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The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Donne Tempo — 2009-05-10T23:46:36-04:00

Though this 21st century telling of the tale diverges from Fitzgerald’s, who is buried with his wife Zelda less than a mile from the local cinema, I believe he would have approved in how his Jazz Age fable was adapted for this modern audience. ...Screenwriter Eric Roth has taken the concept of “born old,” walking his characters Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) and Daisy (Cate Blanchett) through a life lived backwards, and treated it with deft care. ...The cast is a true ensemble of actors that work together while Fincher allows each to step forward to center screen, illuminating how the people we meet, the actions they take, the chance circumstance of life can change who we are, how we live and how we love. The film is beautifully shot by cinematographer Victor Hammer who manages to capture New Orleans as it ages over a period of time that spans just short of a century. We watch Benjamin’s transformation from an old man born in a time of great tumult to a life that expires as Hurricane Katrina does her best to pummel the town he called home. ...Being introduced to director David Fincher in the Preface of the First Trimester, we better understand where he was able to find the deft touch to bring this particular story – a story whose underlying theme is the courageous acceptance of death – to the screen without leaving the viewer with a feeling of hopelessness. ...It took over twenty-years for this film to be made as screenwriters, directors (including Stephen Spielberg) and producers all struggled to make a film that required the one thing only time would bring – the technical ability to reverse age an actor without leaving the audience feeling that it was either deceived or taken advantage of. ...What makes this feature particularly stand out is that the actors in the film – Pitt, Blanchet, Julie Ormand, who plays Caroline, Daisy and Brad’s daughter and the films herald, as she reads Benjamin’s diary, as her mother lays dying, discovering the truth about her father, appear in the extras to speak about the process and what the film, and what working with the crew and director Fincher meant to them. So often, watching the film extras I am disappointed that the actors could not offer their reflection of a film’s process or what it meant to them. ...Visual Effects: Benjamin is nothing short of fascinating as it shows the extremely complex process that was used to marry the look of Brad Pitt as “Benjamin Button” over eighty some years of life to the performance of four different actors.

BIG

Donne Tempo — 2009-05-16T22:45:59-04:00

t=dontem-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001R10BEG&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0">BIG director Penny Marshall calls this desire to be what you are not, big when small, a universal truth. ...Working in the MacMillan Toy Company he meets the tough but beautiful Susan (Elizabeth Perkins) who is presently scheming for company advancement along with her co-worker Paul (John Heard) whose creativeness has been lost in the bottom of his three martini lunch. ...ver=2.2.40" /> ... It is lead actor Tom Hanks, who plays Josh Baskins, first dramatic film role following his more comedic roles in the long running television show “Bosom Buddies,” and then films such as “Splash” and “The Bachelor Party” (1984) and “The Money pit” (1986) and it earns him his first Academy Award Nomination. BIG is the movie that propelled Hanks to such films as “Philadelphia” (1993), “Forest Gump” (1994), back-to-back movies that he won Best Actor Oscars for (only the second actor to achieve such a feat, the first being Spencer Tracy for “Captain’s Courageous (1937) and “Boys Town” (1938). It is director Penny Marshall, who was best known for her role as Laverne in the television series “Laverne & Shirley,” first Academy Award nominated film (her directorial film debut was in 1986 Jumpin Jack Flash with Whoopie Goldberg), catapulting her into film history as the first female director of a film that grossed in excess of $100 million. ...The Audio Commentary that has screenwriters Anne Spielberg (yes, sister of Steven but a talent in her own right) and Gary Ross offer a commentary that is not new material, but audio cuts from the cassette recording that the writers made while working out the original story. ...Both feature Penny Marshall, Ross, Spielberg and producer Brooks, along with the films actors, Elizabeth Perkins, Robert Loggia, David Moscow (Josh as a child), and Jared Rushton, who played Billy Josh’s best friend, providing present day commentary. ...

The Wrestler

Donne Tempo — 2009-04-29T00:40:00-04:00

Watching Darren Aronofsky’s “The Wrestler” it almost seems as though one is watching a very intimate documentary detailing many of the less then glamorous realities of life on the mat.

Mickey Rourke stars in what may mimic his own autobiography as he presents a fading star that has one last comeback in him. In this case, he's the washed up professional wrestler, Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a guy beyond his prime and unable to survive in the real world. ...A messed up relationship with his daughter, crap job and light wallet; he is faced with the choice living in mediocrity or going back into the ring. ...For as much as this movie can tug at the heartstrings I hate stories that so pile the woe on the protagonist into such a tight corner that the chance for a happy ending is smothered away. ...Marisa Tomei co-stars as the stripper Cassidy, a tough woman who takes a liking to Robin and offers the film the only glimmer of hope. Unfortunatley although she offers all of her body for the performance, I never heard enough from her to care. ...The mandatory extras: A roughly 30 minute round table discussion with some retired professional wrestlers such as Lex Luger, Brutus Beefcake, Rowdy Roddy Piper and Diamond Dallas Page sheds enormous light on Rourke's motivations and character. So much in fact that I went back and watched the movie again to appreciate depths I had obviously missed the first time. ...

The Day the Earth Stood Still: 3-Disc Special Edition

Donne Tempo — 2009-05-01T19:03:03-04:00

The Day the Earth Stood Still: 3-Disc Special Edition (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, $39.99) Director Robert Wise’s The Day The Earth Stood Still remakes a 1951 classic film, and not necessarily for the better. ...t=dontem-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001SMC9IK&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0">This is one very real difference between the original film and Wise’s offering. ...However, watching the original black and white film, what struck me was how well the director provided a place and time for the movie that allowed it to stand up as a quality film almost 60 years after its debut. ...Would it be in fear and distrust, or would we find the courage to ask questions, learn and, as things could look bleak for the existence of the human race under such a circumstance, be able to verbally and emotionally defend our lives and ourselves. ...Wise offers some biblical analogies including the scourge of a plague of locusts and the story of Noah’s ark that could have led to a better film if he had allowed those themes to develop instead of concentrating on the Army’s chase for Kutow. ...John Cleese as Professor Barnhart is never given the chance to show us his chops and while in the original film, Barnhart is a small appearance; the actor does well to provide the viewer with an intimate look at the whole situation through his eyes. ...And while I really appreciate the quality film making and story line of the original film, definitely one of the Goods of this package and reason enough to purchase, the special effects in the remake are pretty cool. More bads: Keanu Reeves always stoic demeanor as an aliens make me, the film fan, worry that this actor may never be able to break out of the mold. ...This brief but painstaking info nugget looks at how this film production was made as environmentally friendly as possible down to dirtying boots with real mud, use of biofuels and choices for costume cleaning. ...

Frost/Nixon

Donne Tempo — 2009-04-25T22:01:32-04:00

t=dontem-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001TH93GU&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0">Nixon’s subsequent interview with David Frost remains a hazy 1977 memory at best. ...Arriving on a Blu-ray, Frost/Nixon offered me the chance solidify my memories while allowing viewers to appreciate every high definition ounce of sweat clinging to the lip actor Frank Langella, as the controversial president. Langella played Nixon in the on-stage historical drama, and he reprises that stage role, along with Michael Sheen as the venerable talk host Mr. ...Langella learned how to play a piano piece originally composed by Richard Nixon is just one of the tidbits discovered in the extras offering a testament to the depth of the film. ...How easy would it have been to include the entire actual Frost/Nixon interviews on a separate Blu-ray disk to completely immerse the history student? ...Extras also include the obligatory "making of" featurette, a quick peak at the Nixon Library, some deleted scenes (especially watch the interaction before Nixon's resignation) and about 15 minutes on the history intertwined with the film. Above and beyond: Universal' U-Control is the most user friendly extras experience in the business and it allows for easy access of interactive bonus features that play during the film. ...A deep, "behind the scenes" of the film (not really overlapping the other "making of" featurette) called "Picture in Picture" will play during the entire movie with many production and real principles talking including David Frost and, no President Nixon of course. And, The Nixon Chronicles mixes text, photos and video clips to give the viewer a historical perspective on the man, his family, his life and presidency. ...

Bedtime Stories

Donne Tempo — 2009-04-25T20:13:24-04:00

A lovely twist on the bedtime story, this fairytale brings a family closer together as it reunites Skeeter Bronson (Adam Sandler) with his estranged and uptight, single mom, sister, Wendy, a role enhanced by Courtney Cox’s onscreen likability. ...t=dontem-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001FB55N0&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0">Skeeter is the failed son of a failed hotelier, or motelier, who is forced to sell his small family business to the big hotel conglomerate. Before he signs the dotted line, father Marty Bronson (Jonathan Price who offers narration to the film) elicits a promise from big hotel guy, Barry Nottingham, that his son Skeeter will “run” the new property. ...Skeeter spends his days changing light bulbs, being really kind to the hotel guests and suffering the abuse of the many not funny jokes tossed his way by the brutal snarkiness of Aspen (Lucy Lawless) and the too slick – Brad Pitt clone, Kendell (Guy Pearce). Top off this talent-a-palooza with the oh so lovely Jill (Kery Russell) the unapproachable girl Skeeter learns to love, the dull and oh so English Mickey (played by the caustic and oh so English comic Russell Brand) and two charmingly cute tykes Bobbi (Laura Ann Kesling) and Patrick (Jonathan Morgan Heit) and you have an ensemble cast that is hard to not just love. ...All of this may seem a bit too much information for a review, but the true movie is how Skeeter is able to take his particular bowl of lemons and make a most delicious lemonade. ...That way if you have a DVD you can watch that, saving the Blu ray for that day in the future you upgrade instead of having to rebuy the disk. ...There are about ten minutes of deleted scenes that are fun, including a musical number by Guy Pearce for his hotel concept that is a bit odd, ergo fun to watch. ...I liked the interviews with the kids because they are just really cute, though I wish they would pull back on these things, make them more natural, organic versus the imagined “OK, now we are going to shoot the DVD extras… lets be extra funny, charming, engaging…” ...

The Spirit

Donne Tempo — 2009-04-18T16:23:45-04:00

t=dontem-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001RHGRSY&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0">In The Spirit, Miller brings the life and times of the very humanistic Denny Colt, a Central City Cop reanimated from an early death, to the screen. It is Denny’s ability to retain his human emotions while being somewhat less than truly human (having once been very dead and all) that made The Spirit work then, and now. ...They could be gritty and sentimental and Eisner’s ability to bring a graphic, and often exotic look, typical of what was seen in film noir, remains one of the pop culture genres brightest moments. In the early 1960s, The Spirit returned in comic book form, published by Harvey Comics and Denny Colt has had life in print one way or another, including comic page strips, graphic novels, comic books and a 1987 television movie, for nearly 70 years. ...Miller in his dense brush strokes and then brought to the screen with a watered down tribute to director Robert Rodriquez' magical green screen infused opus of Miller's own Sin City. ...Let’s face it, when Scarlett Johansson, as the Octopus assistant Silken Floss, ends up looking like a piece of cardboard, it's time to thrown in the towel on the script and visual effects and start over. ...The first, a self analysis of his career and life also touching on some of this favorite creators and a bit of comic book history checking in at 16 minutes ...Miller obviously goes to pained explanations on why his screen adaptation of the Spirit would be more than kosher with his good friend Will Eisner. ...Since I didn't like the film in the first place in the gorgeous Blu-ray presentation, I'm certainly not going to want to get the glasses out to watch it on a 3.5-inch iPhone screen. ...

