Two for the Road

M: You would think that a movie with Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney would be really great. Well we thought that, and were sorely mistaken. This movie, about a couple that falls out of love (I think that is what it was about, "learning when things are over"), was truly painful, and depressing to boot. It is not fun to watch people be mean, cruel, and spiteful to one another. The movie was annoying and lame. I hated this movie, as much as the characters seemed to hate each other. But, like them, I stuck it out because, hey, why not, and we already popped the popcorn. Blah. 1 star

V: M's last couple of lines are spot on. It was pretty bad. The funniest parts - funny because they were painfully true - were the antics of a young child and her frustrated parents. I re-emphasize the "painful" part. I think they were going for deep and valid because it's edgy and true, but they were just a married couple who treated each other badly. That's no more true to life (but probably easier) than a couple treating each other well. But I suppose that wouldn't make "great cinema." And they did this supposedly clever thing where the movie jumped back and forth (and back) (and forth) in the past and present, which turned out not to have a point, but was just bothersome. The script was clever at times. At 111 minutes, this movie dragged on for four hours. Don't bother with this "classic." 1 1/2 stars

40 Year Old Virgin (Edited TV Version)

M: We watched this edited on NBC the other night. We do not recommend watching it unedited, as it was clear that a lot of bad stuff was taken out. I, however, loved the movie in the form we saw. There were some seriously funny moments, a lot of them. Steve Carell was great and lovable. Keep in mind that there is content that, even in edited form, may be offensive. You can only edit so much, and this is a movie about a virgin. But, if you can find it edited, it may be worth watching. Very funny. 3 1/2 stars

V: Don't judge us for watching and liking this show. (Stop it, stop it right now.) It was very cleaned up. Like M said, there are some truly hilarious things in this show. Carell is very funny. Aren't we glad we have a Carell. I reminisced fondly on this show for a couple of days after seeing it. 3 stars.

The Proposal

M: The Proposal is not going to change your life. Not great, not terrible. Just another rom-com where boy meets girl, boy and girl don't get along, but through a series of humorous events they start to appreciate and love each other, conflict develops, conflict is resolved, all past injustices are quickly forgiven, and they kiss (or more); end credits. Here, I appreciated that they didn't go beyond the kiss, although V commented on how it is simply expected and inferred that they would, but it just didn't make the screen. I liked the couple alright, they looked good together, but I didn't buy the romance. I am sorry but years of cruel treatment followed by extortion can't be so easily overcome, can it? A few overly silly parts and a bit of real predictability also hinder the movie. But, it is fairly harmless (well, one partial nude scene) and worth a few laughs. 2 1/2 stars

V: So if you had to convince an INS agent that you were actually engaged, but wanted to wait to have sex until after you were married, you'd be out of luck? They wouldn't believe the engagement was real? And the families just assume you will be sleeping together? That bugged me. Some stuff was funny. Some stuff was really silly. It's hard to believe Sandra Bullock as a really mean, bitter person. But I guess that's to her credit. It was okay. 2 stars.

Persuasion, BBC 2007

M: V and I have a little tradition of reading a Jane Austin book at the same time and, when we have finished, watching the movie, or movies, together. Persuasion is a great book, with very sharp and clever writing. We watched what I just discovered to be a 2007 tv version, 90 minutes without commercials. This version took great liberties in straying from the book. It really didn't need to. It was beautifully filmed for the most part, with a few random Blair Witch type scenes where the camera was suddenly following the action in that bouncy way, oddly out of place here. Maybe I was looking too much for variance from the book, and I am usually not such a stickler on those things, but it was distracting the way they completely changed things, and not for the better. The show was just ok. Kind of disappointed. 2 stars.

V: This was really a poor adaptation of a good book. Now, I don't think an adaptation has to strictly follow the book - see our Sense & Sensibility review (they improved on the book, and I greatly appreciated it!) The problem with this film is they ruined any suspense. What is the story? A woman finds herself meeting up again with a man she was formerly engaged to but was "persuaded" not to marry. Years have passed. We the readers/viewers want to find out 1) Does she still love him? 2) Does he still love her? 3) Will they get back together? Right? Well, they blurt the answer to #1 in the first 5 minutes. The second, they also blurt too soon. And as for the 3rd, well, of course there are impediments, but they also just blurt their way through them and keep spoiling the surprise. Will he marry so-and-so? The movie, like a bad movie friend, pats your shoulder anytime the slightest hint of the unknown arises, and tells you, "Don't worry, this is what happens . . ." I didn't care for Sir Walter, who was portrayed as caustic rather than just overly vain and foolish. Then there was this weirdness of our heroine chasing after this man -- literally chasing, in an extending running montage. Did women really do that in that place and time? And she was in high society. And then the closing scene with a "gift" that was just silly and totally unjustified by the facts of the story. I was disappointed. We've gotten our hands on another version, here's hoping it's better. I think the leading man is played by the same guy who played Col. Brandon in Sense & Sensibility. That bodes well. I'm sure it must be better than this version. 2 stars.

post-edit: nope, not col. brandon. oh well.

M: V nailed this. I absolutely agree.

Little Dorrit

M: Little Dorrit is a BBC mini-series (14 half-hour shows) that aired in 2008. We recently checked it out from the library. Based on a serial novel by Dickens, published between 1855 and 1857, this series is beautifully done and quite enjoyable. In keeping with Dickens' work, Little Dorrit contains villains that are truly villainous (one of which is annoyingly so), and heroes that are truly admirable. The villains get their comeuppance, and the heroes are rewarded.

Little Dorrit is a girl born in debtor's prison. Arthor Clennam is a wealthy man whose family has a secret he is trying to learn, but he believes it has something to do with the Dorrits, so he sets out to help them. Little Dorrit is played by Claire Foy, and Arthor Clennam is played by Mathew McFaydye, (you may know him as Mr. Darcy.) These characters where compelling, and I found myself really rooting for them. The part of Mr. Dorrit, the gentleman turned debtor turned gentleman, was played masterfully by Tom Courtenay.

Definitely worth seeing, although some of the social commentary is a bit heavy handed at time. This one eeks in at 3 1/2 stars

V: We looked forward to watching this each night. It does take a few evenings. It was well-scripted and interesting. Dickens is always good for DRAMA. Melo-drama, almost. He is a harsh critic of capitalism run amok and shows that greed and ponzi schemes were rampant in 19th century England, too. Too. Interesting that the term "class" today has a positive ring. Many scriptures ran through my mind while watching this that I could see posted at the beginning of the novel, such as "He who exalts himself shall be abased,"" . . . the last shall be first," and all that "captive made free" and "reaping what you sow" business. Well acted. Many interesting characters. Fun Dickensian tangled web stuff. Along with a few things that are spelled out for you, Hawthorne style: the Bleeding Heart Yard; The Circumlocution Office, and allusions to the House of Clennam crumbling to ruins if "the secret" ever got out. You'll have to see the movie. We enjoyed it. 3 stars