, right after the end of the summer, not even waiting for the holiday market, not even tying into some kind of wacky Halloween marketing-thing.

Through all of these increasingly negative omens I kept faith, figuring, "Hey, it's Mike Myers, the man who brought us "Sprockets" on Saturday Night Live, the Wayne's World guy, the Austin Powers guy." I like to watch So I Married an Axe Murderer when it's on cable; I even know most of that crazy "O, Harriett" beat poem. I knew that while this particular film might not be his best, that it could be Mike Myers' Blame It On Rio, that I'd still find it overall funny and entertaining.

Not so. This film is absolute junk, right from the beginning. It was so awful, I turned it off after 40 minutes.

Yes, it really is that bad. In Amazon.com reviews I have savaged--given them what they're due, actually--that ridiculous CGI-permeated gunk Van Helsing and that vapid Hollywood The Stepford Wives (Special Collector's Edition) garbage, and I recently let I Am Legend have it as well, each for their own failings. But I sat through each of those stinkers, right through to the end titles. This one didn't even earn that level of interest and respect. By forty minutes, I had had enough of the idiotic humor, the flat jokes, the bad characters, Myers wallowing in his own grossly overinflated sense of comedic creativity and personal hip-itude, and I had no interest at all in seeing how it would all turn out.

Myers plays a wacky Indian guru, a holy man specializing in love and relationships, but he has neither love nor a relationship of his own, and a clanking elephant-head chastity belt to boot. The guru comes across as self-centered, money-grubbing, commercially prostituted, demented, capricious, manipulative and foul. There is no serenity, no grace, not the slightest indication of any kind of scholarly depth, just a rapid-fire stream of idiotic caca-doody and genital jokes. It's all urine and feces, phallic goofs, simulated pain inflicted on male sexual parts, the kind of stuff I found trite once I matured into 7th grade. Now, I love the Jackass movies, so I know from funny in slapstick agony, genitals and excretory humor. But this film was just mindless, moronic junk, a collection of Myers' jokes and stupid puns, the stuff that didn't make the cut for the second Austin Powers sequel, run together with a contrived, meandering, patchwork, pathetically predictable story.

If you've seen the film, you'll know that Myers' Guru Pitka would say that this film is pure Comprehensive Radical Adjustment Participation.

I mean, in the scene in which Myer's guru and his destined love have their first big date, he has arranged a very special meal which looks exactly like human testicles. Both he and Jessica Alba bray their way through the endless stupid jokes, it all ending with the hilariously beaten and mutilated edible having to be discarded. We've already been beaten over the head that the guru wants Alba as THE love of his incongruously empty life, and so this is the way he, The Love Guru, the man who has so much depth and experience in love and relationships, creates his first impression for his one-and-only? Absolute garbage.

Myers' Indian guru character offended even me, and I'm about as white-bread as they come. His bad Indian accent drifted in between the Saturday Night Live/"So I Married an Axe Murderer" Scottish Dad, Fat Bastard and Shrek. I mean, he couldn't even take the time to get his Indian accent down, so busy was he working on these complex, meaningful, mutually reinforcing gags about elephant dung and fighting with mops dripping with the fresh urine of his deeply honored guru-master.

Vern Troyer is reduced to spewing profanities, being the butt of increasingly vicious little-person jokes and a series of demeaning, ugly sight gags in which he is always the victim of physical violence.

Ben Kingsley--the guy who played freeking Gandhi, and won the Oscar for it--is reduced to playing a cross-eyed clown. Sad.

Jessica Alba is stunning, predictably, but still just can't act, even in this shallow story.

And then there was the endless parade of celebs who want to be in a Mike Myers film, from Val Kilmer to Oprah, bad and forced cameos all, the kind of overblown star-packing formula that made me puke in "Goldmember."

The only good part I encountered lasted all of 20 seconds, a wonderfully done, detailed spin on the typical Bollywood boy-girl musical number, with Myers and Alba. It was great, right down to the disorienting camera zooms, the impossible physical backdrops, the music and lyrics, the nauseatingly deep, warbling color and a jittery box with understated yet funny subtitles. This was what this film should have been.

Bottom line: Avoid this film; there is nothing redeeming in it. For a more entertaining South Asian romantic comedy experience, watch The Guru instead.

