Where the Wild Things Are

This film version of the children's book Where the Wild Things Are isn't a children's movie. It is a story of a child who runs away to a pretend place where he learns about community, and love, and controlling your anger for the benefit of the family. The film is beautifully done using a mixture of real actors, computer animation, and live puppeteering. Of course it is different from the picture book, a mere 338 words, adding background information about Max's life in the real world. In the film version Max bites his mother in a fit of frustration and then runs away. The book only says that he is behaving particularly wild so he imagines himself in a "wild world". Where the Wild Things Are is worth seeing, in the theatre or at home, especially if parents watch with their children and take time to discuss the story with them afterwards.
Check it out...
"Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak (JP SEN)

Poster courtesy of MSN Movies

Couples Retreat

Well, Vince Vaughn has grown up a bit since The Breakup and certainly matured since The Wedding Crashers, and I say it's about time. Vaughn (Dave), Jon Favreau (Joey), and Dana Fox wrote the script, and Peter Billingsley (Four Christmases, Iron Man, and The Break-Up with Vaughn) directs. In Couples Retreat four couples spend a week in paradise (insert luscious scenery here) alternately seeking or denying what state their relationships are in. The story is a simple but revealing look at romance and relationships, which can be very funny... and is in this entertaining film. A few other faces you'll recognize from the small screen are Jason Bateman (Arrested Development), Kristin Bell (Veronica Mars), Kristin Davis (Sex in the City), and from the big screen Jean Reno (DaVinci Code). This is a good one that's not too deeply emotional to take a guy to, but leave the kids at home.

Check it out...see more of Vince Vaughn in Into the Wild (DVD INT), The Lost World Jurassic Park (VIDEO LOS), and Starsky & Hutch (DVD STA).

Poster courtesy of MSN Movies

Whip It

Anyone who's ever roller skated will love this movie. I remember strapping on my skates, key around my neck, no pads or helmet, flying down the hill in front of my house, hair flying. The sense of freedom plastering a big smile on my face. Roller derby was on the tube once a week. The girls were bruisers. I can't remember if they were a local team or not. Ok, I'm dating myself. Written by roller derby star-turned-author/screenwriter Shauna Cross Whip It tells us how Bliss Cavendar (played by Ellen Page, think "Juno") beauty pagent princess rebels against her parents (Marcia Gay Harden and Daniel Stern) by becoming Babe Ruthless of the Hurl Scouts, an Austin Roller Derby team. I'm impressed by Drew Barrymore's ability in her directorial debut. I liked that she played a small part as one of the team. Barrymore has been around since she was a child and watching this film you get the sense that they, the newbies and the stars we love, are all working as a team and enjoying what they are doing. Bonus, the music was great. I'd pay to see this again, or use the money to buy the CD. So strap on your gear and head to your local small town theatre for a great ride.
In case you've forgotten how...
Check it out...
Wheel excitement : the official Rollerblade guide to in-line skating by Neil Feineman (796.2 FEI).


Poster courtesy of MSN Movies

Surrogates

I really enjoyed this film. Oh, sure, it's still the standard Sci-Fi cautionary tale: loss of humanity through overuse of technology. However, it's also a sad story of a married couple, who after losing their only child, retreat from each other emotionally, communicating only through their surrogates. Personal surrogates, operated their "owners" go to work and socialize. Operators experience daily life via their surrogate while isolated in their homes. Some humans reject the "surrogate lifestyle" and create their own "territories" where only humans may enter. When an operator dies while "linked" to his surrogate FBI agent, Greer (Bruce Willis), sends his surrogate in to investigate. His surrogate is destroyed by the humans there, but not before Greer disconnects from it. Willis does a good job playing deadpan surrogate Greer, but an excellent job playing the human Greer searching for connections with his wife and trying to get his wife step out from behind her surrogate to face their pain together. He is not the only human trying to deal with the death of a child. James Cromwell plays the inventor of the surrogates and even before his son dies (when his surrogate is killed) he regrets where his invention has taken human kind. Both men try to redeem themselves with varied success. I think this film has something to offer on many different levels. See it in the theatre for the action and special effects, or rent it for the story.
Check it out...I really enjoyed Bruce Willis in this film. Here's some more of his action: Armageddon (DVD ARM); Friends - the complete 6th season (DVD FRI); Pulp fiction (DVD PUL); The sixth sense (DVD SIX); Twelve monkeys (DVD TWE); The whole nine yards (DVD WHO); Die hard (VIDEO DIE); Mercury rising (VIDEO MER).

Poster courtesy of MSN Movies