Plot summary (from the studio): A funny and touching coming-of-age story based on the beloved best-selling novel by Stephen Chbosky, THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER is a modern classic that captures the dizzying highs and crushing lows of growing up. Starring Logan Lerman, Emma Watson and Ezra Miller, THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER is a moving tale of love, loss, fear and hope—and the unforgettable friends that help us through life.

Warning: Spoilers below!

Liked:

• Logan Lerman, the young man who played Charlie, was pretty good here. I’d never heard of him before, but I instantly liked him in this role. He brought a necessary sweetness and naivete to Charlie that made the character relatable.
• I enjoyed the callbacks to the ’90s, from the fashion to the music to the house parties to the mix tapes. I was in high school during that decade and a lot of what I saw in this movie rang true with my own experiences.

Disliked:

• I really couldn’t stand Patrick. Maybe it’s the actor (whom I’ve seen in Royal Pains), or maybe it’s just that I’m sick of the world-weary, wise-beyond-his-years, can’t-wait-to-leave-this-small-town gay character cliche that he represented. Whatever the reason, I rolled my eyes practically every time he appeared on screen.
• The Rocky Horror Picture stuff didn’t make much sense to me. I thought Patrick, Sam, and their friends were outcasts at school BECAUSE of their participation in things like that. But they seemed to be playing in front of a packed theater each time and the students were really cheering/going wild over them. Were they actually popular???
• The aunt molestation reveal was underwhelming. It seemed like the filmmakers meant it to be a shocker, but by that point in the movie, the plot had stalled so much that I didn’t care anymore.

Rating:

While The Perks of Being a Wallflower certainly had some things going for it, including Logan Lerman’s performance, I found it mostly underwhelming. The second act drags the film down, and turned a promising start into just another coming-of-age tale. I give this one 3 stars out of 5.

Plot summary (from the studio): SOUL SURFER is the inspiring true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm in a shark attack and courageously overcame all odds to become a champion again, through her sheer determination and unwavering faith. The film features an all-star cast, including AnnaSophia Robb and Helen Hunt, with Carrie Underwood in her film debut, and Dennis Quaid.

In the wake of this life-changing event that took her arm and nearly her life, Bethany’s feisty determination and steadfast beliefs spur her toward an adventurous comeback that gives her the grit to turn her loss into a gift for others.

Warning: Spoilers below!

Liked:

• AnnaSophia Robb was convincing and likable in the lead role. I’ve seen her before in Winn-Dixie and Terabithia, so I was somewhat familiar with her work already. It’s good to see at least one child star who seems to be on an even keel as she exits her teen years.
• I love stories about people overcoming adversity, so I was basically predestined to enjoy this film. When you add in the fact that this was based on a true story and that the real Bethany Hamilton seems to be every bit as nice, engaging, and positive as the one portrayed on the screen, the result was every bit as good as I’d hoped.
• The surfing sequences looked very cool and realistic. I’m not sure how much CGI/green screen was involved, but I never felt that anything looked overly cheesy or fake.
• There were quite a few recognizable faces in this film, including Helen Hunt, Dennis Quaid, Kevin Sorbo, Carrie Underwood, and the kid who played JD McCoy in Friday Night Lights. I’d rather watch known actors than unknown any day, so the cast was a plus in my book.

Disliked:

• I don’t know anything about surfing and was therefore clueless as to what was happening during the first two events/competitions that were filmed. The rules weren’t explained until the national championship round, which came near the end. The rules should have been thrown out there as early as possible, IMO.
• Bethany’s brothers kind of got on my nerves a little bit with the way they were always tackling each other, putting each other in headlocks, etc. I realize they were supposed to be engaging in “typical” brotherly horseplay, but honestly, they looked too old for that kind of thing. I know this is nitpicky, but it was very distracting.
• I could have done without the religious stuff. I understand that Bethany’s faith is a big part of her life, so I don’t begrudge her putting this in her story. But just from an entertainment standpoint, the quoting of Bible verses and talking about “His plan” felt a little schlocky.

Rating:

Soul Surfer is a movie that can be enjoyed on a few different levels: as a sports story, as a tale of perseverance over adversity, or as a reminder of how faith can get you past life’s obstacles. I chose to view it in light of the first two interpretations and wasn’t disappointed. I give this one 4 stars out of 5.

