Belinda S's Reviews

I live in New York City. On 9/11, I was working at NYU at the time, which is a mere 30 blocks from where the Towers stood. Of all the post 9/11 documentaries, this one, which airs every year on the anniversary of 9/11 on the History channel without commercial interruption, is the most compelling. It truly captures the horrific tragedy of the day, alongside the heroism and the unrelenting fear. From the first moments of the NYPD officer's incredulity as he listens to a caller explain that a plane has hit the Trade Center, to the final devastating moments, you cannot look away. I cry each and every time I watch it, and I have promised my son that I will no longer view it. As I drive by the new One World Trade Center and watch its rebirth, I can't help but think back to that day in September and all the lives lost. 102 Minutes is difficult to watch, but something we all need to do. Always remember, never forget.
Review Date: 3/27/2012

Utterly ridiculous and ludicrous. Non-stop destruction. I live in New York and had flashbacks to 9/11 just watching it. Plot holes so large you could have driven a plane through it. Laughable performances by John Cusack, who will always be the geekazoid kid from 16 Candles, which is probably his best performance. Actually felt sorry and embarrassed for Chiwetel Ejiofor and Danny Glover, two notable actors with good work done between them. Pretentious -- took itself way too seriously. Watch it for the effects but please don't expect anything remotely resembling a story. Oh, except that the world is coming to an end. And I feel fine.
Review Date: 4/5/2011

Drivel. Bubblegum filmaking at its worst. Actually slapped myself in the forehead for the hour and a half of my life I'll never get back. Who is Katherine Heigl and who decided that she can act? That she should be in a film? In every ~ cough ~ film she's in, she's the same: a big, thin, wooden stick in high heels. Go home, be a mom, disappear and stop torturing the world with bubblegum movies.
Review Date: 1/20/2011

This has always been one of my guilty pleasure films. Hard to say why; whenever it rolled across my screen some late night I would inevitably sit down and watch it.

However, there was always something just a little off about the film. One that I could not put my finger on. I'm no director or screenwriter; just a fan sitting on the sofa.

Fast forward a few years I find out that the original, director's cut was test shown before an audience at a Long Island mall, who of course, did not care for the dark themes -- drug use, sex, homosexuality and bisexuality -- and screamed holy terror. Harvey Weinstein stepped in and took his scissors and monster hands to it, all but destroying the director's version. That explains why I always found something lacking in this film.

If at all possible, try and watch the director's cut of this film. The narration is gone. Original scenes were put back in, fleshing out the characters, particularly Ryan Phillippe's performance as Shane. Breckin Meyer is a wonder, as is -- surprise, surprise -- Mike Meyers, playing Steve Rubell, one of the original owners of the original "Studio 54". Welcome to 1980 indeed.


Review Date: 9/21/2021

I watched this movie -- shot entirely in 3D -- and had an epiphany: I cannot watch a film in which 80% of the characters are CGI. I need human beings, real people, with real stories. So I am grateful to James Cameron for bringing this overblown, overhyped film to the local theatre because I learned something about myself in the process.

Guilty of one of the biggest problems since technology catapulted film-making into a quasi-art (think Star Wars, think Forest Gump), it is clear that the $300 or so million dollars it cost to make this monstrosity was all spent on visual effects. It sure was a pretty movie to look at it, and for the trillions who saw it and loved it, I guess they were so mesmerized by the blue people that they did not have the attention spans to realize that, erm, there was no story. Or at least a story that was stolen from countless films, (Ferngully, Dances with Wolves, Pocahontas) that it was the least original in that regard.

I sat in the cold theatre watching Avatar a few weeks after the earthquake in Haiti and thought of the thousands of people, dead or near dead, and then watched the actors on the screen -- dead or near dead -- and could not help but wonder where and how that $300 million dollars could have been put to so much better use. As I pondered getting up and leaving the theatre -- as did my 14-year old son, who hated it nearly as much as I -- I realized a year later that vindication was right around the corner as I watched James "hubris run amuck" Cameron's ex-wife, Kathryn Bigelow, win not only Best Director but Best Picture with The Hurt Locker. ~Happy Sigh.~ There is a God, after all.
Review Date: 2/26/2011