Read Best Reviews of Love Guru, The (2013) Here

Mike Myers is off his game with this one, and not close to the level of Wayne's World and the first two Austin Powers films. It's painfully hard to watch, unless you drank so much in your adolescence/early 20s that you still have the mentality of a 13 year old. Myers is constantly spouting off cheap half brained catch phrases (Intamacy or Into me I see) and throwing up so much toilet humor, that you can tell he's trying hard to compress this turd of a script into a diamond. This is worth a rent only, not a buy (especially for the higher price of Blu Ray).

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"The Love Guru" stars Mike Myers who gave us two successful films years ago, "Austin Powers" and "Shrek." Both films, witty and hugely entertaining, featured characters you can identify with, had lots of funny jokes and clever parodies of a certain film genre. Then in 2003 he made awful "The Cat in the Hat." We waited for five years since then and what we get is "The Love Guru," another disappointing film from Mike Myers.

"The Love Guru" has none of the style that made "Austin Powers" such a success. Mike Myers plays Guru Pitka, an American-born self help guru raised in India. Without letting us know how and why he was raised in India and became a guru, the film proceeds to tell us that Guru Pitka is hired by a hockey team owner played by Jessica Alba because her team's star player, she believes, really needs the help of the spiritual leader. But why a hockey player?

I know comedy is a subjective thing. Not everybody is going to laugh at the same thing. Don't get me wrong. I like silly jokes. I like sex jokes. But something is definitely wrong with the comedy when the actors start to look like desperate standup comic or clown waiting for laughs that will never come, trying to make us laugh with whatever gags he thinks of cross-eyed Ben Kingsley's mentor, repetitious "Mariska Hargitay" mantra and of course, elephants.

Perhaps "The Love Guru," Mike Myers's Razzie-winning comedy, does not deserve the award given to the year's worst film. Compare it with any films directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer and their "spoofs," and maybe Myers's latest effort will look slightly better. And Stephen Colbert was hilarious.

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Junebug (2005)

How much are we a product of our environment and upbringing? And does moving away from home, changing our lives supposedly for the better, guarantee that we will/ we can / we really want to forget our roots?

These are a couple of the themes working/being investigated in Phil Morrison's "Junebug."

Embeth Davidtz (painfully thin but beautiful) as Chicago art gallery owner, Madeline and Allesandro Nivola (in a rare turn as a good guy) as George arrive in North Carolina, George's home, to try and sign on as a client, an "outsider" artist David Wark (Frank Hoyt Taylor). And since Wark lives a half hour away from George's family, they also decide to give them a visit, which may or may not be a mistake as George has written a memoir about his North Carolina home that is felt to be unflattering to both his family and their neighbors; though George's intention was quite the opposite.

Mother (Celia Weston in a wise but world-weary performance), Father (Scott Wilson: quiet, strong), Brother (Benjamin McKenzie in a tour de force performance that blows away the perception of him as a nice guy on "The OC") and Sister-in-Law (Amy Adams, whose goofiness and frantic performance almost steals the movie) form a kind of Greek chorus, in front of whom, George and Madeline enact their lives in essence, go about the process of getting to know each other...for you see they married after knowing each other for only one week.

Nivola has made a number of movies ("Face/Off," "Mansfield Park") but he's never given such an appealing and thoughtful performance. His George loves his family without question and more importantly, without embarrassment or judgment. His love of both Madeline and his family is all about acceptance and unencumbered love. He is the prince, the one who "got out," but he's also a mensch: a good guy who gives his love and caring wholeheartedly and who receives it back in kind.

Davidtz has been making movies for a while: remember her in "Schindler's List?" Her Madeline is wide-open, full of understanding and wide-eyed innocence; and like George never, ever judgmental. Madeline, of course is looked at by the family as an interloper and her being English, sophisticated, educated and a workingwoman only makes her more suspect. But to director Morrison's credit, this is no pearl-among-the-swine story as Madeline is never represented as anyone's better and this makes "Junebug" even more refreshing and attractive.

"Junebug" is a sly, resonant and irrepressibly adult film. That it seemingly comes out of no where only makes it more of a joy to behold as a welcomed palliative to all the bombast and failed mega Summertime movies.

