The Ugly Truth

Another chick flick, or is it? The Ugly Truth starring Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler deserves its R rating for language, and for raunchy. I guess some girls go for the unshaven, foul-mouthed, dirty-minded guys like Mike (Butler), but hopefully not Abby (Heigl) who is the antithesis of Mike. In other words, smart, neat, attractive and who could definitely do better for herself. Of course, opposites attract. Which could be a lot of fun, but isn't. Skip this one, or if you must, wait for the DVD.
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Public Enemies

Starring Johnny Depp as bank robber John Dillinger and Christian Bale as G-Man Melvin Purvis I knew Public Enemies would be a great way to spend a few hours. Yes, there were the obligatory gun battles (bloodless), car chases (not quite Keystone Cops), and jail escapes, but this film is really a love story. Dillinger is portrayed as a charismatic "Robin Hood" (during a bank robbery he gives a man his few dollars back and tells him he doesn't want his money, just the bank's) who falls for a call-girl of mixed race who has seen the harsher side of life. I hadn't heard of French actress, Marion Cotillard who played Dillinger's girl friend, Billie Frechette. Beautiful, seductive, and yet naive and sweet, you can see why Dillinger was almost obsessively protective and in love with her. I think we'll be seeing more of Mme. Cotillard. Christian Bale was great as the staid and earnest Melvin Purvis, when he had a scene. I wouldn't have minded seeing more of him. And one scene at the beginning of the film had an very interesting take on the character of J. Edgar Hoover. Of course the shining star was Depp, as always the consummate actor. Depp plays Dillinger as the egotistical, methodical, deluded and violent criminal I imagine he was in real life. Definitely put this on your "need to see" list.

Check it out..."Official and Confidential : the Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover" by Anthony Summers (B HOO), or "The True Story of J. Edgar Hoover and the F. B. I." by Barry Denenberg (J 353.5 DEN). The Nesmith Library also has these films starring Johnny Debb: Benny & Joon (DVD BEN), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (DVD CHA), Chocolat (DVD CHO), Edward Scissorhands (DVD EDW), Finding Neverland (DVD FIN), The Ninth Gate (DVD NIN), Platoon (DVD PLA), Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (DVD SWE), and all three Pirates of the Caribbean (DVD PIR), or Christian Bale: 3:10 to Yuma (DVD THR), Batman Begins (DVD BAT), The Dark Knight (DVD DAR), Henry V (DVD HEN), Little Women (DVD LIT), The Prestige (DVD PRE) Rescue Dawn (DVD RES), and Swing Kids (DVD SWI).

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Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Things are a-brewing at Hogwarts and we've all been waiting for the sixth film in Rowling's tales of young wizarding, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. The poster promises that "dark secrets (will be) revealed" and we do find out who is "crushing" on whom among the young wizards, and some revealing information about Voldemort as a young man, as well as one not-so-likeable professor's real allegiance. (No surprises here if you've read the books). I throughly enjoyed this HP, as I did with the previous films. Take the family, or wait for the DVD, but definitely worth watching. I hear that the final Harry Potter book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", a mere 759 pages, will be made into two films. Filming is scheduled to start this fall, with releases due out July 2011 and December 2011, respectively.

Check it out...You can read or listen to all of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series at the Nesmith Library and the first five films are available on DVD to borrow. Other related titles available at the the Library are "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" (J ROW), "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" (J ROW), and "Quidditch Through the Ages" (J ROW), all by J. K. Rowling.


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The Proposal

I love Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds (TV's "Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place") is too cute to miss, so I didn't. The Proposal was great fun, a true romantic comedy and the Alaskan scenery made an awsome backdrop. Adding to the fun is Betty White, Mary Steenbergen, Craig T. Nelson, and Oscar Nuñez as Ramone. Great chick flick for an outing with the girls, or wait to watch it at home.
Check it out...To watch Sandra just check out one of these films available at the Nesmith Library: Crash (DVD), Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (VHS), Hope Floats (VHS), The Lake House (DVD) Love Potion No. 9 (DVD) The Net (VHS), Speed (VHS), A Time to Kill (VHS), and While You Were Sleeping (DVD). I was surprised to find out that Ryan Reynolds has been in a number of movies I've watched, and even reviewed. For a list of his accomplishments check out: Ryan Reynolds MSN Movies Filmography

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