Stunning. Poignant. This one stayed with me long after the final credits. Movies you wish Hollywood had the guts to make. You almost felt like a voyeur, along for the ride. Not for everyone. Moments of sheer, unfortgettable, perfection. I'm so glad I stumbled upon this true piece of art.
Review Date: 1/30/2013

There are some films that I have seen in my lifetime that creep into my bone marrow and stay there. This is one of those films. I'm grateful I did not see it in the theatre; my weeping needed to be private. Gorgeous, horrific, brilliant, almost seductive in its beauty. Javier Bardem took my breath away. Masterful performance. This film reminded me to stay hopeful about cinema and filmaking today, just when I had nearly given up hope. Don't expect overt explanations, car explosions and comedic dialogue. If you want an experience, if you want to be moved, if you want to be reminded of the directors who are out there still taking risks and the handful of studios willing to oblige, this is the film for you.

Review Date: 5/29/2012

I came across this movie in the $1 vhs bin and took a chance because of the cast. I must admit I was shocked at how much I enjoyed this film. Ellen Burstyn and Diane Lane are reunited in their first film together since the ground-breaking "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore". The cast also features the incomparable Olympia Dukakis -- who is hilarious, as always -- and another fine character actor, Danny Aiello.

Drama-filled, poignant, warm and laugh-out-loud funny, it had some truly endearing moments. I think it was marketed more as a kind of "laugh-filed comedy" but it really wasn't. There were some spectacular moments of real, heart-felt drama and I guess that's what appealed to me -- comedy often teeters on the borders of drama, and this film, I thought, went to some places I was surprised they chose to go. But those choices made for a much better film. The film also featured a scene-stealing Lanie Kazan and a young Christina Ricci. Take the time to check this one out. You will be pleasantly surprised.


Review Date: 7/22/2012

Geena Davis. Joe Morton. James Woods. Ellen Burstyn. Richard Dreyfuss. I got schnookered by this cast, and the hope that it would at least be as good as the 1978 film. Ridiculous, highly implausible, plot holes you can drive an air craft carrier through. Pretty predictable, no real surprises, stereotypical characters. Not even the acting chops of the above could save this one.
Review Date: 3/31/2020

Harry Stevenson: God is either dead or he despises us.
Bradley Smith: You don't really believe that.
Bradley Smith: God doesn't hate us, Harry. If he did, he wouldn't have made our hearts so brave.

Maybe it was just the mood I was in (a month after my 51st birthday) or the time (Christmas Day) that influenced me as I sat on my sofa and watched this deeply touching film. Christmas is like one of those old-fashioned spin tops: you pull the top and it makes the thing whirl out of control, briefly, beautifully, and then it slows down and just stops. Once the packages are open and the dinner is eaten, you're sitting there surrounded by pieces of wrapping paper and a pile of dishes in the sink and life just goes back to the maddening rush, like the top while it whirled.

Watching this movie in a quiet house made me sit and think. Looking back, it came at a perfect time: it unfolded, like a beautiful flower, as it buds and then blooms. You have to take your time over it; luxuriate over the beautiful dialogue, and the bravura acting. Morgan Freeman and Jane Alexander, folks I would gladly pay money to see them stand in front of an audience and read the phone book. Newcomers Alexa Davalos and Toby Hemingway, who reminded us of the beauty of young love, a story as old as Romeo and Juliet; Radha Mitchell in a prime Ice Queen Melting role and Greg Kinnear, who has demonstrated more range than I thought possible.

This one was marketed completely WRONG. It is NOT your basic RomCom and if anything, actually anti-RomCom. No goofiness, no silliness. No Jennifer's in sight (Aniston or Lopez or Garner). Just a thoughtful rumination on love -- being in love, to love and to be loved back. A joy.
Review Date: 12/26/2013

Just when I had just about given up on film, I saw a movie that blew my mind: Happy Accidents, with Vincent D'Onofrio and Marisa Tomei. I do not even know where I found this haunting, beautiful film. You can find plot scenarios online, but I will say only that the end absolutely blew me away. Tomei and D'Onofrio's performances were so real, they were like people you knew. It was one of those rare moments when you¿re so caught up in the film unfolding that you feel like you're some kind of a purveyor/fourth wall -- there but not there. It's a bit slow, and the story, as it unfolds, seems utterly ridiculous and at times you will be like, WTH??? -- but stay with it. One of the best films I have ever seen. EVER. This is why the indie folks get it and mainstream Hollywood doesn't. It will haunt me forever. Truly.
Review Date: 7/27/2012

The scene of them singing "Walk Like A Man" and dancing in the street, albeit brief, is just precious and exquisite. I was shocked by how much I loved this film. Robert Downey Jr. has said of all the films he has made, this is one of his favorites. Sweet and touching. Great chemistry of all the cast.
Review Date: 9/11/2020

Guilty pleasure time. This is one of my favorite guilty pleasure movies.