I was a little wary of this film going in. Any film that basically sends a Yankee woman down South can easily turn in to something that ridicules Southerners and not only did this film take place in the South, it came right here to my own Tar Heel backyard. Starting things off with some footage of the state's annual hollerin' contest seemed a bad omen, but much to my delight (and relief) I found nothing to really complain about here. Sure, there are some stereotypes in the mix but these are only on the surface (with the exception of the painter character) and Junebug goes far beyond skin deep. It's an unusual film, to say the least. Refreshingly different, this film brings together a wonderful myriad of public and private, deeply personal moments, allowing the actors to truly become their characters rather than having their characters imposed upon them. Some folks won't enjoy this film at all, I'm sure, finding the silent moments others of us find uncommonly compelling to be well boring. This isn't an action film or a comedy or even a drama in the common sense although there are certainly a number of funny and dramatic moments encompassed in the story. Those who truly appreciate the art of moviemaking, I believe, will find Junebug an uplifting experience. It's worth seeing just for Amy Adams' performance alone she's utterly fantastic.

Newlyweds George (Alessandro Nivola) and Madeleine (Embeth Davidtz) apparently had a small, private wedding because she has never met his family. When they find themselves traveling to North Carolina in order for Madeleine, an art gallery owner in Chicago, to court a promising folk artist, they naturally swing by to meet the folks. It's quite a family. There's Dad (Scott Wilson), the strong, silent type who spends most of his time in the basement, woodworking and looking for his screwdriver; Mom (Celia Weston), the enigmatic, direct, suspicious mother; Johnny (Benjamin McKenzie), George's moody, taciturn, stand-offish brother; and Johnny's wife Ashley (Amy Adams), who literally lights up the screen with her over-excitable, spontaneous personality (she's also the only major actor in the film to speak anything like a native North Carolinian). Ashley's the type who would drive many a person completely up the wall with her inability to ever stop talking and her immense wonder at everything in the world, but I quite fell in love with her from the very start. It's pretty obvious that part of her behavior is a front for some sadness, even desperation, in her life, and it's not hard to find the source the uncommunicative Johnny, who seems to want nothing to do with anybody especially George. Speaking of George, he sort of just disappears early on, leaving his fish-out-of-water wife to tackle all of his relatives on her own.

With no major happenings other than the impending arrival of Ashley's baby and Madeleine's frantic efforts to land the soon-to-be famous folk artist David Wark (Frank Hoyt Taylor), much of the focus is on the interrelationships of the family members, the issues and common bonds that make them a family. Some of the issues boil up to the surface largely because of Madeleine's presence. A look oftentimes says more than an extended scene of dialogue, and we do see some way into the souls of most of these individuals. There's no real sense of cloture at the end, but I suppose that is only natural since there is no real ending to family life itself. Things are always changing, for better or for worst. I certainly wonder what the future holds for these people those I liked, anyway.

I have not seen The Constant Gardener, but that isn't going to stop me from saying that Amy Adams deserved the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress over Rachel Weisz (and, seemingly, every film body other than the Academy agreed with me). Ashley is as captivating a character as I've come across in a long time, and Adams' performance runs the whole gamut from childlike glee to heart-breaking tragedy.

I would note that Junebug does not really capture the Tar Heel or Southern spirit although pieces of it are there. I also can't imagine that David Wark's artwork would go over big in the South at all anyone who draws the thing he draws on Robert E. Lee (and every other character in his War Between the States-themed work) won't be met by many open arms down here.

I only have one minor complaint about this film, and it concerns the director's sense of direction. It was interesting when he sidestepped away from a conversation to show us empty rooms with the muffled conversation continuing in the background, and some of his isolated shots of different little scenes were all well and good, but I think he just took it a bit too far at one point, making it look a little too much like he was just trying to be artsy-fartsy about the whole thing. That's truly a miniscule issue, however certainly not enough to keep me from giving this refreshingly real film five stars.

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The story opens in Chicago, where ultra-chic gallery owner Madeline (Embeth Davidtz) has just discovered a primitive painter she wants to represent. She and her husband George (Alessandro Nivola) drive down to North Carolina to meet him and then stay with George's family who live nearby. In that house, Mom runs the show, Dad is invisible to everyone, and son Johnny is mad at the world in general and at his very pregnant wife Ashley (Amy Adams) in particular.

