Frost/Nixon (R) 7.5

Frost/Nixon (2008): A dramatic retelling of the post-Watergate television interviews between British talk-show host David Frost and former president Richard Nixon. (7.8)

Director: Ron Howard
Writers: Peter Morgan (screenplay), Peter Morgan (play)
Stars: Frank Langella, Michael Sheen and Kevin Bacon

I was in elementary school half-way around the world when Nixon resigned so I don't remember the real events.  But from the TV footage I've seen of Nixon and Frost, looks like Frank Langella and Michael Sheen have done terrific work to become the characters.  Seeing the back-story on the interview is quite something.  I didn't know that Diane Sawyer was involved in the Nixon admin and then after his resignation too.  The acting, the set-up, scenery etc. are so good that sometimes you think you are watching a documentary.  I highly recommend this movie.  My Rating: 7.5

The Hours (PG-13) 7.5

The Hours (2002): The story of how the novel "Mrs. Dalloway" affects three generations of women, all of whom, in one way or another, have had to deal with suicide in their lives. (7.5)

Director: Stephen Daldry
Writers: Michael Cunningham (novel), David Hare (screenplay)
Stars: Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman and Julianne Moore

The three stars listed above give command performances.  An interesting juxtaposition of three stories that deal with the same subject matter.  However, I feel that it isn't discussed deeply enough.  Then again, this is not a documentary about suicides or about Virginia Woolf; it is just an interesting take on the effects of the novel.  Having set the three stories in different time periods in different locations, the challenge for the folks behind the camera must have been tripled, but the work they've done is superb.  For my own reasons, I thought this movie would affect me a lot emotionally, but it didn't.  I was just fascinated by the stories.  My Rating: 7.5

The Secret (R) 5.5

The Secret (2007) Si j'étais toi (original title): A wife and mother passes away, and spirit returns in her daughter's body. (6.2)

Director: Vincent Perez
Writers: Ann Cherkis (screenplay), Hiroshi Saitô (1999 screenplay Himitsu)
Stars: David Duchovny, Lili Taylor and Olivia Thirlby

There's something weird and irksome about the story.  At times, you just want to shout "uh, no, don't," and no, it is not a plot that makes you think, or asks you tough questions.  Some reviews say that it is a good movie for parents with teenage kids; but I don't think so.  This is just stereotypes on steroids and caffeine.  The acting is okay, I suppose, but when the story gets under your skin, everything else just falls by the wayside.  My Rating: 5.5

Incendies (R) 8.0

Incendies (2010): A mother's last wishes send twins Jeanne and Simon on a journey to the Middle East in search of their tangled roots. Adapted from Wajdi Mouawad's acclaimed play, Incendies tells the powerful and moving tale of two young adults' voyage to the core of deep-rooted hatred, never-ending wars and enduring love. (8.1)

Director: Denis Villeneuve
Writers: Denis Villeneuve, Wajdi Mouawad (play)
Stars: Lubna Azabal, Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin and Maxim Gaudette
Language: French (w/ English subtitles)

This movie portrays the realities and injustices of the Middle East cultures on various levels.  While the story tackles many subjects, I never felt that it was trying to bite more than it could chew.  It depicts the brutality in family units, among the religious sects, within village societal and cultural norms, and inside warring gangs.  (Yes, I'm not saying much about the story because less you know it, more powerful the blows are when you see the twists.) Superb acting, beautiful scenery, gut-wrenching story.  I highly recommend this movie if you are up for a powerful story that questions everything.  My Rating: 8.0

Queen to Play (PG-13) 7.0

Queen to Play (2009) Joueuse (original title): Middle-aged chambermaid Hélène's newfound obsession with the game of chess leads her to seek the tutelage of a reclusive American expat, transforming both of their ho-hum lives in the process. (6.5)

Director: Caroline Bottaro
Writers: Caroline Bottaro, Bertina Henrichs (novel)
Stars: Sandrine Bonnaire, Kevin Kline and Valérie Lagrange
Language: French (w/ English subtitles)

A simple story without much pretense but Sandrine Bonnaire does an excellent job of guiding us through the character's dilemmas just through the facial expressions.  The cinematography is great (hey, an island south of France; how bad can the visuals be!).  One of those self-discovery, feel-good movies, if you are in the mood for one.  "Charming and uplifting" says one review.  Yeah, that; at the same time, don't expect much more than that, for instance, there are no major twists and turns in the storyline.  My Rating: 7.0

