May/June 2007
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Box Office Reviews
Amazing Grace
Reviewed by Athelass
From acclaimed director Michael Apted ("The World is Not Enough," "Coal Miner's Daughter") comes "Amazing Grace," a moving historical epic about the life of antislavery pioneer William Wilberforce. "Amazing Grace" follows Wilberforce's career through his 20's and 30's, as he and his fellow humanitarians make the issue of slavery a talking point, not only in political circles, but also throughout the country. They wage the first modern political campaign, using petitions, boycotts, mass meetings and even badges with slogans to take their message to the country at large.
Amazing Grace, rated PG, is a must see film. It is a beautiful film about a forgotten man which I found to be moving, inspiring and faith building. The audience we saw it with was very mixed, young people and older people. The theater was completely packed. Many times the audience broke out in spontaneous applause during the film. It’s that powerful. I laughed, I cried, I rejoiced with these characters, and I took away lessons to apply to our daily lives and my personal faith. The story is relevant, powerful, and beautifully told. It’s probably too slow and dark for children under 8, but I would not hesitate to take every teen/pre-teen I know to see this film. They are certainly not going to hear this story in history class. I didn’t know it myself!
It is very British, as it should be since it is a British story, but the cast reads like a British Actor Hall of Fame list. Every performance is perfect, starting with Ioan Gruffud as William Wilberforce. I have always been a fan of his, since the early Horatio Hornblower movies on A&E. He is a powerhouse in this role, even though he shares many scenes with acting legends like Albert Finney and Michael Gambon. Romola Garai, who I first saw in Nicholas Nickleby, is not much seen but she is radiant and wonderful as Wilberforce’s wife. I also loved Rufus Sewell. He is usually the bad guy but here he gets a much softer role.
I love it when a movie manages to tell the story clearly without sacrificing the characters to the exposition. The writer and director have done a marvelous job of keeping the story moving while allowing the audience to really become involved with the personal stories of the characters. It pulls no punches regarding the fact that Wilberforce and William Pitt, the Prime Minister, were committed Christians, even while making no attempt to sanctify or sanitize them for modern audiences.
These were real people dealing with real life, not saints who always did the right thing. Wilberforce’s conversion to Christ is shown as something the people around him didn’t understand, even though they were all believers. He was truly an evangelical Christian. The story is strong enough to be truly satisfying to the Christian audience, but honest enough not to preach at the unbeliever.
In another time we would see this film nominated for Oscars and Baftas, but in this day and age I doubt it will happen, though in my opinion it’s better than any of the nominated movies last year. Boxofficemojo.com says it’s made almost $13 mil. Let’s spread the word and support this wonderful film. If PG movies about famous Christians make more money they will make more of these kinds of movies!
Rated: PG. 1 hr 51 mins. Starring: Ioan Gruffudd, Albert Finney, , Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Gambon, Romola Garai , Written By: Steven Knight. Director: Michael Apted . Opened February 14, 2007 - Box Office: March 23: $14,457,029.
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Wild Hogs
Reviewed by DollyCali
Walter Becker (NATIONAL LAMPOON’S VAN WILDER) directs this tale of four Middle aged friends who hit the open road all with slightly different agendas along the way. Woody (John Travolta), Doug (Tim Allen), Bobby (Martin Lawrence), and Dudley (William H. Macy) are middle-aged suburbanite buddies stuck in a rut.
Doug, a dentist, yearns for respect from his pre-teen son and everyone else in his life. Bobby is a henpecked husband and unhappy plumber. Computer programmer Dudley is a flop with the ladies. And Woody, who seemed to have it all, has just lost everything. Each weekend the foursome takes to the streets of Cincinnati on their motorcycles as the "Wild Hogs." With his world secretly falling apart, Woody hits on an idea: a "Wild Hogs" road trip to the Pacific Coast.