Plot summary (from the publisher): In the wake of a failed marriage, Josey Aimes (Charlize Theron) returns to her hometown in Northern Minnesota hoping to build a better life for herself and her two children. Encouraged by her friend Glory (Frances McDormand), one of the few female miners in town, Josey takes a job at the mine.

She’s prepared for the back-breaking and often dangerous work, but coping with the harassment she and the other female miners encounter from their male coworkers proves far more challenging.

Josey’s attempts to carve out a better future for her family put her at odds with her children, her disapproving parents (Sissy Spacek and Richard Jenkins), and her community. Through this struggle she finds the courage to stand up for what she believes in – even if that means standing alone. Ultimately, her journey takes her farther than she could have ever imagined and inspires countless others to follow.

Based on a true story.

Warning: Spoilers below!

Liked:

• The examples of abuse and violence in this film were very hard to take — mostly because they felt so raw, powerful, and real. From the aftermath of Josey getting beat up (off-screen, fortunately) by her husband to the high school rape and physical assaults at work, I felt the same helplessness that she did.
• Frances McDormand was terrific in her supporting role as Glory. Initially just one of the guys at the mine and union, I liked how she eventually came around to Josey’s side in the lawsuit. Sure, it was predictable that everyone else would follow Glory’s lead, but it was still an emotional moment.
• Woody Harrelson is pretty much hit or miss for me, but I have to say he stands out here as one of the few decent men in the story. His performance hit just the right note: he was neither too arrogant as the NYC attorney who returns to his small town roots or overly saccharine in his sympathy towards Josey and her plight.
• Josey’s speech at the union meeting towards the end was wonderful. Not the speech itself, which barely even got off the ground, but just the fact that she was able to stand up there at the podium, all alone, with a roomful of hostile, angry men shouting insults at her. I tried to put myself in her shoes and I know for a fact that I would have crumbled in the face of that opposition. Kudos to her for standing tall.
• This was based on a true story, which automatically earns a few extra points in my book. I cannot imagine what those women had to go through to get the sexual harassment legislation on the books, but they did an incredible service to female employees everywhere. They might not have won enough money in the settlement to buy a large chunk of real estate in Louisville KY and retire, but theirs was a landmark victory nonetheless.

Disliked:

• I didn’t like the subplot involving Josey’s son Sammy. Everything about it was predictable to the point of being cliche, and his scenes really dragged. I’d love to eliminate the whole pre-teen angst storyline and shave 10 minutes off the run time.
• Showing the Anita Hill hearings in the background was a bit too on-the-nose for my taste.
• Woody Harrelson’s character getting the Jeremy Renner character to admit the high school teacher raped Josey felt waaay too similar to the “Did you order to Code Red?”/”You’re goddamn right I did!” exchange between Cruise and Nicholson in A Few Good Men. Come on!

Rating:

Although I liked many more things than I disliked about North Country, I still can’t help but look back upon it as an average film. The story, though compelling on the whole, wasn’t told in the most cohesive manner and was predictable at nearly every turn (even if you weren’t familiar with the details going into the viewing). I recommend watching this one for the acting, but give the film only 3 stars out of 5.

Plot summary (from the studio): From legendary director Steven Spielberg comes the epic adventure War Horse, a tale of incredible loyalty, hope and tenacity. Based on the Tony award-winning* Broadway play, and set against the sweeping canvas of World War I, this deeply heartfelt story begins with the remarkable friendship between a horse named Joey and his young trainer Albert. When they’re forced apart by war, we follow Joey’s extraordinary journey as he changes and inspires the lives of everyone he meets. Filled with spectacularly rich visuals – and complete with Steven Spielberg’s exclusive bonus documentary War Horse is a “Genuine Movie Masterpiece” (Rex Reed, The New York Observer) and one of the most powerful and moving stories of friendship ever told.

Warning: Spoilers below!

Liked:

• I liked that the filmmakers decided not to go with a narrator here. It must have been tempting to do so, especially given the fact that the book was mostly told through Joey’s POV, but I think the final product was better without one.
• The best scene of the entire movie, IMO, was when the English soldier and German soldier met halfway between the trenches to help each other free Joey from the barbed wire. There was some great dialogue there and the contact served as a reminder that there were regular men on both sides of the line.
• Despite knowing how saccharine and schlocky the film was, I couldn’t help getting a tear or two in my eyes at the end. I’m that much of a sap!
• It was nice that the entire regiment pitched in whatever money they could afford to help Albert buy Joey at auction. The book did a better job of building up to that moment by showing how much the soldiers came to love Joey, but I realize there simply wasn’t time to do that in the film.

