Ballast: Rural Mississippi, independent film. Man commits suicide--man's twin brother who lives with him and runs a family convenience store with him also tries to shoot himself, distraught over the brother's death. Dead brother's ex-girlfriend and 9 year old son of man move onto twin brother's property as half of property was left to her in letter before suicide. Really good movie--slow moving like a lot of independent movies but certain scenes make it all worth it.
Y Tu Mama Tambien, Mexico, subtitled 2001. Really, really good! I bought this for $3 at Big Lots a year ago and never got around to watching it until this year's holiday season. Two young men, one a wealthy son and the other a middle class kid, attempt to seduce a married distant cousin. It's supposed to be funny and philosophical at the same time. The two men and the cousin, after she has a change of heart about them, take off for "Heaven's Mouth," a coastal beach which the men invented. It's not just a funny movie; there are juxtaposed scenes of from every day people's lives, for instance, following a maid throughout the wealthy kid's house as she takes him lunch--she calls him an affectionate name but he just brushes her off. The conclusion of this movie of this movie is perfect. Very wise movie.
Dirty Dancing; Havana Nights. Okay, okay. I watch stupid movies too. I liked the guy in this movie--he was one of the actors in Y Tu Mama Tambien and led me to watch that movie. The dance scenes were pretty good but they were always interrupted by some kind of action--the cuban revolution breaking out, etc. 1959 Cuba.
King of the Gypsies, 1981? I bought this at Big Lots for $3 and I had liked it many years before. Eric Roberts was beautiful at this time and stars as the son of a Gypsy man bent on leadership and vengeance. The whole family dynamics of gypsy clans is explored. One plus is dancing and music--very classy.
Up. Pixar cartoon. Senior citizen takes off on adventure by tying balloons to the top of his house with boy scout as a hideaway. He had been inspired by a 1930s adventurer who disappeared during a trip during that time (it reminded me of Richard Halliburton--an explorer who published books until his plane disappeared over the Persian Sea I think).
Dance With Me, with Vanessa Williams. I became interested in dance movies during the holiday season--there is nothing like good romance dance movies. (The male star is a Mexican singer who is a superstar there.) The plot involves his trip to the U.S. from Cuba to reconnect with his natural father, Kris Kristofferson, who runs a dance studio. Vanessa Williams is a bitter but sexy dancer and instructor who gradually is drawn into you know what. Dancing was great to watch.
Chocolat, with Johnny Depp. I finally got around to watching this movie after seeing it referred to in another movie, I Love You Man. It was worth watching--it has Alfred Molina, one of my favorite actors. A woman blows into a English village with her young daughter and opens a chocolat shop. The town patriarch is super religious and it's Lent. Johnny Depp is wicked and funny.
Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Among the cutest dogs on earth is the chihuahua. This cute little dog is lost in Mexico and her babysitter, a gardener and his non-spoiled chihuahua dog, and a local tough-guy German Shepherd come together to get Chloe out of trouble with a dog fighting ring.
Orphan. Scary horror movie recommended by Roger Ebert. I watched this on my big screen TV, an old one, with my daughter and son-in-law. They said they "didn't get a good feeling" from watching this movie, but boy, did it have our attention. Some gory scenes; for instance, who really wants to watch a poor nun who's only trying to help get beat to death? Also, it will puzzle you when you watch the 9-year old girl expertly load and handle a gun. My comment was "was she raised by the Mafia?" She cons a nice couple with a couple of children into ad0pting her--she initially appears artistic, quiet and thoughtful. She's also from Russia. The couple think they have hit the jackpot in the beginning.
Hump Day. Independent movie recommended by Roger Ebert. I thought this was going to be a funny movie along the lines of I Love You Man or The Hangover. I really didn't like this movie and it's one of the movies that I try to get out of my head for some time. It involves a married man reconnecting with an old bohemian college buddy--the buddy shows up in the middle of the night after traveling all over the world. I just didn't like how the man or his wife tolerated this behavior. Also the married man goes to a party the next day with the friend and gets sucked into a crazy plot to make a "hump film" of two heterosexual men having sex. They truely talk themselves into thinking this is a great idea. From the movie, I gather there is an actual Hump Fest? Anyway, I just couldn't help thinking what a bad idea this all was.
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