Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, 2008

Watching this film, I realized that I may have outgrown teen movies. Also the teens in movies are always doing stuff that no regular high school student would actually do. Like wandering around NYC at 4AM trying to track down a band, getting into a stranger's van to change clothes, allowing your (drunk) best friend to leave in said van with three strangers, fishing a phone and some gum out of a toilet; the list goes on.



Michael Cera and Kat Dennings star in this film about a never-ending night. Filled with typical Hollywood cliches, an unrealistic plot, and mediocre acting, unless you're watching this film because your parents wouldn't let you, you won't be too enthralled. I am surprised to discover that it's based on a book.


Directed by Peter Sollett.
Written by Lorene Scafaria.
Based on the novel by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan.

Melody's Stars: * *


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

The Reader, 2008

Kate Winslet, Ralph Fiennes, and David Kross star in this bizarre love-story about a 15-year-old boy's coming of age.

Michael Berg (David Kross as the younger and Ralph Fiennes as the older) gets sick one day on the street and a stranger, Hanna Schmitz, helps him out. When he goes back to thank her for her kindness, they end up naked in her bathtub.

About fifteen years his senior, Berg's attempts at courtship are adorably awkward. He takes Schmitz for country bicycle rides, buys her lunch, and reads to her everyday after school. But when Schmitz leaves one day without notice, Berg is left with heartache and questions.

Years later Berg sees his love again: on trial as a Nazi prison guard. Berg is filled with overwhelming emotions, but rather than confront Schmitz (or even allow his presence to be known) he wimps out time and again. The older Berg is an unlikeable character, showing no sign of a spine. When he finally does confront Schmitz, she is so old that it is not a fair match. He also asks all the wrong questions.

Ultimately The Reader is more about the listener. It is Schmitz who the audience wants to know better. A lonely, confused, and twisted soul who takes on a child as a lover, seems to see her job as prison guard the same as any other job, and takes a life sentence in jail rather than admit she cannot read.





Yet another fictional WWII film, this one is more sex less gore.The Reader may make you cringe if you think about the fact that David Kross turned 18 in July, 2008. When did they film this?


Directed by Stephen Daldry.
Screenplay by David Hare.
Based on the book by Bernhard Schlink.

Melody's Stars: * * *


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

81ST ACADEMY AWARDS (List of winners)

Hugh Jackman's opening was a good start to the evening.
I love Natalie Porman's pink dress.
Seth Rogan and James Franco's look at the movies that are never nominated (comedies) is great.
No big surprise, Slumdog Millionare swept the night.

Here are my picks and who won:

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
MY PICK: N/A
WIN: Penélope Cruz

Best animated feature film of the year
MY PICK: N/A
WIN: "WALL-E"

Adapted screenplay
MY PICK: N/A
WIN:“Slumdog Millionaire”

Original screenplay
MY PICK: “Milk”
WIN: “Milk”

Best animated short film
MY PICK: Didn't see any of them
WIN: "La Maison en Petits Cubes"

Achievement in art direction
MY PICK: "The Dark Knight"
WIN: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

Achievement in makeup
MY PICK: N/A
WIN: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

Achievement in costume design
MY PICK: "The Duchess"
WIN: "The Duchess”

Best Live Action Short
MY PICK: N/A
WIN: "“Spielzeugland (Toyland)”

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
MY PICK: Robert Downey Jr. or Heath Ledger (2 very different performances...)
WIN: Heath Ledger

Best Documentary Feature
MY PICK: It wasn't even nominated.
WIN: "Man on Wire"

Best Documentary Short
MY PICK: N/A
WIN: "Smile Pinki"

Visual Effects
MY PICK: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
WIN: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

Achievement in cinematography
MY PICK: "Slumdog Millionaire"
WIN: "Slumdog Millionaire"

Sound Editing
MY PICK: N/A
WIN: "The Dark Knight"

Sound Mixing
MY PICK: "WALL-E"
WIN: "Slumdog Millionaire"

Film Editing
MY PICK: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
WIN: "Slumdog Millionaire"

Music (Score)
MY PICK: "Slumdog Millionaire"
WIN: "Slumdog Millionaire"

Music (Song)
MY PICK: N/A
WIN: "Jai Ho"

Foreign Language Film
MY PICK: Wasn't Even Nominated.
WIN: "Departures"

Directing
MY PICK: Undecided.
WIN: Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionare)

Best Actress in a Leading Role
MY PICK: Anne Hathaway (haven't seen the movie yet, but like the actress) or Angelina Jolie (which I did see)
WIN: Kate Winslet

Best Actor in a Leading Role
MY PICK: Richard Jenkins
WIN: Sean Penn

Best Picture
MY PICK: "Frost/Nixon"
WIN: "Slumdog Millionaire"

Flow: For Love of Water, 2008

Hundreds of years ago Native Americans assumed that no one could own the land. It is a resource that everyone has a right to use as needed. Then the Europeans came along and changed that idea. Today we are possibly facing a similar turning point with water.

What would life be like if you had to spend 50% of your income on clean water for your family? In a world of diminishing resources, this is more than a theoretical question for some. Flow examines the future of one of our most vital resources on earth.





While it seems a no-brainer that everyone should have a right to clean water, I wish that the film had not simply taken this assumption and instead asked questions such as:

• What are the costs associated with piping clean water into small towns?
• Who should be responsible for these costs?
• Is the cost that people are asked to pay a lot more than what it actually costs?
• In areas of high pollution, who is doing the polluting and are they taking responsibility for the damage left behind?
• Everyone should be able to access clean water, but what are the costs involved in doing this?