Disliked:

• It was hard for me to understand this supposedly deep impact Joey had on everyone he came into contact with. He and Albert didn’t spend much time together, so was their “bond” portrayed as everlasting? Same thing with Captain Nicholls. He wasn’t with Joey very long either, so how did the horse “change” or “inspire” his life (as posited in the studio’s synopsis)? I can see the young girl developing a deep love for the horse because that’s usual with children and animals. But everyone else…not so much.
• The film as a whole was rather underwhelming. I had read the book beforehand, so I knew that there wasn’t much to the story to begin with. But I figured I’d give the movie a chance because it’s from Spielberg and it was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. I thought Spielberg had maybe done something amazing with the material, but that wasn’t the case at all.
• None of the performances was particularly strong or interesting. I was hoping there would be at least one character to root for, but I didn’t really care about any of them (though maybe Emilie came the closest).
• Speaking of Emilie, was it ever stated what her illness was or how she died? The grandfather just said the war “took everything”, but made no mention of exactly what happened to the girl. I kind of wanted to know
• Blackthorne’s death was pretty grim. I seriously could have done without seeing that — or the huge pit filled with the bodies of other dead horses.

Rating:

Despite being helmed by Steven Spielberg, War Horse suffers from several problems that prevented me from enjoying the film. None of the character stuck around long enough to form an attachment to, the film was too long, and none of the characters’ relationships with Joey was allowed sufficient time to develop. There were a few things I liked about the movie, but it’s definitely not something I’ll be watching again. I give it 3 stars out of 5.

Plot summary (from the studio): Carolyn Carver (Kim Basinger) is a writer with a gambling addiction that threatens to destroy her marriage and family. She meets a washed-up magician (Danny DeVito) who promises that he can help. Meanwhile, Godfrey Snow (Nick Cannon) is a star college basketball player who shaves points to help his brother, Clyde (Forest Whitaker), get even. A small-time bookie (Grant Sullivan) tries to win over the love his life, Veronica (Carla Gugino). Victor (Tim Roth), a sadistic criminal, attempts to control an uncontrollable world. All the while Detective Brunner (Kelsey Grammer) follows the trail of a mysterious death.

Warning: Spoilers below!

Liked:

• I thought the various portrayals of gambling were pretty accurate — especially the scenes involving Carolyn at the slots. I’ve been there before (not to that extent, thankfully), and could totally feel her frustration and desperation every time she lost. It was hard to watch.
• It was kind of interesting that the writers chose not to give Carolyn’s gambling a purpose. She wasn’t trying to win money to fund her daughter Nicole’s college education or buy designer watches and handbags. I guess she just enjoyed the thrill of playing — another sign that points to addiction.
• Nicole seemed like a normal kid, at least for the first half of the movie. She was wiser than her parents thought, but not precociously so. She also got into trouble later on because of her naivete, which came off as realistic.
• Danny DeVito was good in this film. I usually don’t like him very much, but I thought he was perfect as a washed-up magician pulling off parlor tricks for a few bucks here and there. His initial attraction to Carolyn was sort of creepy and disturbing, but it was sweet that he really wanted to help her.
• Ray Liotta was also good as Carolyn’s too patient and clueless husband. His anger when he found out what she had done was palpable, and I’m glad he left her without bothering to listen to her excuses. Too bad he came back at the end.

Disliked:

• Forest Whitaker as Nick Cannon’s brother?? Wow, that was just terrible casting. The dude was 55 years old when this film was released — and he looked it! Couldn’t they just call him Godfrey’s father or uncle? That would have been so much more believable.
• Tim Roth was annoying throughout the whole film. His character tried to be menacing, but just came off as effete and laughable.
• I didn’t care about the bookies at all and thought their storyline was a huge waste of time.
• Speaking of not caring about characters, there just wasn’t enough time to develop any of the characters sufficiently. This film didn’t really work well as an ensemble piece. It would have been much more effective focusing just on Carolyn, her family, and the magician.
• What was the point of the Kelsey Grammer character? I still don’t know.

Rating:

Overall, I really wanted to like Even Money. The film features a bunch of very talented actors and is about a subject matter that I tend to enjoy. But it just didn’t work out as well as I’d hoped, mostly because there were too many characters vying for limited screen time. If the writers had narrowed the focus a bit more, I think the results would have been much better. As it is, not even the strong performances can lift this film to mediocre status. I give it just 2 stars out of 5.