South Pacific: 50th Anniversary Edition

Donne Tempo — 2009-04-12T18:11:56-04:00

t=dontem-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001NSLE4O&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0">Our service men and women were on the map’s pinpoint islands with romanticized names – Fiji, Bora Bora, Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu or Bali Ha’i as it was immortalized in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific, based on the 1946 Pulitzer Prize winning book “Tales from the South Pacific” by James Michener. ...“Every single person that night in April knew someone who had been in World War II," says musical-theater historian Larry Maslon, for South Pacific Blu Ray Commentary. ...Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific is full of some of the stages, and popular musics, greatest songs like 'I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair,' 'Younger Than Spring Time,' and 'Bali Ha'i.' ...In the story, Marine Lieutenant Cable falls in love with a Tonkinese girl, Liat (daughter to Bloody Mary) only to anguish over how his family, and the girl he is engaged to back home will react to his falling in love with a dark-skinned girl. ...While Joe Cable tells Emile, as they are both struggling with the enormity of love interrupted by racism that, that “it is not something you are born with, it’s the way you’re brought up.” ...Vintage Stage Excerpt (480p, 9:38): This is all fun with black-and-white clips from the actual stage production, including I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair, Finale, Some Enchanted Evening, and A Wonderful Guy performed by Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza. ...t=dontem-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=1416573135&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0">Read all about it: For the true fan, “The South Pacific Companion” by Laurence Maslon is a 192 page, hardcover book that offers further illumination to the show’s source material, including a chapter by chapter synopsis of Michener’s Tales of the South Pacific (1947). ...It’s there in the song ”You’ve Got to be Carefully Taught,” which states “You’ve Got to be taught to be afraid, Of people whose eyes are oddly made, And people whose skin is a different shade – You’ve got to be carefully taught.” ...In Maslon’s Companion, he discusses how the audiences of the 40’s and 50’s reacted to the message, from those that lobbied for the producers of the Broadway show to change the aforementioned song before it played in Boston (it wasn’t) to the “experienced theatrical people” who feared the play would not succeed with the song and it has endured as part of the productions “backbone.” ...

Doubt

Donne Tempo — 2009-04-08T22:18:28-04:00

t=dontem-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001PA0FF4&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0">She does not disappoint in Doubt, her most recent Academy Award nominated role as Sister Aloysius Beauvier. ...As Sister Aloysius Beauvier, Streep portrays a tough-as-nails nun who has, at her very core, a love for the children in her school. ...It also shows Flynn’s gregarious, forwarding thinking – he wants to add secular songs to the Christmas pagenet -- likeable personality that may very well be the mask of something unbearable for Sister Aloysius to bear. ...This pair of acting heavyweights is supported by Amy Adams as Sister James, a young nun filled with wide-eyed idealism who is caught in the middle of the conflict between two church leaders she reveres. ...This is a mother who must balance her love of her son, the violent anger of her husband and a dream that her black child will make it to college. She shines a very bright light on the issues of racism, sexuality and a woman battered by an abusive husband – all subjects that a woman in the mid-1960s, particularly a black woman, had to shoulder alone. Her raw emotion as she begs the Sister to leave it alone, to not pursue her suspicions against the Father, to not open her son to torment by students or her husband, is both frightening and understanding. ...“It’s only till June,” she says, at which time he will be able to graduate on to High School where the school is bigger and the microscope less focused on one child. ...The goods: I'll write it again, Streep, be it Linda in "The Deer Hunter," Karen Silkwood in "Silkwood," Julia in "Defending Your Life" and even Aunt Josephine in "Lemony Snicket," is a chameleon of personalities and her passion for the art of acting makes her one special gift to the medium. ...

No Country For Old Men: Collector's Edition

Donne Tempo — 2009-04-05T20:36:59-04:00

The 2007 Oscar winner for best picture gets a mediocre treatment in its second round on the Blu-ray format. ...t=dontem-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001QIVEV4&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0">The movie has the two-headed directorial dragon known as the Coen brothers offering an existential take on author Cormac McCarthy's best selling novel of the same name. Set in an isolated part of western Texas in the 1980s, the tale centers on the interwoven stories of three men and a drug deal gone bad. ...Finally, Tommie Lee Jones offers balance as the pontificating Sheriff Bell, a fellow in the midst of horrific violence and not sure how to deal with it. ...The complete lack of hope throughout the piece, the wrestling with fate versus randomness and how a choice may or may never affect a life can make one's head hurt. ...Does "No Country for Old Men" really stand up as the winner of an Academy Award for best picture when compared to "Gandhi," "Unforgiven, "Schindler's List" and "Casablanca?" ...With that I mean releasing a film in Blu-ray and then re-releasing the film again in Blu-ray as a "super special," collector's edition with not much super or special. ...The mandatory extras: Pretty much the same featurettes found on the original Blu-ray and still no commentary track from the Coen Brothers. ...Yes, the perfect way to follow up watching "No Country For Old Men," after digesting the majestic Blu-ray version, is squinting to it on a 3.5-inch iPhone screen. ...

Quantum of Solace

Donne Tempo — 2009-03-24T18:12:11-04:00

Note: No plot spoilers for Quantum of Solace here, but if you have not seen Casino Royale, stop reading now. ...t=dontem-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001PPLIFU&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0">Gasping because James Bond fell in love and, like roughtly one-third of his lovers she dies a terrible demise, thereby setting the stage for the return of an angry Bond whose actions are more about vengeance than duty. ...He is more believable in the role than Pierce Brosnan, though I have to admit that I liked that Bond in, and out, of that tux , thank you very much. ...It is interesting to note that Craig’s first foray into the role was in a film based the franchise’s first novel, when Bond was new and not quite as defined as he was by, say, Octopussy, which was based on Flemings final short story written in 1966. ...Here Bond comes back to find out who killed Vesper Lynd, a woman we can accept as the only woman James has ever truly loved. ...Dame Judi Dench comes back as a more maternal “M,” one that recognizes the pain and has bucket loads of forgiveness for her favored child. ...The only complaint that could be levied about this film, which after all follows a fairly pre-determined formula was that an ensemble of acting talent that includes Dench, Craig, Giancarlo Giannini and Catherine Zeta-Jones look alike, Olga Kurylendo were often overlooked as the director relied on flashy special effects presented during improbably high speed chases on land, sea and air. ...Also allowing this film to pass, is that if one accepts that Casino Royale created a flawed James Bond, one that was vulnerable, and therefore corruptible, then we can sit back and enjoy the flash of the explosions knowing that Quantum of Solace serves as an excellent bridge to the next film, featuring a now redeemed, and wholly focused James Bond. ...If you are looking to once more explore James Bond and what motivates him – women, martinis, a sense of duty -- then you can take, or leave, this one. ...

The Chris Isaak Hour

Donne Tempo — 2009-02-23T23:55:25-05:00

While Leno and Letterman give musicians only a few minutes to talk up their music, Isaak lets them spill for a solid hour. ...The format affords the guest to sing roughly five songs an hour, with Isaak harmonizing with his guests on a few numbers. ...Isaak displays a keen knowledge of his guests' careers and personal lives, even if he starts too many questions with, "I read that …" ...It's a blast to see Yearwood and Isaak sing a duet, but viewers might wish they cozied up a bit more mid-song. ...But his religious conversion and abrupt disappearance from the music scene should have yielded better material, or at least sharper questions from Isaak. The host gingerly asks about Islam's experience being taken off an airplane a few years back, an incident which inspired a song "Boots and Sand." Islam comes off as gentle and unassuming throughout, but you'll wish Isaak nudged him more about his remarkable life, even if he doesn't want to bring up accusations regarding some of Islam's more notorious press quotes. The show's flaws fade to black when Islam picks up his guitar and starts crooning some of his best known songs right on the show's couch. ...Isaak still has plenty of seasoned hit makers to invite to his couch, Expect Glen Campbell, Stevie Nicks, Michael Buble and Chicago to pay "The Chris Isaak Hour" a visit in the weeks to come. ...

Nights in Rodanthe (Blu-ray)

Donne Tempo — 2009-02-06T17:33:05-05:00

Nights in Rodanthe is based on the book by popular romance novelist Nicholas Sparks and it follows a fairly standard boy meets girl, boy and girl heal past emotional issues, boy and girl fall in love, boy leaves girl plot line. It’s a formula that works in books where imagination can fill in the blanks; where the reader can add the nuggets of wisdom garnered from their own life to understand why she, or he, did that. ...t=dontem-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001NCDCQ8&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0">Watching an onscreen romance, however, requires that we not only accept two people falling in love, but that we care about them, their passion and the eventual outcome of their love. ...Adrianne’s draw to Rodanthe is cloaked as a favor to her “best friend” Jean (Viola Davis) who needs someone to watch over her Bed and Breakfast while leaving in a whirlwind as a hurricane approaches. ...Flanner, the B&B’s only guest, takes turns with Adrianne as they present angst-ridden deeply personal, if not cryptic, revelations of loss and betrayal by spouses and children while identifying what they have in common including music, Jack Daniels and wine. ...Their inevitable love scene comes courtesy of a hurricane that for a too brief moment steals the film with incredible violence only to be left behind as Adrianne and Paul consummate their passion in a very impassionate way. In all fairness, Lane and Gere do provide some moments of film romance brilliance however their chemistry, the chance to find love after so much loss, the remarkableness of finding each other on a sand bar when they both needed each other so deeply, is handled much too lightly by both the script and director. ...The mandatory extras: The Blu-ray Special Edition adds three featurettes, a Music Video for Rossdale’s Love Remains the Same, alternate scenes with optional commentary that seems redundant and just boring and BD-Live delivering more exclusive content that makes this very one-faceted movie stretch, like a sand bar, for a very long time. ...I will never be able to watch one of his movies, or read one of his books, without thinking how great he is, at least in his own mind’s eye. ...

Nights in Rodanthe

Donne Tempo — 2009-02-06T17:15:48-05:00

t=dontem-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0017ANB08&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0">The duo first clicked in "Unfaithful," the 2002 sleeper that caused more than a few heartbeats to skip erratically. The same can't be said for "Nights in Rodanthe," a romance that offers gorgeous scenery but only intermittent sparks. ...She offers to watch over the North Carolina vacation house owned by her longtime pal (Viola Davis) during a rather stormy weekend. ...So neither Adrienne or Paul seems primed for romance, but they meet, talk and slowly fall for each other all the same. ...Then, it's his turn to share how he put his work over his family for years while she beams with maternal support - and later something more. And on it goes, and while the actors share a few tender moments, there's little coherency to their romance. Sure, the scenery is breathtaking and few on-screen couples look as right for each other as Gere and Lane. But the film's forced romantic sequences, and a hurricane sequence which seems like an afterthought rather than passion starter, leave audiences adrift. ...Above and beyond: "Nights in Rodanthe" seems like a lost opportunity every step of the way, from the wasted North Carolina backdrop to even the perfunctory appearance by Scott Glenn as a grieving widower. ...