For those who may not know, this film is based on a novel of the same name, written by Allison Pearson. I've read the novel three times; it is HILARIOUS. Speaks to every working mom out there, and the trials and tribulations of navigating corporate London -- yes, the novel takes place in London, while the film takes place in the US -- with two small children and a somewhat present husband.

The film does capture some of the nuances of the novel but it is on its own level. Enter harried Kate Reddy, played by Sarah Jessica Parker. Happy to have found something to wear to work that doesn't have throw-up or old food on the front. Working in finance and being one of the few women on the team, she gets a high-powered account and is introduced to Jack Abelhammer, played by the truly yummy Pierce Brosnan.

What the film nailed, in my opinion, is the constant juggling Kate goes through in her universe -- male-dominated work world, two small children, a house in need of constant repair, and a husband who means well but falls just a bit short. Olivia Munn plays Kate's assistant, Momo.

This film will probably not win any awards, it kind of came and went during its very limited theatrical run, but shows up on cable every now and again. I found it hugely entertaining.
Review Date: 2/17/2025

I am proud to say I tracked this one down and bought it on Amazon.

I must watch this every year. What a great story: Susan Stone, played by Ally Walker, is a disappointed adult, and an observer in her own life. She is about to be fired from her job as an editor at a publishing company, divorced and is ostracized by her only family, her brother. She has lost her way. She falls on her way home, hits her head and once home, she is "visited" by her younger self, played with great sass by Hayden Panettiere. Her younger self reminds her of the little girl she used to be -- strong, resilient, kind, happy. It is an oft-told tale, but one that remains resonant, and is buoyed by a wonderful cast: the delightful Ally Walker (whatever happened to her??), the wonderful character actor Tom Amandes and of course, the scene-stealing Hayden. A sweet, touching film that raises the usual Lifetime fare. You will not be disappointed.
Review Date: 12/31/2014

To my utter surprise, I was shocked at how much I enjoyed the first Iron Man. Wonderful story of redemption and it rose above the usual action-figure schlock, thanks to a wonderful performance -- as always -- by Robert Downey, Jr. I looked forward to its sequel.

After viewing Iron Man 2 last night, I have to write it is a disaster from moment one until the end credits. Incoherent, boring, the absolute-wooden-bra-on-a-stick Scarlett Johhansson (someone please remind me why this woman gets any work at all?) absurdly ridiculous at times. Even my 14-year-old son remarked that it was just a bunch of scenes jumbled together. This film is a cautionary tale to all of us from Hollywood: beware of any movie that makes a ton of money, as they will dumb-down to its lowest-common-denominator the sequel, to try and rake in even more cash. They flushed any idea of a possible story all in the name of the almighty-buck. I wasted $34 on this blu-ray disc and immediately posted it to the swapadvd community so someone can have a go at it. You have been duly warned.
Review Date: 12/26/2010

So here's the disclaimer: I am a native New Yorker, a fan of the Beatles (who isn't?), a fan of Billy Joel and my beloved Metropolitans, otherwise known as the New York Mets.

What a treat. I remember watching the last game at Shea Stadium on tv. It was the same weekend that Paul Newman had died, and I kept thinking this was the end of an era. Seeing all those great New York Mets return to Shea one last time, left me in tears. A year or two later, I had heard about the "Last Play at Shea" but wrote it off as a concert video. Boy oh boy, was I ever wrong.

It is a concert video, but it isn't. They are able to intertwine, quite effortlessly and seamlessly, the history of Shea Stadium, how the Mets came to be, Robert Moses, who built (or destroyed, depending on your point of view) the highways that criss-cross the city, the bedraggled Mets teams over the years -- highlighting the remarkable Game 6 comeback in the 1986 World Series -- and the life and music of Billy Joel. I am three weeks from my 51st birthday, and when I was in high school, Billy Joel's music was ALL OVER THE PLACE. And with the birth of MTV, he hit paydirt in the 80s and 90s. It wasn't until years later that I began to appreciate Billy Joel for the tremendous talent that he is, singer/songwriter and Piano Man.