This slice-of-life story takes us into the everyday life of the Johnsten family as seen through the eyes of an outsider. Madeline is the fish-out-of-water in Bible-belt country; the most important thing in life to her is her gallery, but slowly her priorities change. Embeth Davidtz makes a lovely Madeline and Amy Adams easily steals all of her scenes as the sweet and silly Ashley. George's character isn't developed, perhaps to leave more time to get to know his family. They do come across as real people and we come to care about them all. It's a sweet, insightful little story about people who could very well be the family next door, just living their lives. Very enjoyable.

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Whether we choose to admit it or not, but places are incredibly powerful in helping to create the type of people we are and the type of people we become. Places can attach so deeply to a person that a person who would be far more successful in life living in a different environment never achieves that success because they have become so attached to a place. On the other time some places disturb people so much that they are able to pull away from the attachments and leave. The power of place is augmented by the different people who live in places. Family, friends, business associates, even casual acquaintances are sometimes more attached or detached from a particular place than we are. Our relationships with those people affect how we view and live in the places that we do. This might seem very straight-forward and simple, but it actually something that is very deep and complex so much so that most people chose to ignore it than rather think about it because if one were to actually think about it, that person would have to examine his or her life and most people don't like to do that. The filmmakers of JUNEBUG decided to examine this aspect of life and in doing so have created a very deep and thoughtful film about the impact of place, and in turn the people from those places, in our lives.

George (Allesandro Nivola) is a suave and cultivated man who was raised in the country but has moved to and adjusted quite well to city life. George meets a beautiful and slightly older Chicago art gallery owner Madeline (Embeth Davidtz) at a showing. The two fall madly in love and are married to each other within a week. Madeline's gallery specializes in "outsider" artists--unknowns who create powerful and provocative works. She takes a fancy to the art created by a southern gentleman and when learning where he lives sets out to sign him to her gallery. Her trip south serves two purposes, though because George's family only live about thirty miles away from the artist and George and Madeline will be staying with them while in the area. After all, George really is a country boy and it's high time his wife met the family. During the course of their stay Madeline struggles with trying to be accepted by George's family, whom see her as an outsider, and signing the artist to her gallery. It is a collision of worlds: English vs. American, city vs. country, complex vs. simple. George has his own struggles, to as he attempts to bridge his past and upbringing with the lifestyle he is now leading. He has some assistance from his very pregnant sister-in-law Ashley (Amy Adams) who adores Madeline and the life she lives. Ashley loves her husband, but they've had some tough times and she hopes that the arrival of their baby (who she wants to nickname Junebug) will help bring some peace.

Ashley is supposed to be a secondary character in the film, but she is really the center of the story. Much of this is due to the performance of Amy Adams. Everyone does an excellent job in their various roles, but it is Adams who truly shines. She steals every scene that she is in and her portrayal of Ashley is touching and at times heartrending. It is an Oscar-worthy performance and I look forward to seeing everything Ms. Adams does in the future.

Not everyone will enjoy watching JUNEBUG. In fact, the first time I saw the movie I didn't like it very much. It had been highly recommended to me by a good friend whose taste in movies is almost impeccable. However, after having seen the movie again recently, I was overcome by the film's simple charms. It deals with some rather complex issues that parallel the cultural schism that seems to exist in our country. At the same time it is a wonderful little film that celebrates the beauty, wonder, and simplicity of life.

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This movie is full of symbolism. Had the director's name been Igmar Bergman, it would have won prizes!

Having grown up near the location of this movie, it caused me pain and embarrassment. It captured life that I knew as a child and to some extent today perfectly. I knew many of those characters. The realism was in the characters, the homes, and the landscapes down to the red clay soil. The house that the autistic painter lived in reminded me of my great grandmother's house and the houses of some of my grand-aunts. It caused me pain because of the realism. It caused me embarrassment because that's from when I came and it's not too pretty.

The realism included the attitudes, too. There are certain things Southerners feel and communicate in a subtle way. For example, they always feel that outsiders think themselves are better than Southerners. It's probably some deep seated inferiority complex. Southerners are not prone to boasting so it was no surprise when Madeleine learned that George could sing. The hymn, too, was "symbolic" all about coming home and sins being forgiven.