Soon, the four are embarking on the adventure of their lives. But when they stumble upon a roadside dive in New Mexico filled with "real" bikers and raise the ire of Jack (Ray Liotta), who is the leader of the Del Fuegos, the Wild Hogs discover that they are in for a greater adventure than they expected, including a showdown in the sleepy New Mexico town of Madrid.
Travolta, Allen, Lawrence, and Macy have fun here, from the verbal barbs to the physical comedy, and Liotta works surprisingly well as a "real" biker who is disgusted and insulted by these weekenders. The perpetually effervescent Marisa Tomei appears as a Madrid local who catches Dudley’s eye, and John C. McGinley is an overly enthusiastic highway patrolman repeatedly encountered by the foursome. Watch for an all too brief appearance from EASY RIDER star Peter Fonda, and an amusing segment from Ty Pennington of EXTREME HOME MAKEOVER. Despite the star power in this film, which was shot on location in New Mexico, it’s the custom bikes and open road that really shine.
RELEASED: Mar 2, 2007 Box Office: $161,049,135; MPAA Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content, and some violence.; 1 hr 39 mins . CAST: Tim Allen.Martin, Lawrence ,John Travolta, Ray Liotta,William H. Macy, Marisa Tomei and brought to us by Walt Becker Director
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Ghost Rider
Reviewed by DollyCali
Special effects people are going to love this one. Motorcycle people will be a close second. Fans of Sam Elliot (ME) will love his role as the throaty graveyard caretaker. The prophetically named Johnny Blaze and his father perform death-defying stunts in a carnival, but the real danger to his dad’s life is the cancer growing within his dying body.
To save him, Johnny makes a deal with Mephistopheles (Peter Fonda, EASY RIDER) and sacrifices his soul. When shortly thereafter his father is killed mid-stunt, Johnny runs away, leaving behind his grief and a young love named Roxanne. Years later, Johnny (Nicolas Cage, WORLD TRADE CENTER ) is the most famous rider in the country. Despite his daredevil tendencies, Johnny is a different man when he’s not riding his bike. Though he wears leather jackets and pants, he prefers jelly beans to Jim Beam while listening to the Carpenters. Years have passed since Johnny has seen the love of his life, but he still carries a torch for Roxanne (Eva Mendes, HITCH). When he sees her after a stunt, he tries to regain her love and trust. But it’s time for the devil to take his due as he brings Johnny into an epic battle with Blackheart (Wes Bentley, AMERICAN BEAUTY). In the presence of evil, Johnny transforms into a super-strong skeleton with a flaming skull who has the power to defeat Blackheart and his minions.
As Johnny, Cage plays a cross between his Elvis devotee in WILD AT HEART and the sensitive he-man in CON AIR. The evil Mephistopheles is Fonda’s most memorable role since his Oscar-nominated turn in ULEE’S GOLD, and this film provides an opportunity for him to return to the spotlight. GHOST RIDER doesn’t rank with the best of the comic book adaptations such as SPIDER-MAN and BATMAN BEGINS, but director Mark Steven Johnson (DAREDEVIL) provides a film driven by both humor and action.
MPAA RATING PG-13, for horror violence and disturbing images. 1 hr 54 mins . Released by Columbia Pictures May16 , 2007 Box Office: $115,802,596 (cost $120 million to make). CAST: Nicolas Cage, Wes Bentley, Eva Mendes, Sam Elliott and Peter Fonda. Mark Steven Johnson - Director, Russell Boyd and John Wheeler Directors of Photography and Christopher Young - Composer. Action/Adventure, Science-Fiction/Fantasy, Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Death, Superheroes, Supernatural, Comic Book
Rotten Tomatoes Review
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Music and Lyrics
Reviewed by Athelass
Here’s something to watch for on DVD. My husband and I saw this movie together, which was fun because I can never get him to go to movies with me, much less a romantic comedy. But, hey, it was Valentine’s Day and he a nice guy. Hugh Grant plays a washed up ‘80s singer, a one hit wonder, who continues to make his living from his fame. Drew Barrymore plays Sophie, a girl he meets accidentally when she fills in for his usual “plant girl”. The music is fun because it’s so familiar. Those of us who were young in the ‘80s remember the style so well, the hair, the clothes, the feel of the music, the way early music videos looked. From the first frame I had a smile on my face. Hugh Grant is his usual charming self. Drew Barrymore is completely delightful, as usual. Together they are great fun.
