8 Women (DVD review)

8 Women (2002) Catherine Deneuve, Ludivine Sagnier. Wacky French film is a murder-mystery-musical in which eight women, most of them related, are isolated in a country house during a snowstorm after the master of the house is murdered. They all have motives to want him dead, but who did the deed? The "mystery" is interspersed with musical numbers in which the women take turns performing songs that reflect their individual personalities. It's good fun if you're in the mood for something light and goofy. Grade: B+

The Notebook (DVD review)

The Notebook (2004) starring Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, James Garner, Gena Rowlands. There's supposed to be a surprise of sorts at the end of this movie, but it's really no mystery. Garner, in the present day, reads to Rowlands from a notebook describing the pre-World War II romance of Gosling and McAdams. The two young stars are appealing and their love story is convincing, but it's not enough to carry a whole movie. The overall plot just doesn't contain enough substance to affect the audience as strongly as it is intended to. Grade: C-

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (DVD review)

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005), based on the radio show and books by Douglas Adams, is a major disappointment. It fails to fully capture the voice or spirit of the original, and adds nothing new that is worthwhile. The costuming and special effects are especially cheap and atrocious, and I found very little in this movie to like. Grade: D

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (DVD review)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson and a large supporting cast. This is a faithful reproduction of J.K. Rowling's book, and as such it shares the flaws and virtues of the original. The world of magic that Rowling has created is charming, but the plotting of her books is flimsy. Yet perhaps it is wrong to be overly critical of a book series which targets, principally, children. There's a lot of great fun to be had in the Harry Potter books and films. Grade: B

Raiders of the Lost Ark (DVD review)

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) starring Harrison Ford, Karen Allen. I was never a big fan of this movie, and though it does have its moments, it hasn't aged all that well. Grade: B

Million Dollar Baby (DVD review)

Million Dollar Baby (2004) starring Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman. The story of a young woman (Swank) who wants to be a boxer and the trainer (Eastwood) who takes her on. Swank and Freeman both won Oscars for their performances in this movie, which about two thirds of the way through takes a radical swerve away from what you are expecting. It is always about the on-screen relationship between Eastwood and Swank, however, and the story proves engrossing and tragic. Grade: B+

The Stupidest Angel (book review)

The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror (2004) by Christopher Moore. Although it is set at Christmas time, this story will hold up well throughout the year. It's the story of an angel who is sent to Earth to perform a Christmas miracle, and how everything goes horribly, hilariously wrong. More than anything, this is a book of humor about a group of eccentric people living in a small town in California in the present day. Grade: B+

Four Weddings and a Funeral (DVD review)

Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) starring Hugh Grant, Andie MacDowell. For the first time I must chastise the DVD of a movie I love. This is one of the great romantic comedies, with many funny and moving lines of dialogue. Unfortunately, for an American, many of them are hard to understand because the movie takes place in England and there's that bloody accent to contend with. No problem, I would usually say, just turn on the subtitles in English. But wait -- this disc has subtitles only in Spanish! How many lovely turns of phrase must have been missed? I, for one, had trouble understanding about a quarter of the dialogue. Movie: A. DVD: C

Bride and Prejudice (DVD review)

Bride and Prejudice (2004) starring a cast of relative unknowns and Indian stars who are famous in their own country. Hollywood meets Bollywood, East meets West, and everything works out in the end. Very loosely based on Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice," this film is a romance, it's a musical, it's a drama, it's a comedy. There's a lot of color and joyful music-making in the musical numbers, which pop up regularly for no apparent reason. The movie seems overly simplistic for the most part, but is still is mildly amusing for a couple of hours. Grade: B

Napoleon Dynamite (DVD review)

Napoleon Dynamite (2004). I wasn't expecting much, so I can't say I was really disappointed. For some reason this shapeless film about truly odd high school angst has become hip among a certain (young) crowd. For me it had little to offer, except a few odd moments that squeezed an unwilling chuckle or two out of me. Grade: C

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-

Adaptation (DVD review)

Adaptation (2002) starring Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper. Directed by Spike Jonze. Apparently this movie is not for everyone, but it is one of my favorite movies of the past decade. Based on Susan Orlean's book "The Orchid Thief," it is one of those rare films that reflects the screenwriting process in intimate detail. Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman made the script about the process of adapting this plotless book to the movie screen. It is partly about him, partly about Susan Orlean, and partly about the orchid thief himself, a strange character who is definitely the most interesting thing about the book and the movie. Cage, Streep and Cooper all deliver top-notch performances. Grade: A

The Aviator (DVD review)

The Aviator (2004) starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett. Directed by Martin Scorsese. Length: 2 hours 50 minutes. "The Aviator" was nominated for a best-picture Oscar, and Blanchett won Supporting Actress for her turn as Kate Hepburn. Nevertheless, this is a so-so biographical picture about famed billionaire recluse Howard Hughes. DiCaprio, in the title role, doesn't convincingly age over the 20-some years covered by the movie. His portrayal of Hughes's early symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder is a little over-the-top. There are some enjoyable cinematic moments, mostly of airplanes being built or in flight. But overall it's three hours spent in a questionable cause. Grade: B

Nightingales (book review)

Nightingales: The Extraordinary Upbringing and Curious Life of Miss Florence Nightingale (2004) by Gillian Gill. This book's greatest strength is also its weakness. It is so thoroughly researched that reading it becomes a chore. Although the subject is fascinating -- Florence Nightingale and her life in Victorian England, told in great detail -- it's not an easy read. For anyone who is up to it (fast readers have an advantage here), it is rewarding. The section dealing with Miss Nightingale's nursing activities during the Crimean War is of particular interest. Grade: B

Kinsey (DVD review)

Kinsey (2004) starring Liam Neeson, Laura Linney. Interesting, slightly episodic story of Alfred Kinsey, the famed sex researcher, his family and colleagues. Frank treatment of sexual subject matter might make this unsuitable for any but the most mature teens. Grade: B

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (DVD review)

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) starring Ellen Burstyn, Kris Kristofferson. Directed by Martin Scorsese. Burstyn won an Oscar for Best Actress in this well-told tale of a woman trying to make her way in the world after her husband dies. This film might be considered a period piece by now as it portrays the early days of the women's movement. Also features performances in minor roles by a very young Jodie Foster and Harvey Keitel. Grade: B+