I learned things about New York City I did not know prior to watching the documentary. How they were able to gently fold in so much in just an hour and a half is brilliance. The songs take you back, Billy Joel playing his heart out on stage with an on-point band, and the cavernous, decrepit Shea Stadium, months away from being torn down. As Mets outfielder Darryl Strawberry said, "it was a dump, but it was our dump."

I remember the last game at Shea, and explaining to my son in that mournful weekend as we processed the loss of Paul Newman, the epic moments that happened at Shea: the tumultuous 1969 season when God blinked and the Mets won the Series, the visit by the Pope, the game played two weeks after 9/11 and the blast in the night by Piazza that saved us all, and of course, The Beatles. This documentary was able to capture it all.

And how they managed to get Sir Paul to return to Shea, to come full circle, with Pete Flynn ("get off me grass"), the Mets groundskeeper who whisked the Beatles off the field back in 1966, was nothing short of stupendous. The last scene is singed in my brain: a time-lapse of the final walls being torn down of Shea Stadium, revealing, like a curtain, the glittering jewel of Citi Field, new home of my beloved Metropolitans, all to the soaring notes of "Let it Be." I wept like a baby, truly. This documentary touched me more than I imagined it would. Thank you, Billy. LET'S GO METS.
Review Date: 11/11/2013

I was on a flight from NYC to London and had some time to kill, and picked this movie out of the ones listed. I am a huge fan of Jake Gyllenhaal, and while it followed a pretty typical "alien" like story, it blew me away.

I think the key is to have no expectations, aside from hoping to be entertained. On a long flight from NYC to London, this film was perfect. Gripping, believable, a few plot holes that I overlooked, and excellent performances.

Gone are the days where one could hope to have a life-transformative experience watching a movie/film, but if you're hoping to be entertained, this will do it, and then some.

Just as the movie was ending, I clearly remember thinking, "wouldn't it be great if THIS happened instead of THAT", and that's exactly what happened! I was shocked they chose to go, well, there. What a great surprise.

Highly, highly recommend. Get your big bowl of popcorn and sit down and enjoy.
Review Date: 1/27/2020

I am, but not really, surprised by some of the negative reviews regarding Spielberg's Lincoln. If anyone had taken the time to read a little bit before seeing the film they would have read that this film is based on historian Doris Kearns Goodwin's book "Team of Rivals". It takes place during a very specific time in Lincoln's presidency, right after he signed the Emancipation Proclamation and deals with the politics of him trying to get the 13th amendment passed.

I will admit, on my first viewing, I could only watch it for about 40 minutes and realized immediately that this was a film that had a great deal of dialogue, and needed to be seen without distractions and the amount of time. So on a recent Saturday afternoon, I turned off my phone, turned on the subititles, and sat down to watch this film.

It is brooding, it is dark. It has to and deserves to be carefully watched. I'm glad I didn't see it in the theater. Many, many characters, some of the best character actors in Hollywood today -- David Strathairn, Hal Holbrook, Sally Field, Bruce McGill, James Spader, et al. And Daniel Day-Lewis, just when you think he could not possibly top his previous performances, stands there and channels Abraham Lincoln. What a glorious, stupendous performance.

Some reviewers are clearly angry -- if not downright enraged -- that they must bear witness to a horrific time in this country's history and be reminded that yes, some are descended from people who chose to enslave others. But it is an important time in this country's history, and kudos to Spielberg and the daring Tony Kushner to bring this painful part of our history to light. I am grateful for having seen it, and a better person for having seen it.
Review Date: 8/1/2013

After watching what seemed like 20 straight to-the-core, can't-get-off-my-sofa, earth-shattering dramas on my Netflix queue, I thought I would choose a comedy for a change, and selected Little Miss Sunshine. As soon as I popped the movie in my dvd player, within the first 20 minutes, I realize -- oh, crap. This is not a comedy. But without question, this is one of the best movies I would see that year.

