Fiddler on the Roof

V: If I'm asked what my favorite movie is, I usually say Fiddler on the Roof. I watched this again with Mike (who had never seen it!) over Christmas break and I had chills and dewey eyes the entire time. I'm way too biased to give this a new review because of the memories it conjures from when I watched it growing up - with that, added to my now adult understanding of the world and family, all objectivity is lost. I love this film. For me it will always be 4 stars.

M: I had never seen this. Thank goodness for V. Great movie. Very funny and touching. Great music. A bit of a downer at the end, but such is life. 4 stars.

Bleak House

M: This BBC mini-series based on the Dickens Novel is great. It has its super-villains, it has its heroes. Very enjoyable show. I considered giving it a 4, even though the lawyers were all absolute villains, which made me feel bad, perhaps deservedly so. Check it out at your local library. 3 1/2 stars

V: I was really drawn into this - it made for many too-late nights. (3 discs, or 4? With many episodes.) It was well-acted with many interesting, great characters. They managed to keep it from not going too far "out there" as Dickens can tend. Really enjoyable with some good lessons, too. Also 3 1/2 stars

Persuasion, BBC 1995

M: This is a much better version than the more recent BBC we watched a few weeks ago. There is really no reason to vary too much from Jane Austin's books, particularly the language, which is so good. This movie was much truer to the book, which I found great. That said, Persuasion, although brilliantly written with fascinating characters, is really not a great romance. I wasn't a huge fan of the leading man either. So this wont get the highest of marks. But it is a show worth seeing, especially if you are looking for a good adaptation of a Jane Austin classic. 3 stars.

V: Yes, much better than the other one. I'm not sure why they make the Anns so plain. I know she had "lost her youthful bloom" but she wasn't morbid looking. Anyway, don't bother with that other Persuasion. This one is quite good. Not perfect, but good. 3 stars.

Be a Follower

Okay, all you who love to read this blog! (Joey and Katie.) Tired of leadership? Now's your chance to become a follower! See panel on the right. Thank you.

Yes Man

V: This movie had potential. Jim Carrey and Zoey Deschanel are a cute pairing. It had some very funny things in it and an interesting premise. Better than the "Liar, Liar" premise (also starring Jim Carrey) this guy chooses to say yes to everything, to see how it changes his life. He (and the viewers) find that saying "yes" can open up new doors and experiences. Of course, you need to say no sometimes, too, which he learns. The point is, take advantage of new opportunities and be honest with yourself. Okay. Then this old lady shows up and RUINS the entire movie. Very offensive. Maybe watch it edited, and it will be an okay show. 2 stars

M: A couple funny moments. When Jim Carrey is on, he is classic (dumb and dumber - eternal sunshine of the spotless mine), when he is off, it is just too much. He was at his best in this movie when he wasn't doing slapstick. And there were times when he and Zoey pulled it off (although she is way too young for him). When he busted out the silly, ouch. Some real disgusting and unnecessary moments take what could be fun and make it nasty. Can't recommend, but if it were cleaned up, this would be a good show. 2 stars

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.