Dogville (movie review)

Dogville (2003, on DVD). Written and directed by Lars von Trier. Nicole Kidman plays a young woman who seeks refuge in a remote mountain village, and slowly comes under repression at the hands of the local citizens. "Dogville" features a large, diverse and talented cast, but at three hours it is tedious, needlessly cruel, and depressing. Grade: D

Ella Enchanted (movie review)

Ella Enchanted (2004). The improbably beautiful young Anne Hathaway ("The Princess Diaries") stars as Ella, a maiden in a magical kingdom. At birth, she receives the "gift" of obedience from a wacky fairy, and then her problems begin. The spell requires her to do whatever she is told to do, and her wicked stepsister makes her life a misery. A mixture of Cinderella, Shrek and, well, The Princess Diaries, this movie seems squarely aimed at tween girls, but could also be enjoyed by families (don't make the boys watch it). I've read that the movie is not true to the book it is based on, but I haven't read the book so didn't mind. Grade: B+

Calendar Girls (movie review)

Calendar Girls (2003, on DVD) A ladies club in England decides to raise money by having members pose nude (sort of) for a calendar. There's all sorts of controversy, of course, until the calendar becomes a smashing surprise success. This is a rather charming movie, but unfortunately the audience who will appreciate it is mostly limited to women over 50. Grade: B

How I Killed My Father (movie review)

How I Killed My Father (2003) on DVD. In French, with English subtitles. The title to this movie has also been translated into English as "My Father and I," which certainly takes the punch out of it. It features an age-old story, told in modern fashion, of the conflict between a father and son. The son, a successful and wealthy doctor, gets a letter telling him his father has died and was unable to return to France. A few moments later, the father appears, apparently alive, in the crowd at a party at the son's mansion. Is the father really alive? Is he a fantasy of the son's mind? Is the story being told in flashback? It's never really clear, and scarcely matters. Ultimately, there are no characters to like, and it's hard to care what happens. Grade: B-

Starsky & Hutch (movie review)

Starsky & Hutch (2004), DVD. Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Juliette Lewis. Well-intentioned comedy version of '70s TV show may be most pleasing to fans of the original series. Sports a fine supporting cast and provides a few genuine laughs, along with the usual Ben Stiller nonsense. Owen Wilson is laid back as usual. Grade: B

Bon Voyage (movie review)

Bon Voyage (2003) DVD, in French with English subtitles. It's 1940, and a beautiful actress gets in a bind when she kills the sex maniac who is stalking her. She's a user of men, and she recruits a faithful friend to help her cover up the killing.

France is about to be invaded by Germany, and this film is a strange brew of comedy and tragedy as madcap adventures are set against the ominous advent of the Nazis in Paris and throughout France.

The lead actors will not be familiar to most American viewers (with the exception of Peter Coyote, who apparently speaks French and German), but they are appealing and the leading man will remind many of a French Noah Wyle.

It's a bit of a mixed bag, but I liked it. Grade: B

Weapons of Choice (book review)

Tedious sci-fi tale about a naval battle group that gets thrown back in time from 2021 to (big coincidence) the Battle of Midway. Will modern weapons affect the outcome of World War II? Will you care after you wade through this book, which is just Part One of a trilogy?

A difficult read and not especially entertaining. Grade: C

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Hellboy (movie review)

Hellboy (2004), DVD. Starring Ron Perlman, Selma Blair. Another comic book brought to the movie screen. It's no "Spider-Man," but "Hellboy" should please fans of the genre, with plenty of action, special effects, and really evil villains -- plus a fine performance by Perlman as the title character, and a script that has a sense of humor as well as of drama. Grade: B

Take the Cannoli (book review)

Take the Cannoli by Sarah Vowell (2000). A fine collection of humorous, insightful essays. Vowell is bemused by the contemporary American scene, but also by herself. A good read. Grade: B+

The Big Bounce (movie review)

The Big Bounce (2004, DVD), starring Owen Wilson, Sara Foster, Morgan Freeman, Gary Sinise, Charlie Sheen. Based on an Elmore Leonard book, this movie drifts far off course and leaves the viewer out at sea. It's supposed to be a kind of wacky caper film, but it misfires at almost every turn. Despite the goofy charm of Owen Wilson and the youthful beauty of Sara Foster, there's just not enough here to keep us entertained. Grade: D

This is me.

Freaky Friday (movie review)

Freaky Friday (2003), starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan. Some will say this movie's target audience is tween girls and their mothers, but I found it charming, disarming and funny. True, it's completely implausible, but who cares? It's a fantasy.

It's a remake of the 1977 film starring Jodie Foster, and it does a good job of updating the story about a mother and daughter who "magically" switch bodies for a day. The stars, Curtis and Lohan, both deliver pitch-perfect performances as they juggle their magical, switched identities and their "real" identities.

The bottom line? I've seen this movie twice, once in theater and once on DVD, and both times it left me feeling entertained and feeling good.

Grade: A-

13 Going on 30 (Movie Review)

Jennifer Garner is incandescent as a 13-year-old who is magically transported into her own body at age 30. She sparkles, she shines, she makes us laugh.

Unfortunately, she is not supported by a strong script or a strong cast. Although there are some good performances around her, they don't rise to her level, and Mark Ruffalo in particular is weak as her love interest.

Grade: Jennifer Garner: A, Script: C, Movie: B

Bad Santa (movie review)

See Santa Claus. (Actually, it's Billy Bob Thornton in a bad Santa outfit.) See Santa Claus drink. Santa Claus is a f**king alcoholic and big-time thief. Oh, by the way, Santa's favorite word is "f**k," and if you don't like it you better skip this movie. In fact, skip this movie anyway.

Santa's scam is to take a job as a department-store Santa, work until Christmas Eve, then use his position to rob the store and make his getaway.

Along the way Santa meets a pathetic kid who is the victim of bullies. Santa needs a place to stay, so he moves into the kid's house (kid's parents are conveniently gone). Inexplicably, Santa grows a heart.

So we have a happy, sentimental ending? Not quite. The kid is really, really not appealing, and Santa is really, really not a sympathetic character.

Bad Santa is a bad movie. Grade: C-

The Barbarian Invasions (movie review)

The Barbarian Invasions (2003), in French with English subtitles. A college professor who has been a philanderer for his entire adult life is dying of cancer. His family, in particular his estranged son, gather round to bid him farewell. For all the sins of his earlier life he is miraculously, unbelievably forgiven before the inevitable end.

The story takes place in Canada, with a couple of side trips to the U.S., where superior medical care is available for a price. The son procures heroin for the father to ease his pain and, later, to ease his death. While I was curiously unmoved by this film, it did hold my interest, with a cast of interesting characters. Grade: B-