The story focuses a little too much on the work they are doing and not enough on the attraction they feel for each other. It’s very funny, very sweet, but a little light on the “oooh” factor. I’ve always thought it is much more difficult to make a really good comedy than it is to make a good drama because the timing has to be spot on and the chemistry has to be perfect. This one is very close to what it should be, as a romantic comedy. Don’t watch it if you’re in the mood for an intellectual challenge. It won’t do. But if you just want two hours of good clean fun, this is the one for you. I really loved it, and even my husband said it was “OK”. That’s pretty high praise
MPAA Rating:PG-13 For some sexual content . Starring:Drew Barrymore, Hugh Grant, Brad Garrett and Written By - Marc Lawrence and Directed by Marc Lawrence, Release Date: Wednesday, February 14, 2007; Box Office: $50,514,047
font color="RED" face="comic sans ms" size="4">Rotten Tomatoes Review
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MoJoReviews
Black Snake Moan
Reviewed by DollyCali
Whoda thought… A movie where Justin Timberlake is the actor & Samuel Jackson is the musician/singer! And let’s throw in Christine Ricci as a nymphomaniac for good measure, Now men, if your little lady is a “Sleepless in Seattle” or “Driving Miss Daisy” type of gal.. DO NOT take her to this one!
Uninhibited performances, skillful direction, and a killer blues soundtrack elevate Black Snake Moan beyond its outlandish premise. Director Craig Brewer follows up his unexpectedly well-received pimp drama, HUSTLE AND FLOW, with this stylish tale of the unlikely connections that are forged when a lost soul attempts to cure a young nymphomaniac of her wicked ways.
Set deep down south in a small Tennessee town, the film is titled after and largely driven by the force of blues music. Pulsating with color and bold cinematography, the story forms a visual counterpart to a blues ballad. When divorced ex-musician Lazarus (Samuel L. Jackson) finds Rae (Christina Ricci) badly beaten by the side of the road, he brings her to his house and chains her to his radiator. Rae has been a wreck since her boyfriend (Justin Timberlake) went off to war, and has spent her time getting into fights and being taken advantage of by just about every man in town. Rae appears to be afflicted with a physical need for sex that no one can cure. As Lazarus watches Rae twitching with pain on his couch, he sees that the young woman’s only chance at redemption is in his hands.
While the premise is outlandish, and the film opens itself up for much moral criticism, BLACK SNAKE MOAN has its merits. Deliciously colorful, the film aches with rhythm and dances visually with its subjects. Whether fetishizing Christina Ricci’s emaciated body, or making Samuel L. Jackson look years older than he is in real life, the cameras do their job well. Both Ricci and Jackson offer strong performances that mark turning points in their careers. BLACK SNAKE MOAN seems less concerned with how it will be judged than with embodying the sexuality and passion of blues music. No matter how many viewers the film may offend, it succeeds in creating a world that vibrates with desire and raw energy.
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Christina Ricci, Justin Timberlake, MPAA RATING -R, for strong sexual content, language, some violence and drug use. 1 hr 58 mins. GENRE: Dramas, Drama, Blues, Christianity, Sexuality, Soul Music. . Craig Brewer Director; Stephanie Allain and John Singleton Producers; Scott Bomar; Music and Amy Vincent Director of Photography THEATRICAL RELEASE -Mar 2, 2007 Box Office: $ 9,262,318.
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Holly-Toons
May/June 2007-
Pookie18 – Toon Editor
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