The motif of family also pained me because I struggle within myself about having left my Southern "family." The value of family was implied more than stated -except for when George told Madeleine that "family matters". The fact that Ashley was having a baby and then lost it is also like Southerners (and maybe the whole world, I don't know) will try to solve family problems with more family. All the family was isolated and lonely and yet so close (the same house). Ashley comes across as a silly ignorant girl but a few times she revealed why she was talking so much. In the kitchen when George and Madeline just arrived and Peg, Johnny, Ashley, and Madeline are around the table getting to know each other, there was an incident where Ashley interrupted with a silly question to protect Madeline from having to answer Peg's question.

The South I grew up in had this uneasy relationship between religion and sex. That theme came out in the movie, too. There was Johnny's misinterpretation of Madeline trying to help him, there was the art from Mr. Walk, there was Peg concluding things about Madeline staying up late at night to help Johnny, and there were the looks in the church, oh and the nightly sex in only one bedroom -George and Madeline's. They were the ones that had "escaped."

Escape is another theme. It came out in Huck Finn the book Johnny was (supposed to be) reading. Instead he choose to read the Cliff notes. He said it was "too long." Madeline first asked if he thought it was funny. It wasn't funny to him because he wanted to escape but couldn't. It was depressing to him. However, he did escape at work. There he had an honest "family" without the blood bond obligations.

Ashley also wanted to escape: go to college, go to the mall, etc.

Mr. Walk (notice the name -symbolic, he'd '"walked" out of the quagmire through his autism and art) always painted pictures of the three things that shape Southern thought the most: slavery, the Civil war, and sex (Robert E. Lee's penis wrapped around to the back of the painting (symbolic of "hiding" sex)). I don't recall the details but each painting I saw rang a bell with some theme in Southern psyche and/or the dysfunctional Southern family. He put faces on the characters face of people that stuck in his mind. It struck me that had the movie not gone by so fast that probably those characters had something in common -the face and the painter character, that is. George was on one of the revolting slaves. Perhaps George had been a slave to the family but had revolted and moved away.

Mr. Walk in some ways was like one of Shakespeare's court jesters, stating the oblivious (although Ashley might fit this role, too, at times at least). His recitation at the table after Ashley said the prayer was fantastic. As I write this I don't recall it but I recall thinking it parallel to the family situation even though it was about a Civil War battle.

Then there were the birds, one of which Madeline broke when she first arrived. Birds can fly. Members of the family wanted to fly away but that family bond kept them there.

The Dad (don't recall his name) choose to escape a different way. He went down in the basement. He retreated there anytime he couldn't deal with family things like Johnny's obnoxiousness or George & Madeline kissing in the car when they first arrived. He choose to communicate with things -he carved a bird for Peg (I assume to replace the broken one).

In fact, all the Southerners created things: Peg made Ashley's maternity dresses, the Dad did woodworking, Johnny worked on cars. (Ok, maybe Ashley didn't).

Art is also an important motif. Madeline was an art dealer specializing in self-taught artists. That self-taught part strikes a chord with me because Southerners are too proud to be "taught." This was especially true of Johnny who was reluctantly getting his GED. Ashley mentioned that she'd like to go to College but as she mentioned, she had no family, so maybe that exempts her from the family issues.

It's this whole thing about family creating these overbearing emotional problems and the way the escape is art (painting, woodworking, etc.) Church is also a form of escape.

The themes were supported at every turn. Recall the preachers prayer. He spoke of evil at the door and it not coming in. Yet, in the family, the evil was the extreme family bond.

Recall also that Peg was shown crying several times. Why? Was she lonely or was she weeping because the family was so dysfunctional? Or because she's to old and trapped to escape. Or all of the above. The Dad said she was hard on the outside but soft on the inside. I guess so.

Cigarettes. That is the biggest social problem in the South. Another form of escape? Yet when the escapees (George and Madeline) came down to the South, they also started to smoke something they hadn't needed to do in Chicago.

Last thing. In the South (I used to do this as a kid), we'd catch Junebugs , tie a string to their hind leg and let them fly in circles for hours. These Junebugs were big, not like those I've occasionally seen in eleewhere. Is it foretelling that the new child would orbit the family, never able to escape the bond of family? Unless, of course it wriggled away or more likely it was released. In the hospital Ashley had the maturity to release George (and Madeline kinda sorta).

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