Inkheart, 2008

There is a soft-spot in my heart for Brendan Fraser. Despite the fact that he almost always stars in B movies. Inkheart is no exception. Fraser stars as Mo 'Silvertongue' Folchart, a man who has the ability to "read" characters out of books and into real life.



Based on the book by Cornelia Funke, this film had enormous potential but the extreme over-acting (directed by Iain Softley) and annoying script (really, you really think the characters would talk that way? really?) by David Lindsay-Abaire, made this film almost painful to watch.

Oh, also why do all the characters have English accents except for Fraser? I guess on the upside, at least he wasn't trying to use one...

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

Bolt, 2008

Cute movie about an Action Hero dog, Bolt (voice of John Travolta), who doesn't know he's actually just a TV actor. When producers decide to add some drama to his show by "kidnapping" Bolt's human, Penny (voice of Miley Cyrus), things go horribly wrong when Bolt leaves the set for the first time ever in his attempt to save her.

Think The Truman Show for a younger audience.
However, older audiences will enjoy it too.



There are some confusing messages as well as some dramatic chase scenes, so not for young children who scare easily.

Directed by Byron Howard and Chris Williams.
Screenplay by Dan Fogelman and Chris Williams.

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 Curious Case of Benjamin Button, 2008

Based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1921 short story, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is anything but short. Almost three hours long, it follows the life of Benjamin (Brad Pitt) who was born old and died young. Along the way he falls in love with a girl named Daisy (Cate Blanchett). While most of the time their love seems creepy, for a few years in their 40s their outward ages "meet in the middle."



The makeup, visual effects, special effects and art direction were all quite good.
Directed by David Fincher.
The screenplay by Eric Roth, who is probably best known for his Oscar winning screenplay Forrest Gump.

When you have a formula that works, why mess with it?

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.O.U.S.A., 2008

Please watch this film:



This documentary examines the financial mess our country is in with basic language, engaging graphics, and knowledgeable interviewees. Every politician in this country should be required to see this film: if we don't understand how we got into the mess, how can we get out of it?

A non-partisan view of a very political concern. Who knew, money doesn't grow on trees....

Directed by Patrick Creadon.
Based on the book Empire of Debt by William Bonner.

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

Die Welle, 2008

Based on a true story, high school teacher Rainer Wenger (Jürgen Vogel) decides to teach his students about autocracy by creating one in his class. When the class project grows beyond his control, the consequences are bigger than anyone would have predicted.



A very thought provoking film, Die Welle explores the human urge for community. The film depicts the comfort and sense of belonging that a group creates as well as the dark side of following a crowd.

Kudos to Dennis Gansel who not only plays the part of high school student Martin but also wrote (along with Peter Thorwarth) and directed this film!

Great soundtrack.
Based on the novel by Todd Strasser, and the classroom experiment The Third Wave created by California high school teacher Ron Jones.


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

Rachel Getting Married, 2008

When Kym (Anne Hathaway) gets out of rehab on the eve of her sister's wedding, emotions run high. Rachel (Rosemarie DeWitt) feels--with good reason--that Kym is always trying to steal the spotlight. Meanwhile their dad (Bill Irwin) attempts to
solve problems through his cooking.




A character driven ensemble piece, with fine performances by all, Rachel Getting Married explores the odd mix of tension and love in a dysfunctional family's relationships.

The film is shot in a gritty, camera-shake, art-house style, so the audience feels like a fly-on-the-wall. The closeness creates an uncomfortable feeling; as if you're forced into sharing private moments with total strangers.

The editing leaves something to be desired, especially towards the end when the wedding reception seems to last about six hours and does nothing to drive the plot or deepen our understanding of the characters. Well, perhaps it does help us relate to Kym's feeling of having to get away by any means possible! The approximately 15 minutes of music and dancing really should have been cut by more than half.

While a neatly-wrapped typical ending is not at all what this film needs, a bit more clarity on Rosa's (Roslyn Ruff) appearance at the end seems only fair.


Directed by Jonathan Demme.
Written by Jenny Lumet.

Melody's Stars: I have decided not to rate this movie.


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

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

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

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

Slumdog Millionaire, 2008

Slumdog Millionaire follows the life of Jamal Malik (Dev Patel, Tanay Chheda and Ayush Mahesh Khedekar). A boy from the slums of Mumbai, Jamal and his tough older brother Salim (Ashutosh Lobo Gajiwala, Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail) are left to fend for themselves after their mother dies. Throughout, Jamal tries his best to protect his best friend, and later love interest, Latika (Freida Pinto, Rubiana Ali).