The Secret Life of Bees

Donne Tempo — 2009-01-27T21:46:13-05:00

Dakota Fanning is still technically a child actress, but she can more than hold her own alongside the likes of an Oscar winner (Jennifer Hudson) and an Oscar nominee and hip hop diva (Queen Latifah). ...t=dontem-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001NLJ3NU&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0">Fanning's portrayal of an emotionally bruised girl in "The Secret Life of Bees" is just one reason to embrace the big screen adaptation of Sue Monk Kidd's novel. ...Set in 1964, the film stars Fanning as Lily, a young white teen who goes to live with a black woman named August (Queen Latifah), a rare person of color who ran her own successful business in the deeply segregated South. ...Lily eventually leaves home and takes Rosaleen (Jennifer Hudson), one of the black woman who works with Lily's father, with her. They end up in the home of August Boatwright, a honey entrepreneur with a heart as big as her extended family. But can Lily come to grips with the horrors in her past, or will they, and her enraged father, catch up with her? ...The goods: Let's start with Fanning, who's such a strong, intuitive actress you keep forgetting she's still a teen, still learning her craft. ...The mandatory extras: Plenty, including commentary from cast and crew, an insightful tour of the film set by author Sue Monk Kidd, footage of the movie's world premiere and a step-by-step account of how the book became a major motion picture. ...Above and beyond: "The Secret Life of Bees" might be too complicated a story for younger viewers to grasp, but it's ideal viewing for parents and teens ready to tackle a tough but rewarding story that will spark any number of rich discussions. ...

The Tudors - The Complete Second Season

Donne Tempo — 2009-01-11T16:08:40-05:00

t=dontem-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001EO748M&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0">The Tudors Second Season set continues to peer into the rule of King Henry VIII – a time of international conflict, political manipulations and the pressure to produce an heir to the throne. ...As we continue the story begun last season, we watch what is nothing short of royal excess and power taking as King Henry and his newly favored lady, Anne Boleyn (Natalie Dormer), have manipulated the Kings annulment to Queen Catherine and The Reformation of the state from Papal run Roman Catholic to Protestant has begun. ...With much of the show being shot on location along side with the vivid period costumes and environments, The Tudors is a show to grab ones interest while the story has been treated well keeping us wanting more while we emotionally thresh out who really is the good and the bad among the Royal Court. ...
Queen Katherine is so beautifully portrayed by Maria Doyle Kennedy one can only wonder how today’s Monarchy would change had she been able to provide the court with the male heir they so demanded. ...Instead of presenting a factual history of this season’s main characters and the story of the Tudor governments battle for religious domination and power at its very heart, we get a couple of previously seen documentaries (they were shown as part of The Tudor’s Showtime On-Demand offerings) that take us inside The Tower of London and a Descendants of Henry featurette. ...And while Showtime’s role in this film is to not to provide a historical lesson in Tudor government, this was a missed opportunity to bring history to life and to give a very public voice to the many historians, scientists and archeologists who could have informed, entertained and brought a serious added value to this second season offering. ...The Goods: In the Showtime special, The Tudors, this story is brought to techno-color brilliance as it re-tells the story of one of England’s most ambitious kings and those who would promote a Protestant church over Roman Catholic. ...However, regardless of Henry’s many consorts he remained fairly conservative on religious doctrine even as he moved England’s church from dominance by Rome by The Royal Act of Supremacy of 1534 which gave power over England’ churches back to the King of England, instead of to the Papal rulers of Rome. ...t=dontem-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000ZOXDFA&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0">Also Watch: Elizabeth – The Golden Age (Universal Home Entertainment, 2007). ...Blanchette’s Queen Elizabeth brings us a vivid telling of the weight of the mantel that the “Virgin Queen” wore for her country, This telling focuses on the times as well as the pain of her fight against her half-sister, Queen Mary (son of Henry VIII and Queen Catherine of Aragon), England’s ongoing engagement with Spain and her cousin Mary Queen of Scots plans to ascend to the English throne.

Trust Me

Donne Tempo — 2009-01-04T17:15:21-05:00

The likeable Eric McCormack as Mason (Will and Grace) partners with the quick-witted, smart aleck Conner (Tom Cavnaugh/Ed) at the Chicago based advertising agency Rothman Greene & Mohr. ...So herein we have the nice guy turned boss, his impulsive and unpredictable partner, the too intelligent, over eager, very narcissistic blonde all tossed together into a workplace that is fed by competition and fueled by stress. Propelling this trio to do more is Tony Mink (Griffen Dunne), Mason’s boss who has been in these trenches for all too long. ...Leaving the shows open ended question to be whether this young, likeable, ad man can maintain his partnership relationship with Connor while commanding a group that alternately sees him as their best friend, co-worker and competitor but not “the boss.” ...Can he command the respect of his co-workers turned subordinates – including the junior creative team of Tom (Mike Damus) and Hector (Geoffrey Arend) who are akin to working with a really annoying set of younger, twin brothers? ...But I would bet given time to grow this cast will grow into a group that is very likeable and a whole bunch of fun to watch. ...Walter Thompson and Leo Burnett - both Chicago powerhouse ad agencies behind them, “Trust Me” gets to the heart of those that manipulate our buying preferences. And its only fault is that this “contemporary drama” is too close for comfort to the real truth behind the high-power ad agency. ...But now, I truly hope “Trust Me” can survive, as, with the right amount of spin, this is a cast we could care about, and root for. ...

American Teen

Donne Tempo — 2008-12-28T15:53:44-05:00

t=dontem-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001NXTRNE&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0">Burstein, who previously directed "The Kid Stays in the Picture," must know her latest documentary expands on those such high school archetypes in fascinating ways. ...The director follows a group of seniors who hail straight out of Middle America - Warsaw, Indiana, to be exact - to find out what makes today's high school students tick. ...Burstein's fly on the wall approach, combined with some slick camera work and a few unnecessary animated sequences, creates a fine time capsule for teenagers circa 2008. ...The film is so adroitly packaged, its story arcs so perfectly tidy, that it's hard to believe Burstein caught lightning in a bottle as she does. ...But quasi-documentarian Michael Moore and faux reality shows like "The Hills" have lowered the bar on just what makes a real documentary these days. ...It helps that today's teens are growing up in a reality TV/youtube.com culture, so having a camera nearby is hardly the obtrusive element it might be for their parents. ...They all sound like vapid actors hitting the softball questions for scratch singles We do learn the director focused on 15 students in order to come up with the five high schoolers featured here. ...And she's funny, too, like her video testimonial to her favorite pooch reveals: "I'd much rather have a dog than a boyfriend," she says. ...But it remains a highly watchable feature for most audiences, and a wake up call for parents with children about to enter high school. ...

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Donne Tempo — 2008-12-28T15:21:25-05:00

Fitzgerald’s Benjamin Button was born on just any day in 1860, while screenwriter Eric Roth time warps forward to the final day of World War I, a historically auspicious day to be born. ...Though this 21st century telling of the tale diverges from Fitzgerald’s, who is buried with his wife Zelda less than a mile from the local cinema, I believe he would have approved in how his Jazz Age fable was adapted for this modern audience. ...Scott and Zelda, in a parlor filled with the days pontificators of wit and wisdom questioning just how life would be different, had we only known then, what we know now. ...Screenwriter Eric Roth has taken the concept of “born old,” walking his characters Benjamin Button (Brad Pitt) and Daisy (Cate Blanchett) through a life lived backwards, and treated it with deft care. ...If one thinks, and does the math, when Benjamin's physical age reaches 46, he and Daisy will be working toward that one brief day in their lives that their paths run parallel.. ...The cast is a true ensemble of actors that work together while Fincher allows each to step forward to center screen, illuminating how the people we meet, the actions they take, the chance circumstance of life can change who we are, how we live and how we love. ...The film is beautifully shot by cinematographer Victor Hammer who manages to capture New Orleans as it ages over a period of time that spans just short of a century. We watch Benjamin’s transformation from an old man born in a time of great tumult to a life that expires as Hurricane Katrina does her best to pummel the town he called home. ...Director Fincher manages to keep the pace of the film moving so that even at over three hours in length the post-Christmas audience was absolutely silent as they absorbed this incredible film. ...

The Longshots

Donne Tempo — 2008-12-19T22:52:56-05:00

Young Jasmine Plummer throws like a girl - a girl who became the first female quarterback in Pop Warner football history. ...t=dontem-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001F0TM62&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0">The inspirational story begets "The Longshots," a paint-by-numbers film that works on a grittier than expected level. ..."The Longshots" stars Ice Cube as Curtis, an out of work slacker forced to spend some time with his bookworm niece, Jasmine (Palmer, "Akeelah and the Bee"). The two can't seem to connect, but that changes when he teaches her how to throw a football. ...She's so good, in fact, that he convinces the coach of the local Pop Warner team to try her out as their quarterback. ...Few actors grumble and grouse better than Ice Cube, and the early scenes of him bonding with Jasmine are clearly the best the film has to offer. ...Plummer is an endearing young woman and a gifted athlete who excels at more than just throwing a football, we learn. ...Durst sounds like a veteran film director, breaking down his directorial debut with finesse and precision, It's also a treat to hear him reminisce about his touring days alongside Ice Cube, and how their reteaming came courtesy of an entirely different medium. Above and Beyond: "The Longshots" falters when it falls back on sports film clichés, but the engrossing first half and two sterling performances set it apart from the casual family flick. ...

Charmed: The Complete Series, Limited Deluxe Edition

Donne Tempo — 2008-11-18T09:43:34-05:00

t=dontem-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001BN4WLI&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0">At the core of this Aaron Spelling series is a story about sisters. ...This is, first and foremost, the story of the "power of three" sisters, eventually a fourth joins in, who are tasked with having to balance their good witch powers and save the innocent mandate with the same job, money, boyfriend problems that the non-magical ladies of San Francisco have. Charmed; The Complete Series Deluxe Box Set collects all eight seasons – 173 episodes plus extras – into one very nifty, if not incredibly heavy, gift set loaded with 49 disks. ...The first episode has the youngest, most irresponsible, black sheep sibling, Phoebe, returning to the fold, broke, out-of-work, and in need of family support – which comes easily from the always trying to be the peace-maker middle sister, Piper, while a bit more reluctantly from the elder, trying to be mom, sister, Prudence. ...Here art imitates life as Sarah Warren Osbourne was one of the first of three “witches’ charged at the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, The real Sarah Warren was not burned at the stake, as she died in a Boston jail before indictment or trial. ...Fast forward to the 20th/21st Centuries and the Halliwell sisters have inherited the mantel of “Good Witches” charged to protect the innocent and, as the prophecy declares, they are the most powerful of the lineage. ...Both Combs and Milano appear to make it through the entire series with only Piper Halliwell’s love interest, handyman Leo Wyatt (Brain Krause) being the only other long-lived character. ...The packaging is a reproduction of the book of shadows with some pages being replicas of the book as seen on the show, other pages being an episode directory and still other pages each housing a seasons worth of disks (49 discs total). ... Too big to set on anyone’s book or DVD shelf it will take a real fan of the show to find a “special place” for this monster. ...Slipped into a pocket on the inside back cover of the Book of Shadows in the Limited Deluxe Edition is a DVD containing a few more series extras including a look at the first pilot in which the character of Phoebe was played by a different actress, Lori Rom.