The film poses some very important questions, but in an extremely one-sided way. Flow asserts that water has been stolen by big corporations. Perhaps this is simply a documentary that exposes how corporate fat-cats are getting rich at the expense of the poorest people on earth, but it seems that there is more to the story than that. I wish that the filmmakers had asked the question: "What are the reasons that water is so scarce for some? It is simply greed or are there larger issues at play?"

Directed by Irena Salina.


Melody's Stars: * * *


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

I Love You, Man, 2009

Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, and Rashida Jones ("Karen" on NBC'sThe Office) star in this "bromantic" comedy about best friends.

When Peter Klaven (Rudd) proposes to his girlfriend Zooey (Jones), he realizes that he doesn't have anyone to be his best man. After numerous failed "man-date" attempts to find his bff --including a quite memorable one with Doug (Thomas Lennon from Reno 911)--Klaven is ready to give up on friendship.

Then Sydney Fife (Segel) enters his life. Fife and Klaven are fast friends; that is until the new friendship threatens to ruin his relationship with Zooey.



I Love You, Man is a comedic rollercoster ride. While there are a number of laugh-out-loud moments it also drags at points. Not recommended for young people or those who offend because it is filled with crude humor. This is a total "bro-flick" [chick flick for men].


Directed by John Hamburg.
Written by John Hamburg and Larry Levin.


Melody's Stars: ***


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

Flash of Genius, 2008

Based on actual events, Flash of Genius follows the bittersweet story of inventor Bob Kearns (Greg Kinnear). With the support of his wife (Lauren Graham) and their six children, Kearns invented the intermittent windshield wiper. With his business partner (Dermot Mulroney), Kearns brings his design to Ford. At first they are interested, but then he is told that there will be no deal.

When Kearns discovers that Ford no longer wants his product because they have stole his design, he finds a lawyer (Alan Alda) to take up his case. Ford agrees to settle for a large sum, but Kearns refuses to take the offer without public acknowledgement of his work.

Unable to move on with his life until Ford admits that they used his designs, Kearns risks his the well-being of his health, family, and job in order to gain public credit.



This film moves a bit slowly towards the end, but is otherwise very good. My favorite moment is probably when Kearns is cross-examining himself.


Directed by Marc Abraham.
Written by Philip Railsback.
Based on an article by John Seabrook.

Melody's Stars: ****


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

Body of Lies, 2008

Leonardo DiCaprio stars as CIA agent Roger Ferris working in the middle east. While he runs operations on the ground everyday, his boss (Russell Crowe) tells him what to do from the comfort of Washington D.C. Ferris struggles to follow orders while also doing what he thinks is best.



Interesting but sometimes hard to follow plot. An out-of-place love story is thrown in when Ferris falls for a local nurse (Golshifteh Farahani).

Enjoyable acting, decent soundtrack, lots of explosions, and a painfully graphic torture scene.

Directed by Ridley Scott.
Written by William Monahan based on the novel by David Ignatius.

Melody's Stars: **


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

Changeling, 2008

Based on actual events, Changeling tells the story of Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie) and her fight to find her missing son Walter (Gattlin Griffith).

In 1928, when Collins' son disappeared, the LAPD consider the case closed after returning a boy who was not Walter Collins. When Mrs. Collins declared the boy was not hers, the police chief had her locked up in a mental hospital in an attempt to avoid bad press. While Collins never found her son, she was vindicated and the LAPD faced corruption charges.

Powerful, thought provoking, frightening, and heart-wrenching, this is one of the best films of 2008.



If I were to change anything about Changeling, it would be to cut out about 20minutes. Just over 140minutes, it is a tad too long. That said, for a 2 and a half hour film it moves very quickly.

Produced, directed and original music by Clint Eastwood. Is there anything that this guy cannot do?! I did not realize that in addition to being a talented actor/producer/director, Eastwood also is a gifted composer and plays the piano.

Written by J. Michael Straczynski.
Beautiful costumes by Deborah Hopper.


For more info about the real Walter Collins:
The Boy Who Vanished–and His Impostor
Wiki Christine Collins

Melody's Stars: *****


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system

The Love Guru, 2008

I watched this film expecting nothing and it fully delivered. Perhaps it is because my expectations were set so low that I am allowing this film one star. This could have been a really good, funny film (and for the first 15-minutes it actually was) but instead The Love Guru is painfully typical.



Mike Myers plays a Guru who wants to be as famous as Deepak Chopra. To attain his goal, he must help the manager of an ice hockey team (Jessica Alba) get her star player back on track. The movie features Justin Timberlake, John Oliver, Meagan Good, Romany Malco, Jim Gaffigan, and Stephen Colbert (Colbert plays an off-the-wall sports announcer who is fighting a drug addiction).

Guest appearances by: Deepak Chopra, Jessica Simpson, Kanye West, Val Kilmer, and others.

While there are a number of funny bits (most notably two Bollywood dance spoofs), The Love Guru runs about an hour too long, is filled with moments that make you physically cringe, lots of jokes about bodily functions, and numerous double entendres.



Melody's Stars: *


Rating System:
*****=Worth Buying
****=Worth Seeing in Theaters
***=Worth Renting
**=Worth Watching on TV
*=Worth Watching if also cleaning house or doing paperwork
0=Total waste of time
Fail=So bad it doesn't even make the rating system