I Dreamed I Married Perry Mason (book review)

I Dreamed I Married Perry Mason (2004) by Susan Kandel. Slightly cheeky chick-lit/mystery about a California biography writer named Cece Caruso, who just can't stay away from an intriguing murder case. Mostly told for humor, but there is quite a bit of interesting information about Erle Stanley Gardner, the writer of the Perry Mason mysteries. Grade: B

Confessions of a Shopaholic (book review)

Confessions of a Shopaholic (2001) by Sophie Kinsella. Highly readable and amusing take on the life of a young woman who cannot control her spending. Our heroine is named Rebecca Bloomwood and she lives and works in London, England. She finds her job as a writer for a financial monthly to be exceedingly boring, and her chief amusement is shopping. Along the way to semi-enlightenment she finds romance and her true calling. Grade: B+

Better Luck Tomorrow (DVD review)

Better Luck Tomorrow (2002). With a cast where all the major characters are young Asian-Americans, there is no one that you will recognize by name. A high-school drama that goes places few teen movies have gone before, this film was picked up at the Sundance Film Festival by MTV Films. Before it's over, it involves drugs, sex and murder. Nothing to write home about, however. Grade: B

Ghost World (DVD review)

Ghost World (2001) starring Thora Birch, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi. This is a low-budget movie, and it shows, but there are moments that make it worth watching. Birch and Johansson play disaffected teens who have just graduated from high school. They are trying to find their way in the adult world, and though they have been fast friends, they choose different paths. This film is filled with quirky scenes that have stayed with me. Grade: B

The Bourne Identity (DVD review)

The Bourne Identity (2002) starring Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Chris Cooper. For reasons which may not be clear to everyone, I really love this movie. Everything about it works for me -- the suspense, the action, even the romance. Matt Damon has found a niche as an action hero/spy, and Franka Potente ("Run, Lola, Run") is a convincing love interest. This film was followed by a sequel, the not-quite-as-good "The Bourne Supremacy." Grade: A-