Tinker Bell

Donne Tempo — 2008-10-28T23:15:44-04:00

Now those oh so busy fairies are even busier, starring in their very own feature length film, Pixie Hollow, greeting fans at Pixie Hollow Disney Land and Disney World and they have an uber-cool web site loaded with hours of fun fairy related activities. ...Pixie Hollow is Tink's (Mae Whitman voices the role) first leading role in a feature film and it introduces her Pixie Hollow friends Iridessa, the light fairy (Raven-Symone) Rosetta, the garden fairy (Kristin Chenoweth), Fawn, the animal fairy (American Ferrera) and Silvermist, the water fairy (Lucy Liu.) ...Tink, as is all fairies, is born from the very first laugh of a baby, whose sound carries her essence, represented by the fluffed seed of a dandelion, to Pixie Hollow located on Neverland, the very same island made famous by Peter Pan. ... Tink emerges as a fairy whose talent is not quite as glorious and glamorous as nature talents of the cool fairies, Iridessa, Fawn, Rosetta and Silvermist. ...And instead of living in the brilliantly colored gardens, amongst the trees in the forest, or alongside the rippling brook, Tink finds herself living in the rather dreary, industrialized underbelly of Pixie Hollow – Tinkers Nook - where her tasks including making pots and pans, basket and bowls for the other, more glorious, fairies to use ushering in the seasons on the mainland. ...A favorite moment, as Tink is trying to master the ethereal job of capturing light to illuminate the tails of lightening bug, is uttered by Rosetta who, when asked if she thought the "light" Tink was carrying was heavy replied, "No, its light." While Tink learns that every person is important, even if that person is a tinker fairy, she also holds onto her dream of traveling to the Mainland to be a part of Spring's rebirth and in the end finds that she is able to meld her tinkering talents with her dreams. ... For an adult, growing up on a Tink whose communication was always as plain as the emotions on her face, or the stamp of her foot, to hear her voice is at first odd, but oh so pleasing. ...The Mandatory Extras: The Blu-Ray edition has the "de-rigueur" extras – deleted scenes with commentary, a Magical Guide to Pixie Hollow and a game, Tinker Training, where players can learn the skills of the tinker fairy. ... This live action segment has a father and two children walking through their world, taking the time to see the rainbow in the lawn sprinkler's mist, flowers that bloom and kites that fly.

Death Defying Acts: Houdini's Secret

Donne Tempo — 2008-10-26T18:10:01-04:00

The new period drama "Death Defying Acts: Houdini's Secret" features an Oscar-winning stunner (Catherine Zeta-Jones), a hunky lead (Guy Pearce) and a director (Gillian Armstrong) with a proven track record ("Charlotte Gray," "Mrs. ...The story itself is ripped from the past - the great Houdini's final months - and spiked with a fictional romance. ...It doesn't take a magician to figure it out, but "Acts" still has enough curious charms to recommend it as a second-choice rental. ...He's touring, in part, to find someone who can contact his late mother from the grave. The famously skeptical magician will hand over $10,000 to anyone who can tell him his mother's final words. ...The chemistry between Pearce and Zeta-Jones is akin to what's grown in a high school lab. ...Pearce is just fine as Houdini, capturing his larger than life persona as well as the pain beneath the image. ...The gorgeous backdrops both inspire and nudge the story forward, if only the drama in front of it were so captivating. The Mandatory Extras: An expansive "making of" feature explores the liberties the filmmakers took with Houdini as well as the efforts by Pearce to bring the escapologist to life. ...Houdini's life is ripe for a manufactured romance, but even the combined allure of Zeta-Jones and Pearce can't tweak enough heart strings here.

The Women

Donne Tempo — 2008-10-03T22:07:21-04:00

That means they must own up to their films' mistakes while basking in the glow given off by a splintered glass ceiling. Meg Ryan, in her juiciest role in ages, stars as a married woman named Mary who learns her husband is having an affair with a Saks Fifth Avenue "spritzer girl" (Eva Mendes). The news rallies Mary's circle of friends, including a career-driven editor named Silvia (Annette Bening), the always pregnant Edie (Debra Messing) and Alex (Jada Pinkett Smith). Happily, the foursome doesn't mimic our favorite "City" girls, although you'll wish the dialogue in "The Women" echoed their richly comic exchanges. ..."The Women" dials up the female empowerment angle for modern audiences, but its rapid-fire dialogue isn't sharp enough for a cast oozing with talent. ...Ryan's Mary isn't nearly as lovable as intended, and the actress's frozen visage hinders our ability to feel her pain. It doesn't help that Mary flies the coop mid-film to attend yoga camp, leaving her poor daughter behind to lick her emotional wounds. ...The less said about Pinkett Smith's cardboard character, the better, and while Mendes supplies the necessary va-va voom, her character is equally mistreated by the screenplay. The film does capture the juggling act many women must master today, and while a happy ending is all but assured it doesn't arrive without some serious pre-conditions. ...Bergen's character reels off some bitter truths that Mary isn't ready to hear, but her few scenes stand out as the best in the film.

The Office: Season Four

Donne Tempo — 2008-09-05T20:35:10-04:00

Few comedies draw as many laughs out of pregnant pauses than "The Office," NBC's hit sitcom about to enter its fifth season. ...But it more than makes up for the work stoppage thanks to a bevy of deleted scenes and commentary. ...The show doesn't feel a whit like any other sitcom on television, and it masterfully took the original British template and found a worthy American spin to it. Some sitcoms lose their inspiration after the first few seasons ("My Name is Earl" comes screaming to mind), but "The Office" seems, if anything, to be just hitting its stride. ...It all starts with Michael Scott (the great Steve Carell), the unctuous boss of the Dunder Mifflin paper company office in Scranton, Pa. ...You might not entrust Dwight (Rainn Wilson) to watch your cat, or even your ham sandwich, but his recognizable quirks lend the production an added layer of realism. ...* "The Ad" - Directed by "Juno's" Jason Reitman, the episode captures the craving many office workers have to inject some creativity into their work schedules. ...Dwight loses himself in the Internet reality world known as Second Life, and Pam pulls an all nighter to create an animated logo for the spot. ...It's another example of how malleable Carell's presentation can be, switching for arrogance to admitting his limitations in the most graceless way possible. Jim is left in charge of the office, and he immediately causes friction between his co-workers when he cancels the standard birthday celebrations in favor of one big communal party.

Shine a Light

Donne Tempo — 2008-08-16T22:18:21-04:00

Unfortunately, instead of an insider’s view of life as a one of rock’s perennial bad boys, Scorsese ends up delivering a routine concert documentary. ...Scorsese is not able recreate the magic of his fantastic work on "The Band: The Last Waltz" or "Bob Dylan: No Direction Home." ...Robert Elswit ("There Will Be Blood") and John Toll ("Braveheart”) did nothing to live up to their well-deserved reputations, instead it seems that they enjoyed the simplicity of the direction while watching the show. ...
It was nice to hear "As Tears Go By," along with a few other choice goodies, however electricity happened only once for me and that took Buddy Guy. The moment this blues legend took the stage to perform “Champagne & Reefer,” a marvelous classic blues tune, the Rolling Stones turned into just another back-up band. ...Reliance on archival interviews with the boys from the 1960s blabbering about how long they can, and have performed together, whose the better guitarist - Keith or Ron and well it just become blah, blah, yadda, yadda all over again. ...It was as if this directorial giant was not given the script until minutes before shooting begins and the only thing he knows is the characters, and their unpredictability. ...
Finally, while I understand the concert was for one of Bill Clinton's charities, why do I need to be subjected to watching the Stones stand in a receiving line, feigning interest as they meet the ex-Pres, the not-to-be –next Pres. ...The goods is the bads: One band I have no interest in seeing that close up, and in high definition, is the Rolling Stones. ...I'll take and appreciate the four extra performances of "Paint it Black," "Undercover of the Night," "I'm Free," "Paint it Black" and "Little T&A" (Richards is completely off his coconut tree while singing it).

Purple Violets

Donne Tempo — 2008-08-25T22:10:05-04:00

His breakthrough movie, "The Brothers McMullen," earned him instant indie credibility, and he followed it up with the moderately successful "She's the One." ...His latest, "Purple Violets," made cinematic history last year by debuting not in theaters or DVD, but on iTunes. ...Patti and her friend Kate (Debra Messing) run into their old college boyfriends by chance one day, and the meeting sparks two curious reunions. ...How the two couples reconnect makes for some moderately engaging scenes, but Burns displays a tin ear not just for dialogue but also for the way people fight and make up. ...Brian's quest to write a "real" novel rather than the genre books that made him a mint comes off as stale, not stimulating, and poor Messing is stuck in another role that can't take advantage of her terrific comic chops. "Purple Violets" looks like a can't miss romance, but every time the leads swoop in for a kiss - or something more - the lack of chemistry betrays them. ...Blair proves she's grown up beyond her youthful appearance, and Burns squeezes some affecting compositions out of his otherwise routine story. ...Burns can be a loquacious fellow, so it's odd not to hear him in any form chatting about his latest project. Above and Beyond: "Purple Violets" isn't the embarrassment that its curious iTunes release would have you believe. But it's also pretty weak tea, a romance with little spark, a drama without enough comedy to make it feel like real life.

The Deal

Donne Tempo — 2008-07-26T16:58:00-04:00

Michael Sheen's brilliant performance as Tony Blair in "The Queen," which got overshadowed by Helen Mirren's Oscar-winning turn in the title role, wasn't the first time he assumed the Prime Minister's persona. ...The picture didn't send shockwaves through Hollywood as "The Queen" did, but it's a smart, realistically rendered tale all the same that serves as an appetizer for those who still haven't seen Mirren's film. ...Gordon Brown (David Morrissey) is a wonky Labor Party official doing all he can behind the scenes to restore his party to power. His new friend Tony Blair (Sheen) is very much cut in Brown's ideological image, but he's far more polished and eager to please. ...They came of age during Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's reign, and even when she leave the political scene the Labor Party remains in the shadows. ...He played Sharon Stone's "love" interest in the awful as advertised "Basic Instinct 2," but here he tackles the far more challenging role in this character study. Morrissey's grumbling baritone immediately connects with the real-life Brown, but it's in his quieter moments where he truly mirrors the man. ...The Mandatory Extras: Not a ton of extra goodies save a lengthy chat with director Stephen Frears and a commentary track featuring Morgan and producer Christine Langan. ... It's hardly a shock that he became disillusioned with Blair due the Iraq War, but he did his best to remain neutral with "The Deal." ...Above and Beyond: "The Deal," loosely based on the novel "The Rivals" by James Naughtie, also comes with text biographies of both Blair and Brown for those who wish to find out more about two fascinating men.

Mamma Mia!

Donne Tempo — 2008-07-18T00:08:19-04:00

The movie musical, based on the Broadway show spawned from ABBA's hit machine, might as well be sponsored by NOW. ...The film, reportedly a faithful treatment of the source material, follows a bride-to-be (Amanda Seyfried) who invites three men (Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgård) who once courted her mother (Meryl Streep) to the wedding. ...Streep's character wants nothing to do with any of the men, especially the fellow played by Brosnan. But our hardworking lady doth protest too much, and it's clear more than one romance might be in the cards. ...The movie does the same, and audiences will wince at how some lyrics have so little to do with the story at hand. The screenplay doesn't bail out the music like it should, leaving Streep and her co-horts to sail on solely star power. ...But Brosnan, who's been proving his acting chops anew over the past decade, shouldn't be let anywhere near another musical -- or even near a person singing a song, again. His duet with Streep's character late in the film is like an "American Idol" winner performing with someone who got kicked off in the first round. ...And if some of their best songs don't put a bounce in your step, your step may be incapable of bouncing. ...The Greek island backdrop is luminous, so much so that it sometimes feels as if we're watching one big special effect.