When Jamal becomes a winning contestant on the TV show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, he finds himself defending his correct answers to the police. Highly acclaimed and well recommended, I expected a lot from this film. While it did not disappoint, I expected more.





I would give this movie only 3 stars but because of the beautiful cinematography (Anthony Dod Mantle) it is worth seeing in theaters. I also really enjoyed the soundtrack.

Directed by Danny Boyle. Co-director (India) Loveleen Tandan. In English and Hindi with English subtitles.


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 Rocker, 2008

When Fish (Rainn Wilson), the drummer for up-and-coming rock band Vesuvius, is dropped from the band just as they hit it big, his life is ruined. 20 years later he gets a 2nd chance when his nephew's garage band suddenly needs a drummer for their gig at prom. Refusing to grow up, Fish convinces the young band (and their parents) to go out on the road for a tour. But when their manager books them to open for Vesuvius, the band's commitment is tested.





I had very high hopes for The Rocker because the cast list is filled with comedic talent: Will Arnet (George on Arrested Development) Fred Armisen (Obama on SNL), and Christina Applegate. As Fish, Rainn Wilson had too much Dwight in him (the character he plays on NBC's The Office) and not enough Rock'N'Roll. The style of deadpan humor that works so well for Dwight's character, is painfully out of place. The best part of this movie is actually Demetri Martin's cameo as a music video director.

In the same way that a comic who laughs at his own jokes isn't funny, The Rocker failed because it tried too hard.

Directed by Peter Cattaneo. Writing credits go to: Maya Forbes & Wallace Wolodarsky for the screenplay and Ryan Jaffe for the story.


Melody's Stars: 0


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

Pride and Glory, 2008

Edward Norton, Colin Farrell, Noah Emmerich and Jon Voight star in this action/drama about a family of NYPD cops. When a case reveals departmental scandal, family ties are shaken.




Mention must be given to cinematographer Declan Quinn for top-notch work. For example, watch at the beginning of the movie when Emmerich's character arrives at a crime scene and the camera never cuts away.

As usual, Edward Norton delivers a great performance. This movie would have been four stars if it didn't start to drag at the end. Also, there are a number of characters in this film who only speak Spanish and they did not bother to subtitle them.


Directed by Gavin O'Connor

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

American Teen, 2008

Filmmmaker Nanette Burstein's American Teen follows the lives of seven teens in a small town in Indiana.



If it weren't for MTV shows like Laguna Beach, this might be a "breakout" documentary but instead it is nothing new: Typical voyeurism with an added splash of very creative animations.


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

Taken, 2008

When the daughter of former a spy, Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson), wants to go traveling around Europe with her best friend, he reluctantly agrees. His ex-wife thinks that he is being an over-protective Dad, until the two girls (played by Maggie Grace and Katie Cassidy) are kidnapped and sold as sex slaves.



A story about a father's love for his daughter, Mills quickly flies to Europe where he has to use his skills and old work connections to try and rescue his daughter and friend before all tracks are gone.

While Taken is a well-produced, compelling story I really wish that I did not watch this movie because it has some pretty horrible scenes in it and I left with nightmares.

Directed by Pierre Morel.

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

Quantum of Solace, 2008

Believe it or not, this is the first James Bond movie that I have ever viewed. From what I'm told, it is typical Bond: lots of fighting, objectifying women, and Bond doing whatever it takes to capture his guy. I'm also told that the older Bond movies had a lot of cool invented gadgets that he would use. This film could have used a few of those.



I cannot compare this to other Bond movies, so I compare it to other Action/Adventure spy movies that I've seen.

Directed by Marc Forster, the movie stars Daniel Craig as 'James Bond,' Judi Dench as 'M,' and Olga Kurylenko as 'Camille.'

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

Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona, 2008

After first viewing this film I would have given it '0' stars. A stereotypical Woody Allen film--complete with an unnecessary narrator--Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona is about two friends (Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johansson) who meet a man in Barcelona and the mixed-up love triangles that follow.



For some reason this film has stuck with me though. Mostly because it questions why and how we fall in love and the reasons people do or don't stay together. For that reason, I am giving it a few extra stars. Also, there are a number of talented actors to watch. If you have seen No Country For Old Men, this film highlights the talented Javier Bardem in a completely different role.


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