Mistress of Spices (PG-13) 4.5

The Mistress of Spices (2005): Tilo has the ability of foreseeing the future. She becomes the Mistress of Spices and is sent to the Spice Bazaar in San Francisco, with the mission of helping others, but she must adhere to three rules. (5.3)

Director: Paul Mayeda Berges
Writers: Gurinder Chadha, Paul Mayeda Berges
Stars: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Dylan McDermott and Nitin Ganatra

Very interesting storyline, but they squander the opportunities it offers by adding the three silly rules and limiting themselves.  There is no real character development.  The acting is pretty lousy, yes, including that of Ms. Rai.  (Though I'd heard of her, this is the first time I've seen the famous actress on any screen and I'm disappointed.) IMDB says this had been filmed in various locations in northern California, but they haven't taken the full use of the picturesque sites. The colors of spices were nice, but everything else in most of the scenes were unnaturally sanitized.  Sorry, the basic lack of good acting stopped me from getting into the movie.  My Rating: 4.5

P.S. I Love You (PG-13) 6.0

P.S. I Love You (2007): A young widow discovers that her late husband has left her 10 messages intended to help ease her pain and start a new life. (6.9)

Director: Richard LaGravenese
Writers: Richard LaGravenese / Steven Rogers (screenplay), Cecelia Ahern (novel)
Stars: Hilary Swank, Gerard Butler and Harry Connick Jr.

The movie starts out with a lot of promise.  The story has a good premise to bring out the true romance and the grief of losing your spouse.  However, the screen writers had decided to add a bit too much humor and comedy into and try to make it a romantic comedy ... thereby losing both.  No, comedy definitely should not have been a part of this particular story.  Another item that kind of falls flat ... the whole movie is dependent on the letters.  To grip the audience with the emotions of the situation, they'd better be good.  Sorry to say, they were too short, not romantic, not compelling.  Another "could have been a whole lot better" movie.  My Rating: 6.0

A Single Man (R) 7.5

A Single Man (2009): A story that centers on an English professor who, one year after the sudden death of his partner, is unable to cope with his typical days in 1960s Los Angeles. (7.5)

Director: Tom Ford Writers:
Christopher Isherwood (novel), Tom Ford / David Scearce (screenplay)
Stars: Colin Firth, Julianne Moore and Matthew Goode

I'm not sure how much of one significant aspect of the professor's relationship I should reveal here, probably none.  This is a very emotional movie that looks at how one copes with a major loss.  Yet, I felt like an outsider looking in ... that says more about me than the movie.  The emotional connections started to form towards the end.  The use of color fading in-and-out to depict the state of mind or the focus of of the main character is quite nice.  I liked the artsy cinematography.  My Rating: 7.5

The Ides of March (R) 7.5

The Ides of March (2011): An idealistic staffer for a new presidential candidate gets a crash course on dirty politics during his stint on the campaign trail. (7.3)

Director: George Clooney
Writers: George Clooney / Grant Heslov (screenplay), Beau Willimon (play "Farragut North")
Stars: Paul Giamatti, George Clooney and Philip Seymour Hoffman

A sort of a behind the scenes look at how the politics become a dirty business.  (I don't know if the portrayal of the characters is close to reality; but it fits well to the perception and can't be far off from today's reality.)  The acting is superb by the all-star cast.  The story is somewhat predictable, but that's expected (ie: you tend to expect a major twist or two in a story like this), but how things get handled in the back-rooms is what's interesting.  Some of the (idealistic) lines are quite good.  My Rating: 7.5

Leon: The Professional (R) 8.0

Leon: The Professional (1994): Professional assassin Leon reluctantly takes care of 12-year-old Mathilda, a neighbor whose parents are killed, and teaches her his trade. (8.6)

Director: Luc Besson
Writer: Luc Besson
Stars: Jean Reno, Gary Oldman and Natalie Portman

A very, very dark comedy, extremely well orchestrated by all the people involved in the movie.  The story is quite fascinating.  The acting is superb, including that of Portman at an early stage of her career.  It requires special abilities from the main actors to reflect the absurdities in the situation, without an excess of dialog, and they do deliver remarkably well.  If you like this type of movies, you'd love it, as I did.  My Rating: 8.0