Drillbit Taylor (Unrated Extended Survival Edition)

Donne Tempo — 2008-07-06T20:25:16-04:00

The premise promised 109 minutes, plus bonus features, of diversion wrapped in a cloak of the oh-so-cool Drillbit Taylor (Owen Wilson) helping a trio of nerds, Wade (Nate Hartley), Ryan (Troy Gentile) and Emmit (David Dorfman) traverse the mean highways of high school. ...Wilson taking command of this film could have made it a great film, if only director Steven Brill would have believed in his actors (that is why they hire them, to act) and allowed the story to be played straight, without always going for the gags. I mean, when Filkins (Alex Frost) is antagonizing the young kids, do we really believe he is going to be driving a BMW as if he was on the speedway through this sleepy little town? Yet, we can believe and cheer on Wade and Ryan as they try to learn how to fight by watching video games and then, step into the backyard for some very tentative fisticuffs. Unfortunately the movie relies more on the unbelievable speedway chases (as though three kids, one very out of shape, and the other very under shape could avoid a psychopath in a BMW) than the more realistic moments of life that are often really very fun, if not in sad, meaningful ways. ...One most wonder if it is that Hollywood does not believe that audiences are smart enough to “get it” without slapstick and steroidal sexual innuendo or that directors are so bent on not missing every cheap laugh, they forget to allow actors to act. ...Which would keep us involved in the other story, how he helps these young teens – at first for personal gain and then out of a sense of humanistic decency, great story arc there, how he gets the girl despite his lack of a personal shower (great beach shower scene, by the way) and redeems himself, becoming a new member of accepted society and on the path, it would seem, to life, love, and living in a real house. ...Unfortunately all those great story arcs are first tramped and then buried by an unending display of sophomoric attempts at humor including lots of “that’s gotta hurt” groin kicks and more than questionable hazing pranks pulled the young trios nemesis Filkins (Alex Frost) and his less than that brilliant partner, Ronnie (Josh Peck). ...There is the feature length commentary grack with director Steven Brill, co-writer/co-producer Kristofor Brown that keep a steady stream of anecdotes about the movie and deleted scenes that failed to make even this extended cut. Actors Troy Gentile, Nate Hartely and Avid Dorfman join in and it is interesting to hear the young actors chime in on the film but I don’t understand the pregnant pause the precedes Owen Wilson joining the discussion.

My Blueberry Nights

Donne Tempo — 2008-07-06T20:14:48-04:00

Singer Norah Jones tries to drown her sorrows in pie but ends up on a belabored road trip in "My Blueberry Nights," a spacey ode to romantic longing and uncertainty. ...Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai ("Chungking Express") crams the screen with lush imagery, bending our conceptions of color to render New York City in a way it's rarely been seen. But Kar Wai's film is undone by his own script, a patchwork of clunky dialogue and awkward transitions that steal the poetry from his canvas. ...She drowns her sorrows with the leftover blueberry pie slices served up by Jeremy (Jude Law), a Big Apple café owner who lends "Lizzie" an ear at closing time. ...She embarks on a road trip to help her forget her beau, ending up first in Memphis and then in Las Vegas. She meets some pretty strange folks along the way, a deeply flawed group who represent a sizable step up from the bland Lizzie. Jones isn't ready to carry a film yet, and her character is so haphazardly sketched the viewer won't care enough about her broken heart. ...Jeremy flits around his café in convincing fashion, and he's droll enough to be seen as a bona fide love interest. The other players - David Strathairn, Natalie Portman and Rachel Weisz - do what they can with their oversized portraits, but they can't move beyond the director's strained story. ...The Mandatory Extras: A "Making Of" segment gathers the film's key players, but we wish Jones would have elaborated more on making her first movie or the similarities between being a musical performer and acting.

Bonneville

Donne Tempo — 2008-06-19T22:08:26-04:00

Who wouldn't want to go on a road trip with Jessica Lange, Joan Allen and Kathy Bates? The new to DVD "Bonneville" puts these great actresses on the open road in a girl-power quest like we haven't seen since Thelma met Louise. But while that film involved violence, women's rights and Brad Pitt's abs, "Bonneville" is content to stay more or less in neutral. ...Arvilla Holden (Jessica Lange) is mourning the loss of her husband, Joe, when Joe's daughter from a previous marriage announces she wants control over his ashes. Joe lived a pretty full life, so full, in fact, that he forgot to amend his will over the last 20 years to make room for Arvilla. ...Two of her longtime pals, Margene (Kathy Bates) and Carol (Joan Allen), hop into Arvilla's '66 Bonneville to assuage her grief - and see the sights. Along the way, they pick up some eye candy (a dazed Victor Rasuk), flirt with a weathered trucker (Tom Skerritt) and cope with Carol's Mormon views. ...None of the characters is as interesting as the actresses inhabiting them, but their combined skills make "Bonneville" a pleasing albeit bland trip. The male characters in "Bonneville" fare worse, though it almost seems like fair play for a women-centric film to deal so hastily with them. ...Above and Beyond: The mandatory making-of feature packs few surprises, much like the film itself, but it does reveal the nurturing nature that enveloped the set.

Sex and the City

Donne Tempo — 2008-05-29T22:27:34-04:00

Now, it's the reunion women everywhere are waiting for - "Sex and the City" on the big screen. While the groundbreaking HBO series was smart, sassy and bold, the movie version of "Sex" plays it mostly safe, sanitized and oh, so predictable. ...It's been three years in "Sex" time since we last saw Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Charlotte (Kristin Davis), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Samantha (Kim Cattrall), and a clever title sequence gamely catches up on the quartet for the uninitiated - essentially alien life forms and football fanatics. ...No spoilers here, but the more intriguing subplot involves a marital crisis between Miranda and Steve the bartendah (David Eigenberg) - the rare New York character who actually speaks like one. Their complicated marriage is the best thing about "Sex" - it's a mature and satisfying character arc worthy of the series. ...Poor Charlotte gets little to do besides become the butt of a very infantile joke, while Samantha feels squeezed by her longtime love, the hunky Smith (Jason Lewis). ..."Sex" trots out a few outrageous moments to remind us how daring the series once was, but the moments feel tacked on. Samantha's unexpurgated mouth still can bring down the house, though, and the female bonding on display through grand swatches of the movie will resonate with men and women alike. ...For "Sex" aholics, just having Carrie and company dishing about men again will be enough to make this reunion click. But anyone anticipating the same level of excellence as the HBO series will be let down by this bloated, romance-free feature.

Indiana Jones: The Adventure Collection

Donne Tempo — 2008-05-12T23:02:22-04:00

This three disc “collector’s edition” brings us little more than the collection released in 2003, actually it brings us less as it does not include the two-hour “making of” documentary the elder release had. ...Face it, we know that, if not this Christmas, surely by next, they will release a Blu-ray box set of all four films, fully remastered and filled to the brim with lots of pretty eye candy and extras galore! ...With the release of “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” in sight, it was with great anticipation that I removed the cellophane from the Indiana Jones: Adventure Collection DVD Box set containing the first three films. ...So with broken heart well soaked in alcohol, we first meet Marion in her Nepalese Bar where she is at the end of a drinking contest with a behemoth at least three times her petite size. ...From the Himalayas to the Sahara Desert, Indiana and the former Nepalese Bar owner (the bar of course is destroyed by the Nazi bad guys who are following Indy to find what he has gone to Marion for) travel in search of the Lost Ark of the Covenant. The action picks up in an ancient Egyptian city’s Tomb of Lost Souls as Indy and Marion battle Nazis, Arab henchmen and rugged terrain doing what they do so well – harrowing chases, heart wrenching captures and narrow escapes. ...It has the prissy blonde (Capshaw) because strong heroines are not as much fun; It has the “kids in danger” story line to show that Indy has a heart after all and then it has the action. But really, Monkey Brains and a coma inducing jewel, even with a very young hunky Harrison Ford flying about the screen in various states of shirtlessness just don’t make up for a film that seems to have been made to carry on the franchise, not create the next great adventure film. ...I would hate to think Indy has an even number film curse – of course that could lead to “Indiana Jones and The Odd Curse of the Even Number” in which Indiana finds himself rendered unable to crack his whip on days that are divisible by two. ..."Last Crusade" gives us "Indy's Women Reminisce: An AFI Tribute" that brings Karen Allen, Kate Capshaw, and Alison Doody together to discuss their roles and reminisce about their part in the trilogy.

P.S. I Love You

Donne Tempo — 2008-05-09T23:19:59-04:00

Holly (Hilary Swank) loses her husband, Gerry (Gerard Butler) to a brain tumor in the opening moments of the film. ...Before Gerry died, he wrote a series of letters to Holly and rigged it so they get sent to her at different points in the future. ...But Holly is torn between following her late husband's wishes and moving on to the next stage in life. ...Butler's Gerry fares better, but he's so idealized and cutesy the character never comes fully alive during any of the extended flashbacks. ...In another era, he'd be a box office titan with his thick brown hair, marquee worthy mug and way with a love song. ...The wake sequence just feels wrong, a tacky affair in which Holly hardly appears to be mourning and Gerry's best friends swap heartfelt remembrances without every choking up or getting lost in their sadness. ...Viewers get a few deleted scenes that are even worse than the ones that made the final cut, a James Blunt music video and a clever, '50s style primer on the word game "Snaps" which plays a tiny role in the film. Let's be grateful a horrible scene in which a dying Gerry visits a travel agency to plan out Holly's future vacation never made it to theaters. Above and Beyond: The best material in the extras belongs to Ahern, an Irish writer who describes how she wrote "P.S." at the tender age of 21. ... The featurette also includes brief commentaries from the film's stars and writer/director Richard LaGravenese ("Freedom Writers") Everyone involved, especially the great Kathy Bates, has done much better work than this.

The Visitor

Donne Tempo — 2008-05-09T21:32:30-04:00

The new indie drama from writer/director Tom McCarthy ("The Station Agent") takes a soft pro-illegal immigration stance. ...That changes when he discovers an illegal immigrant couple has been staying at his part-time residence in New York - the film's sole plot contrivance. Something about Tarek (Haaz Sleiman) and his Senegalese girlfriend Zainab (Danai Gurira) touches Walter, and no sooner do they leave the apartment then he invites them back to stay while they look for another residence. ...Tarek even teaches Walter how to play the African drum, which leads to some richly comic moments in which Walter casts aside his physical atrophy. ...A lesser director would have milked the scenes for all their obvious humor while eroding our attachment to Walter. ...He's thrown in a nearby detention center while Walter and Zainab hire a lawyer to argue his case. Walter has nothing at stake here, but for the first time in ages he feels like he's part of something bigger, something worth fighting for. ...Their scenes together reverberate with quiet passion, and each actor brings the ideal amount of reticence to their performances. It's so rare to see two older actors attempt romance on screen, and even more uncommon that such a pairing can move us as this does. ...It's clear where the writer/director stands regarding immigration rights, but he still feels the need to unnecessarily demonize the opposition.

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Donne Tempo — 2008-04-20T20:33:21-04:00

I truly believe the film could have been more cleverly fashioned to bring out the pop culture history and music influences instead of relying on the same old tired sex and drugs joke. For example, the scene in which Dewey begins his descent into the drugs and sex synonymous with rock n’ roll, there is a hotel scene with more full frontal nudity than I needed to see, including one “roadie” who had the most peculiar, lemon-shaped single testicle. ...There were quite a few things that caused me to laugh out loud, including when Dewey Cox and his band Sam (Tim Meadows), Dave (Matt Besser) and Theo (Chris Parnell) all meet the Yogi Maharishi with the Beatles (Jack Black as Paul McCartney, Paul Rudd as John Lennon, Justin Long as George Harrison and Jason Schwartzman as Ringo.) ...A bit more editing, some stronger pop-culture references, and a little less self-indulgence and reliance on the same quickly tiring joke on the part of writers Judd Apatow (producer) and Jake Kasdan (director) and The Dewey Cox story could have been a lot more. The oxymoron is that while there is a lot to like about this film, just when things begins to get interesting, such as Dewey’s lament to being an outlaw in Guilty As Charged, out comes the 600 lb gorilla of sex and drugs. ...It really felt as though I were being hit over the head over and over with Dewey’s big secret (he macheted his brother in two), his fathers hate and the temptations of being a musician – drugs, sex and more drugs and sex. ...Personally, I would have liked to see Riley in a vehicle that would have allowed him to develop himself as a talent, verses rehashing much of Will Farrell’s “schtick” including running through the streets in his underwear and the hang dog blank star – with and without a bit of drool. Riley’s talent as a leading actor with chameleon like ability to convince the audience of his age, be it be teen or geriatric, along with his extremely fine vocal talents deserves another chance. The movie had a few moments, such as when an again Dewey Cox, preparing to accept his final Lifetime Achievement award walks past The Temptations singing “My Girl,” grabs his head and wails, “Oh The Temptations.” A bit more of that quality humor, and a bit less reliance on double entendres, bawdy behavior, and full frontal nudity, and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox story might have been worth the two hours.

Made of Honor

Donne Tempo — 2008-05-03T01:05:56-04:00

After all, a young Dempsey starred in a series of teen movies in the 1980s, and his current "Grey's Anatomy" fame seems a precursor to re-establishing his movie star bona fides. But while Dempsey is as dashing here as he is on the small screen, the real star is his leading lady, Michelle Monaghan. The actress, a steady presence in "The Heartbreak Kid" and "Gone Baby Gone," is so naturally winning in "Made of Honor" she all but swipes the movie from her leading man. In "Made of Honor," Dempsey stars as Tom, a rich, successful ladies man who dates so many women he follows a strict set of rules to keep them all emotionally at arm's length. ...If that plot point reminds audiences of the Julia Roberts hit "My Best Friend's Wedding," it's because the two films share similar DNA. Like Roberts' character in "My Best Friend's Wedding," Tom is forced to juggle his duties as Hannah's closest friend with his feelings for her. Tom's buddies try to offer him advice during their regular basketball games, but no one but Tom can figure out the right way to tell Hannah he loves her - or if he should let her follow her heart to Colin. ..."Made of Honor" steals some of its mojo from "My Best Friend's Wedding," but it's also beholden to the modern romantic comedy template. ...Dempsey fulfills his contractual obligations here, doffing his shirt on more than one occasion and looking, well, dreamy in a series of well-coordinated suits. He just can't radiate quite like his brunette co-star, who might duke it out with "27 Dresses'" Katherine Heigl for the title of Best Rom-Com Actress.

Iron Man

Donne Tempo — 2008-05-01T21:25:29-04:00

Iron Man’s standout screen appearance may very well be the dynamic Stan Lee who dons the role of another great Los Angeles resident for his too brief cameo. ...Created by the legends of Stan Lee (writer), Larry Lieber (writer), Jack Kirby (artist) and Don Heck (artist), Iron Man introduced us to Tony Stark back in 1963, the prodigal orphaned son of a weapons manufacturer who learned all to well that those that “live by the sword, die by the sword.’ Tony Stark is a misogynistic, alcoholic, genius that lives to tinker in a world filled with technology; his most endearing relationships are with the robots that he builds. ...However at the heart of Iron Man still stands Tony, a very flawed human being who is beginning to make better choices and to see the world around him from a perspective that is not always through the bottom of a glass of scotch on the rocks. Tony’s battle with alcoholism is central to his character in comics and this, in itself, is particularly interesting if you consider the casting of Robert Downey Jr. (know for his substance abuse problems) in the title role. ...Even when encased, not in iron, but a gold alloy suit (the better to exit and enter the Earth’s atmosphere) Iron Man retains Downey’s physical nature and swagger. ...And we find ourselves learning to like this guy, a role that Downey has described as the "challenge of making a wealthy, establishmentarian, weapons-manufacturing, hard-drinking, womanizing prick into a character who is likable and a hero." Gwyneth Paltrow, as Pepper Potts, Tony Starks loving and devoted assistant, is brilliant as we see her emerge from her primarily administrative role to being Tony’s love interest, even if he has not quite figured it out. ...Jeff Bridges as Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger makes an admirable bad guy in the film, and as in all films of this genre, his eventual comeuppance is not saddening. Screenplay writers Mark Ferbus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway worked with Lee’s original story well and, while Tony was quite unlikable in the beginning, he grows on us as we see him muster and survive the ultimate Shakespearean betrayal.

Baby Mama

Donne Tempo — 2008-04-24T22:26:52-04:00

Good thing Fey's smart, sophisticated brand of comedy is stamped all over the film, despite her not having an official screenwriting credit. "Baby Mama" also gives Poehler her first leading role after years of side-splitting routines on "SNL," the biggest star launcher this side of "American Idol." ...The specialist leads Kate to Angie (Poehler), a foul-mouthed misfit with a common-law husband (Dax Shepard) who looks as if he couldn't take care of a goldfish, let alone a pregnant woman. They all agree that Angie will carry Kate's baby, and Kate in turn will write the vulgar couple a very large check. ...The two have nothing in common, which leads to some humorous clashes hinted at in the film's trailer (insert link to trailer here: ). ...There's precious little in "Baby Mama" we haven't seen before, but writer/director Michaal McCullers makes sure nearly every scene offers a fresh comic spin on the familiar material. ...The bespectacled comic used to be known more for her writing than her acting chops, but working on NBC's "30 Rock" clearly sharpened her physical skills. Poehler brings a sturdier performing resume to "Baby Mama," and if her work here has a flaw it's in how inconsistent Angie's blue-collar roots prove from scene to scene. ...The two end one of their dates on a lustful note, with Kate proclaiming, "I'm 37 … I know how this works" while dragging Rob toward his apartment for a rendezvous. ...And the film lacks that one signature scene that audiences will be talking about later in the lobby, like the infamous hair gel moment in "There's Something About Mary" or "Planes, Trains and Automobiles'" pillow sequence.

27 Dresses

Donne Tempo — 2008-04-22T23:30:32-04:00

Jane Nichols (Katherine Heigl) is always the bridesmaid … and she has 27 tacky dresses in her closet to prove it. Suffice to say there's no sex in Jane's city, and matters get much when her sister (Malin Akerman) starts dating her boss (Edward Burns). ...Marsden, typically relegated to the "other guy" role ("Superman Returns") or lost in an ensemble (The "X-Men" trilogy) shows he's more than capable of leading the way. ... All of which makes her the perfect romantic comedy heroine - just gorgeous enough without rubbing our faces in it, just honest enough to reel the viewer in. ...The goods: "27 Dresses" isn't as manipulative, or as awful, as recent rom-coms like "Hitch" and "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days." ... Hollywood writers seem obsessed with these gimmick romances, when all we really want to see are opposites attracting in the silliest, most romantic of ways. ...Several smart mini-features break down the story's high points, expand on Heigl's fine slapstick moves and detail how a Rhode Island town subbed for the Big Apple where the film is set. And the movie's costume designers dish on what it takes to make an awful bridesmaid dress, a cautionary tale for brides-to-be everywhere. ...Above and Beyond: The three deleted scenes aren't noteworthy, but kudos for including a segment on "The Running of the Brides," the Filene's Basement wedding dress mega-sale. Brides start lining up the day before to prep for the sale, which offers designer dresses at more than 75 percent off sticker price.

Bull Durham: 20th Anniversary Edition

Donne Tempo — 2008-03-24T22:04:27-04:00

Scary, but true, and with the start of a new baseball season upon us there's no better time to catch up with "Bull Durham." ...Writer/director Ron Shelton ("White Men Can't Jump," "Cobb") forged a career from sports films, but "Bull Durham" remains his first, and finest, peek into the athletic mind. ...They hope Crash's wisdom rubs off on Ebby, but as it turns out he learns just as much about baseball, and life, from Annie. ...Annie is dating Ebby but she's clearly a better match for Crash, and Crash would love to romance Annie, but he doesn't want to mess with the star pitcher's head. ...The insights he brings to the game are just as sharp as the observations which make Annie, Nuke and Crash jump off the screen and into our hearts. If anything, "Bull Durham" is a better movie today than it was in 1988, and with the steroid scandal still clogging sports pages, we could use a little bit of Annie's passion to remind us why we love the Boys of Summer. ...The Mandatory Extras: "The Greatest Show on Dirt" is a cut above the usual "making of" segment, with Shelton sharing fine details about how he crafted the film. He drove around some of the towns that the actual Durham Bulls visit, all the while dictating into a micro recorder what would end up as Annie's opening monologue. ... Sex can be fun, and silly, and revealing of one's character, Shelton says, and he made sure "Bull Durham's" sex scenes had a little of all three. "Diamonds in the Dirt" showcases the minor leagues, while a second "making of" segment lets Sarandon share how hard she fought to play Annie - and how she alleges other actresses wouldn't touch it because of its sensuality.

Independence Day

Donne Tempo — 2008-03-21T19:24:50-04:00

Whitmore), Judd Hirsh (Julius Levinson and Randy Quaid, as Russell Case, who offers a plausible performance as the bumbling alcoholic ex-Vietnam pilot who drinks in order to forget his tortured abduction by aliens. ...Add supporting cast members such as Harvey Fierstein, Brent Spiner, and Robert Loggia and the cast assembled for this film makes it one of my perennial favorites. ...Maybe, it is just the enormity of the world-wide alien invasion and the amount of stuff blowing up as viewers bask in 150 minutes of knuckleheaded, escapist entertainment. ...In fact, a pivotal scene has the President first learning of the installations existence, and alien guest with the State of New Mexico in the shadow of the giant, invading alien ship. The whole super secrecy of this area is enhanced with an appearance by Star Trek's Brent Spiner (Data in Star Trek mythology) as the crazed scientist Dr. ...Whatever, the near conquest of Earth by spindly creatures and the subsequent battle framed by patriotic platitudes along with the ability to overcome a superior intelligence with plain ole’ human perseverance, succeeds through its sheer fun factor. ...The goods: With scenes that Billy Sol Hurok would love (that White House blowed up real good), the beautiful colors mix with a booming sound track (DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1 Surround) to deliver just enough mesmerizing visual and audio moments. ...The mandatory extras: The brains behind the film, Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, provide a commentary track (rehashed from a previous DVD release) and the boys are just giddy with memories as they gush about the cast and fondly live the day when “blockbuster” could be attached to their names. ...Fuel the disc revolution: An onscreen "Alien Scavenger Hunt" for only the most devoted of “Independence Day” fans demand they watch the entire film and spot and target 12 items during the action for the minor payoff of a bonus film clip. The interactive interface with the film works seamlessly as the player moves a targeting reticule (with its own sound effect) around the screen with the directional pad to shoot the item with the "enter" button on the controller.

Walk the Line: Extended Cut

Donne Tempo — 2008-03-22T18:58:42-04:00

If you don't get chills watching the opening scene in "Walk the Line," well, then, you've never heard Johnny Cash's inimitable baritone before. The biopic earned plenty of accolades following its 2005 release, including a Best Actress Oscar for Reese Witherspoon's turn as June Carter Cash. ...The film's prologue, involving the tragic death of Cash's older brother, is a bit tougher to watch with a straight face for those who caught "Walk Hard's" parody of the same. ...Allowing Phoenix to sing Cash's songs and not the Man in Black himself may help audiences transition from singer to performance, but without Cash's voice the songs can't help but falter. ..."Walk the Line" repeatedly commits the biopic sin of historical shortcuts, like Cash perusing a newspaper with the headline "Hank Williams dies" as a time marker. ...And it's all hands on deck as both Phoenix and Witherspoon join Mangold and other cast members for a complete recap of the film's creation. ...The Mandatory Extras: The making-of segments tell the story of how both Phoenix and Witherspoon were selected for the lead roles, and how each brought little to no musical experience to the project. It's hard to believe, what with how melodious Witherspoon sounds, but that's their story and they've been sticking to it since the film's release. ...Above and Beyond: The Cash Legacy segment gathers a disparate group of rock legends -- John Mellencamp, Kris Kristofferson and … wait for it … Ozzy Osbourne who break down what made Cash so special. ...The segment breaks down his approach to gospel music, including comments from Cash's spiritual advisors as well as his musical peers.

Queen Rock Montreal & Live Aid

Donne Tempo — 2008-02-16T18:22:27-05:00

Well, I can almost knock that one off of the list thanks to the Blu-ray release of a stunningly re-mastered, high-definition outing of the band in its prime. ...Watching numbers such as "Dragon Attack, "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and "Bohemian Rhapsody," I felt as though I was in the first tier of seats on the side of the stage as singer Mercury, guitarist Brian May, bassist John Deacon and drummer Roger Taylor created magic. Marcury’s flamboyant style and exaggerated form neither distracts nor enhances his fantastic vocal performance throughout, and even when he dons short shorts through the last third of the concert, eyes will meld with ears as he deliciously croons classic material. Most powerfully delivered are the songs celebrating friendship and love and efforts as "Play the Game," "Somebody to Love," "Love of My Life" and "Keep Yourself Alive" are just plain emotionally exhausting when seen in this setting. Set on a stage with light rigs any Close Encounter’s alien would admire, the band rips through twenty-six of its best and even debuts a killer version of "Under Pressure." ...The goods: Digitally remastered audio and video means an experience that let's the performers do their job and let's viewers appreciate every neck strain to reach a note and fingered guitar flurry. ...By watching the band in action I would never have imagined that not only were they not well practiced, according to the pair, but Mr. ...Additionally, for as informative as the pair are they are also very humble and a viewer might think they are sitting at a bar with them sharing a pint and talking about some cool band concert with slick lights. ...Above and beyond: The entire 1985 Live Aid performance by Queen is included and it's 40-minutes definitely ranks up their with U2 for crowd response and showmanship at the event. ...Fuel the disc revolution: A documentary of the band would have been appreciated but feeling like I was sitting in the side seats through splendid audio and visuals more than makes up for it.

12 Angry Men: 50th Anniversary Edition

Donne Tempo — 2008-03-03T22:39:21-05:00

Then it's the perfect time to revisit "12 Angry Men," the 1957 classic which serves up an imperfect valentine to law and order, American style. ...His story here is much more simple, a plot without the messy shades of gray that crop up in actual court cases. ...But it's still timeless, as it takes the system's presumption of innocence framework and populates it with compelling characters. ...He makes the most of a confined set, letting loose his assemblage of character actors without allowing any one to hog the limelight. ... And Lumet's creative camera work, a close-up here, a bird's eye view there, opens up what should be a claustrophobic experience. ...The goods: We're inundated with fictional law stories - just consider the countless "Law & Order" episodes running on TV at any one time. ... Cobb's Juror #3 is a one-dimensional lout, but he's a lout you can't take your eyes off. ...The best is a "making of" segment that tells how Fonda helped shepherd the story from a live TV teleplay into a feature film. ... The second feature, a breakdown of the actual jury process, is a mildly interesting excuse for modern legal eagles (Gloria Allred, Robert Shapiro) to chime in about themes touched on during the film. Finally, film historian Drew Casper is included in a commentary track, which while educational will prove far too dry for most viewers' tastes.

I Could Never Be Your Woman

Donne Tempo — 2008-02-23T19:55:31-05:00

The first 10 minutes of "I Could Never Be Your Woman" hint at why the film never saw the light of a movie theater despite its starry cast. ...Older but still stunning Rosie (Michelle Pfeiffer) is trying to juggle being a single mom for daughter Izzie ("Atonement's" Saoirse Ronan) with working as a sitcom producer. ...It's hard to feel sympathy for our 40-something heroine when she's got the face - and figure - of a radiant Pfeiffer. ...It's a clear sign of our culture's gender imbalance that a 40-something woman dating a man 15 years younger is considered a shock. ...While "Give" featured a crackerjack script and Oscar-worthy performances, "Woman" is merely a trifle, Bonus points are given for the Pfeiffer-Rudd chemistry, a few great zingers and a cheeky cameo by Henry Winkler. ...The goods: "I Could Never Be Your Woman" is first and foremost a novelty, a star-laden comedy which went straight to video like so many "American Pie" sequels. ...We get three deleted scenes, a theatrical trailer for a film that never made it to any theaters, and a commentary track with Heckerling and producer Cerise Hallam Larkin. Two of the deleted scenes are throwaways, but the third is a tough sequence in which young Izzie tells her mother about how her girlfriends provide oral services to their boyfriends, much to Rosie's consternation. The commentary track is by-the-book banter, with Heckerling and Larkin discussing how the film was shot in England but was meant to convey L.A. They also sing the praises, and rightly so, of young Saoirse Ronan, and share how they used digital equipment to tweak the film's colorful appearance.

Mrs. Doubtfire - The Behind the Seams Edition

Donne Tempo — 2008-02-15T23:18:25-05:00

Cross dressing may be a dying art, but Williams gave the genre juice in the film, being re-released this month (March 4) in a special "Behind the Seams" edition. ...So his frazzled wife Miranda (Sally Field) does what she has to do -- she divorces him and takes up with the studly Pierce Brosnan. ...Williams isn't always as funny as he or director Chris Columbus thinks he is, but when he's swaddled in his Mrs. ...The children in question here (Mara Wilson, Matthew Lawrence, Lisa Jakub) are sweet without offering up unnecessary angst, and Williams' Daniel is just enough of a rebel to make you believe he'd be willing to don a fat suit just to see his kids. ...Doubtfire" is gently humorous, assuredly paced and features a solid turn from old-pro Robert Prosky as the station manager who sees something special in Daniel's alter ego. ...Doubtfire" offers a pair of Oscar winners in the lead roles and some intricately staged comic moments to make up for its predictability. ... Field does she can with a mostly thankless role, and bravo to the film's writers for not making Brosnan's character into a villain. ...A separate couch chat with Williams and Columbus offers plenty of good bits about the shoot, including how they shot one or two takes ripped right from the script, then Williams let loose with his own improv style. They even joke they had so much footage they could have spliced together an R and NC-17 version of the film, based on Williams' increasingly raw outtakes (none of which are included in this family-friendly format. ...Above and Beyond: The DVD title pages alone are a hoot, with their crude but colorful animation and Williams' operatic voice beckoning viewers to hit the "play" button.

Damages: The Complete First Season

Donne Tempo — 2008-01-23T23:10:23-05:00

Glenn Close brings her incredible acting talents to the smaller screen as lethal lawyer Patty Hewes in the episodic thriller “Damages.” If you missed it then, or just want to enjoy it again before settling in for the second season, the series first season arrives in a three disc Blu-ray set on Tuesday, January 29th. Set in New York City, this FX Productions series pounded viewers over the head last year with a dark, edge-of-your-seat, nourish flair that makes the Soprano saga seem tame. ...Remarkably this legal drama that chronicles the mechanizations of a class action suit and the downfall of a billionaire, manages, throughout the entire 13 episodes, to keep it out of the courtroom. ...The goods: Miss Close delivers such a likable but flawed character it is often hard to believe she is as ruthless as the evidence obviously plays her out to be. ...By juxtaposing different cinematic techniques viewers are able to keep track of the director’s use of forecasting and flashbacks in telling this gritty, and often surprising, saga. From the coarse, almost sepia toned scenes that provide insights to motives to the brilliantly clear sharp focus of the present day murder investigation, the look of Damages impacts as much as the story. ...A pair of behind the scenes featurettes (that should only be watched after enjoying all episodes) are underwhelming and cannot compare to the energy found in any of the episodes. ...Legal experts explain some of the basic legal terms tossed about during the show, such as numerosity, and quickly covers three famed examples of class action suits (Exxon Valdez, Tobacco and Agent Orange) while clips from the series are interspersed to reinforce the legal concepts presented in the show. Unfortunately, this type of resource, which does help the viewer to understand the complexities of the type of case being pursued by Patty Hewes and her association, has already been seen ad nauseam in standard DVD technologies (reference most Disney DVD sets), so it won't win any innovation rewards.

When Harry Met Sally

Donne Tempo — 2008-01-11T23:07:09-05:00

Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan clicked as both feisty friends and later something more in this Rob Reiner comedy. Nora Ephron's script, which lets the leads get to know each other in five-year intervals, builds the romance in jagged, but believable stages. ...Sure, the film echoed Woody Allen's superior "Annie Hall" in its unabashed affection for Manhattan, but Reiner's comedy delivered a healthier relationship than Allen could ever pen. ...We may be no closer to answering the film's key question - can men and women be friends without the sex getting in the way? ...The goods: It's only 19 years old, but it's safe to say they don't make 'em like this anymore. Rent "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," or rather don't, and you'll know what we mean. ... The lead's chemistry is palpable and while Crystal is considered a better comedian than actor, he's remarkable as the affable Harry. ...The Mandatory Extras: The DVD's extras aren't window dressing or extended back-slapping, although we do get a bit of the latter. ... Here, we learn Crystal came up with "I'll have what she's having" line, and Crystal complains that Reiner laughed so much he ruined a few takes. The deleted scenes are mostly solid and could easily be stitched back into the movie without a discernible dip in humor or pacing.

3:10 to Yuma

Donne Tempo — 2008-01-06T23:02:57-05:00

Christian Bale and Russell Crowe star in an updated remake (i.e. profanity and graphic violence) of the Glenn Ford fueled 1957 Western of the same name. ...He portrays a character that finds himself almost sympathetic to the plight of his guard, the passively complex Ben Evans played by Mr. ...The goods: Director James Mangold’s choice of environment, Diablo, Mexico, and the ominous dust levels (it will make viewers feel like coughing) mixed with the 1080p high definition presentation allows the film to just explode with color and texture off of large monitors. The disc also mixes an incredible amount of multimedia goodies to make it strong addition to the Lionsgate Blu-ray library. ...The best of the bunch of mini-documentaries include a 20-minute look at how the Transcontinental Railroad changed America (Sea to Shining Sea) and a 5- minute conversation with the Elmore Leonard who penned the original short story. ...An ever changing map of the United States western push for territory mixes with text biographies of the characters from the time period as well as significant events that helped shape one of America's most defining times. ...Fuel the disc revolution: The Timeline was more than enough for me but developers offer the ambitious "Inside Yuma," a multimedia companion to the creation of the film. A translucent ribbon over one side of the movie offers access to a side by side comparison to the script and storyboards, a picture in picture video display, raw footage from a the scene’s filming (dailies) and even some visual effects creation footage. ...Overall, the entire presentation’s navigation is a bit clunky and not quite as slick as the U-Control interface seen in some of the Universal HD-DVDs. ...And just for good measure, a menu bar can be quickly brought up on screen anytime during the movie to bookmark memorable scenes.

Blade Runner: Complete Collector's Edition

Donne Tempo — 2007-12-19T22:59:21-05:00

In addition to the 117-minute (latest) Final Cut, they can also watch the saga as presented in the original domestic and international theatrical release, i.e., the original film. They can then watch for the differences found in the 1992 Director's Cut version and, if they still need more, view a “work print” a not quite finished version, that shows the film not quite finished. ...The bads: How is it not possible to get director Ridley Scott and Harrison Ford, who played Rick Deckard, the Blade Runner, into a room to offer an optional commentary or picture in picture narrative track while they watch the Final Cut of the film? This movie may end up as one of the most important pieces of sci-fi cinema ever released and Warner Home Video had a responsibility to get these guys together. ...But there was some interesting stuff to be learned, including that all of the original negatives from “Blade Runner” were going to be junked by the film storage facility Preferred Media. ...I also found it interesting that Director Ridley Scott was heavily influenced by “Heavy Metal” magazine that, originally launched in 1977, features the work of some of Europe’s most influential, and avant-garde, graphic artists. A particular Scott favorite was the legendary sequential artist Moebius, or Jean Giraud, who is one of the founding fathers of the modern sequential art, science fiction and fantasy art mediums (http://www.bpib.com/illustrat/giraud.htm). An interesting bit of trivia learned is that Dustin Hoffman was seriously considered for the part of the stories hero, Rick Deckard, which was played by Harrison Ford. ...Fuel the disc revolution: It kills me that with all the ridiculous hoop-la surrounding the set and care taken with massaging the Final Cut print to such visual and aural brilliance that Warner did not strive to release the extras, or at least the mega documentary, in the high-def format, instead of standard DVD quality. Additionally, with Blade Runner’s incredible cult following, the HD-DVD should have offered some sort of accessibility to an online community, at least as basic as the screening room seen in the Harry Potter release.

The Bourne Ultimatum

Donne Tempo — 2007-12-09T22:52:48-05:00

Accompanied by some great actors such as Scott Glenn (CIA Director Ezra Krmaer), David Strathairn (CIA Director Noah Vosen) and Julia Stiles (CIA operative Nicky Parsons), the film is packed with really well done fight and chase sequences that leave you on the edge of your seat. ...It was extremely frustrating to watch Nicky, the token damsel that once again opts to unselfishly help Bourne, putting herself into serious harms way leading to the obligatory black hair dye job only to be dropped at the bus station with a cryptic “It gets easier” kind of line as she takes off for a life on the lam from the CIA. ...Then the way the film ends (warning, BIGGER plot spoiler), she no longer needs to be on the run, so I am not sure if her presence in the movie would even serve to create some type of sequel or spin-off opportunity. But it is obvious that beyond saving her from the evil “asset” sent to kill them both, Bourne cares little for her, at least romantically. ...While actors Glenn and Stratharn are well liked for their ability to provide the very serious, in-it-for-themselves at all other costs, type of characters, we are not sure why they are in it. ...While, admittedly, Matt Damon commands the role of the dour faced Bourne with deftness, I see no emotion in this character other than the “I am mad and need to get even” persona he wears so well. ...I enjoyed watching the film because it is beautifully created, but the lack of substance in the plot, the many talents left unfurled, the stoic -ness of the film will keep me from coming back. ...Of the four featurettes (also available in a picture in picture commentary), "Man on the Move: Jason Bourne" is best and offers around a 30 minute taste of the behind the scenes fun at each of the film's international locations. ...Resources include a look at many of the spy gadgets used throughout the film and a breakdown of the fight between Jason Bourne and assassin Desh that bullet points each attack move and the resulting physical damage to each character. ...This classification allows us to conduct missions at a sub station in Zurich, while posing as a French Marketing Executive for your public persona and you have a credit card limit of $60,000.

Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix

Donne Tempo — 2007-12-07T22:49:56-05:00

In this chapter the man-child battles against the evil one’s continuing quest for power while learning that its good to have friends to rely on. The goods: Imelda Staunton’s portrayal of the vile Professor Umbridge is believably wicked while Alan Rickman, as Professor Snape, takes full advantage of his limited screen time to deliver a powerful performance. ...This single HD-DVD is also a “combo-disc” with one side offering the movie in high-def version with the flip side containing a standard DVD format version. Having both versions of the movie may be important to some viewers, however it would seem that the space might have been better used for an any number of enhanced “extra features” that would better serve the viewers entertainment quest. The bads: The HD-DVD does not contain the 45-minute “The Hidden Secrets of Harry Potter” documentary found on both the Blu-ray and standard DVD releases. However, this may not be such an egregious oversight as it is little more than a promotional piece disguised as an A&E documentary but at least it was something. ...With the HD-DVD player hooked into a broadband Internet connection, multiple viewers can register and join in on a “Live Community Screening.” This feature allows multiple disk owners to synchronize their HD-DVD players, from other locations, to watch the movie at the same time and even text-chat amongst themselves. ...With a click to the disk the viewer can open up various video segments culled from the 28-part “The Hidden Secrets of Harry Potter” documentary that relate to the current movie clip being seen. Also, with the In-Movie Experience on character facts or picture-in-picture vignettes open to present behind the scenes commentary including some interesting anecdotes from some of the young actors who were part of Dumbledore's Army.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Donne Tempo — 2007-12-05T22:44:10-05:00

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, from Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Rated: PG, $23.95 to $34.95. Johnny Depp continues to channel Keith Richards as the prancing, affable Captain Jack Sparrow in the potentially final ode to Disney's swashbuckling Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. ...The Goods: This two-disc Blu-ray set delivers a digital audio and visual reproduction worthy of the Blu-ray revolution. ...A bigger disappointment is that Keith Richards’ historic appearance as Captain's Jacks pop is neither very long nor as energizing as it could have, or should have, been. ...The mandatory extras: A first disc as dry as Davy Jones' surreal Locker greets viewers looking for bonus content, delivering only five minutes of lame bloopers, which are really not bloopers in the truest sense. I would think that with the talent assembled for this film there should have been some very engaging behind-the –scenes hijinks, hilarities and/or history. The second disc is not much more spectacular with an assortment of behind the scenes featurettes that combined offer only about 90 minutes worth of information. ...Above and beyond: All of the extras have been reproduced in 1080p, a welcome sight for the grumps always grousing about high def releases lazily unloading their DVD equivalents extras in 480p transfers. ...Fuel the disc revolution: Although the interactive tour of the soundstage, used for the climactic final battle, Enter the Maelstrom, tries hard to make Blu-ray magic, the multimedia moment is merely a bunch more feaurettes (about 30 minutes worth) accessed by clicking icons that pop up over a six minute, time lapse segment of the set's construction. ...Whatever, it is clearly not as interesting as the Liars Dice game found on the "Dead Man's Chest" Blu-ray release nor as impressive as the Scoundrels at Sea interactive resource found on the "Curse of the Black Pearl."

Spider-Man: The High-Definition Trilogy

Donne Tempo — 2007-11-01T23:17:40-04:00

Spider-Man: The High-Definition Trilogy from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, $62.95 to $92.95. Director Sam Raimi's trio of films devoted to the complicated life of Marvel Comics' famed web-slinger gives Blu-ray owners a breathtaking look into the complicated life of Peter Parker. The goods: This four-disc DVD package offers a gorgeous, 1080p presentation of the greatest love story since Superman X-ray eyed Lois Lane and is loaded with a bevy of misunderstood and just plain nasty villains. The bads: Absolutely none of the extras from the first two film's DVD packages are carried over to the massive storage potential of the Blu-ray disc. Only a second cut of Spider-Man 2, well worth watching, is presented. The mandatory extras: The third film, the weepiest of the bunch, gets a pair of optional commentary tracks, a two-hour documentary and an incredible selection of photo galleries. Above and beyond: Standard packaging and no surprises, not even a mini-comic of Spider-Man's first appearance in sequential art. Fuel the disc revolution: A painful reminder that studios will still do the minimal to make a buck. Sony wants people to embrace the Blu-ray format but this set offers little reason to invest in the equipment. — Joe Zad

Shrek The Third

Donne Tempo — 2007-11-01T22:55:37-04:00

William Steig's gassy green ogre has returned to the silver screen this year in a story that has Shrek taking on Prince Charming while searching for a more “suitable” heir to the Far Far Away kingdom. The goods: This single HD-DVD disk offers a beautiful 1080p digital to digital reproduction of the colorful cartoon film. ...The bads: The 92-minute film is less cutting edge than past films, leaving out some of the more risqué humor. It is possibly more comfortable for the whoe family, however I still giggle when I think about the “Merry Men” and Princess Fiona's unfortunate encounter with lilting bluebird of happiness from the 2001 film. ...In fact, so average, that my 8-year old co-reviewer found the bloopers dumb and Merlin's Crystal Ball set top feature "repetitive and pedantic" (or was that Peter Griffin?). ...Above and beyond: Props for the 5-minute "How to Be Green" short that offers about a dozen tips for tykes to help save the environment. ...Fuel the disc revolution: Owners of this HD-DVD version will not be as impressed as with the other releases. They can watch a storyboard version of the film, connect, with some HD DVD players, to a broadband access point where some slightly tech-edgy content can be found and downloaded. A few other bonuses include a trivia track (already done on standard DVDs) and a biographical overlay (seen during the movie) to access the history of a couple dozen characters. However, the potential best of the bunch, a virtual coloring book, was still not available.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind: 30th Anniversary Ultimate Edition

Donne Tempo — 2007-11-01T22:20:01-04:00

Close Encounters of the Third Kind: 30th Anniversary Ultimate Edition (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Rated PG, $32.95 to $49.95). Steven Spielberg's feel good homage to E.T. gets nearly royal treatment in the Blu-ray format as the Academy Award winning effort explores three interconnecting plots of individuals who have made contact with extraterrestrials. The goods: Viewers get three versions of the movie: the 1977 theatrical version, the 1980 Special Edition and 1998 Collector's Edition. The bads: The box may state 1080p and the colormay look marvelous but the film grain is “strong with this one” (with apologies to Darth Vader). The mandatory extras: Three documentaries grabbed from the various editions of the film. Above and beyond: Within the package, viewers will find a mini movie poster that flips over to show a map of the changes in the various versions of the movie. Fuel the disc revolution: What is really pretty cool is that the three film versions are “assembled” while you watch, to create your preferred version. This means that there are not really “three” movies on each disk, but one basic film that, depending on which version you wish to view, seamlessly imports new or changed scenes. Because this happens very much behind the scene, and actually most viewers will not even be aware of it, I would have preferred something a little more interactive (a pop up box of version differences did not cut it) since I have to believe most humans on the planet will stick with the 1998 definitive director's cut. — Jacquie Kubin

The Jazz Singer: 80th Anniversary Collector’s Edition

Donne Tempo — 2007-11-01T22:07:24-04:00

The Jazz Singer: 80th Anniversary Collector’s Edition (Warner Home Video, $28.99 to $39.92) From the moment entertainer Al Jolsen's utterance of "Wait a minute, wait a minute, you ain't heard nothin' yet" was synchronized to celluloid in "The Jazz Singer," the motion picture was forever changed. This three disk set presents a film historian's dream loaded with background on the 1927 film and embellished with extras from the period. The goods: This three-disc DVD package offers a digitally restored version of the 89-minute ground-breaking movie that synchronized sound to celluloid, but also explores its impact and historical context through an abundance of onscreen and hand-held extras.

The bads: Bad sound synchronization and washed out colors (just kidding ...) The mandatory extras: An optional commentary track from film historians Ron Hutchinson and Vince Giordano along with the 85-minute documentary "The Dawn of Sound: How Movies Learned to Talk," Above and beyond: An entire disc packed Vitaphone shorts that revealed to theater audiences the power of sound mirrored to image along with portfolios of mini-reproductions of production notes and photos of the stars. What I learned? Case Research Labs' AEO light was the key to the early recording of sound on film. Fuel the disc revolution: Nothing here to tweak the technophiles interest other than a reflection of how far cinema has advanced.