Remarkable performances by Greg Kinnear and Toni Collette, who are reunited as husband and wife again (some of you may recall them in the equally charged film, Dinner With Friends). I remember Greg Kinnear when he used to host Soup Dish or whatever that 30 minute thing he did on the "E" network and would have never, in my wildest dreams, imagine that he had so much dramatic range and talent. As for Toni Collette, well, I've loved her since "Muriel's Wedding" and it is quite conceivable that this woman can do no wrong.

This was the first time I'd ever seen Steve Carell (save for the voice in Over the Hedge) and he was sublime, near perfect as the suicidal uncle. The real surprises were Alan Arkin (who truly deserved his Oscar), Abigail Breslin and Paul Dano, as the tortured, silent brother, Dwayne.

Little Miss Sunshine has some remarkable moments of drama followed by profound hilarity. Families are not perfect. Life is not perfect. There will be disappointments and misgivings and loss, but if you're lucky, you will still be standing, with your family, trying to act normal. And what looks like normal on some days can easily be mistaken for chaos on others. That's just life. Don't miss this one. And you will never hear Rick James's "Superfreak" the same way again.


Review Date: 12/27/2012

Halfway through this amazing series I remember thinking, "they should just give the Emmy to Kate Winslet right now". She is truly the actor of her generation. She was stunning and absolutely believable as a woman haunted and nearly paralyzed by grief. Multi-layered storylines, so you'll have to pay attention. Slow pacing, spectacular attention to detail. They captured the bleakness of this fictitious city in Pennsylvania, ravaged by drug addiction, teen pregnancy, and jobs to nowhere. Stunning performances by Julianne Nicholson, Jean Smart and Evan Peters, who all deserved their Emmys for their performances. I believed these people and their struggles. When Mare is asked about surviving grief and the loss of a loved one, her words were powerful: "At some point, you have to get up. Put food in the pantry. Pay the electric bill. Change your sheets. And get on with it. You learn to live with it." Haunting, beautiful and poignant.
Review Date: 2/3/2024

Don't. Even. Think. About. It. Just. Rent/Purchase/Swap. The. Original.

As others have posted, I do not for the life of me understand why someone felt the need to remake this classic, and for the eight people who actually sat through it I guess there was nothing remotely interesting on tv that night. As was already mentioned, it was literally stolen line-by-line, scene-by-scene. Daniels and Heaton brought absolutely nothing to this charmless, souless remake. Shameful.
Review Date: 3/21/2011

Without question, one of the most poignant, brilliant films I will see this year.

I guess my perspective is unique in that I have seen few films featuring international martial arts scholar Jet Li. He takes on a role of such beauty and simplicity, it is astonishing. He plays Wang, father to Dafu, who is autistic. Wang has been diagnosed with end-stage liver cancer. Dafu's mother died when he was seven. Wang is Dafu's only caregiver, in every sense of the word. It raises pivotal questions: who will care for the children with disabilities when their parents die? What responsibility does the community, city and state have for those with disabilities? Whose child is this, anyway?

We watch Wang carefully, delicately, raise his son. Dafu, played by Zhang Wen, gives an astonishing performance. Slow and delicate, at times almost difficult to watch, but a testament of the power of love, patience, community and family.
Review Date: 5/25/2014

Nearing the end of a re-watch of this beloved series. First learned of the show in a TV Guide -- remember those? -- feature, back in the 90s. I was a little late to the party, watching it while it was well into its third season. It was the episode in which Sam leaped into a pregnant 15 year-old in the 50s in a small town in Texas. It was a hilarious but incredibly touching episode, with Sam -- played by the truly joyful Scott Bakula -- nailing the mannerisms of a very pregnant female. And as we all know, the only other person from his time that Sam can see and hear is Al, played by the amazing Dean Stockwell.

What has been stunning to me in this rewatch of this series is first and foremost, the chemistry between Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell. By the third season it was clear how much they enjoyed working together, nearly finishing each other's sentences and ad-libbing like crazy. Their camraderie, their friendship, their love and respect for one another is palpable.

What I never realized when I watched this show when it first aired was how powerful so many of the episodes are, particularly the ones in which Sam leaped into a woman. The showed aired in the late 90s. There was plenty of "T&A" shows still on during this time. But in a time of misogyny the show was surprisingly pro-female. An episode comes to mind in which a woman, spurned by her married lover, is ready to jump from a ledge. There is Sam, who leaped into the woman's female roommate, on the ledge with her, in the rain. As he tries to coax her from the ledge, she cries how her married lover made her feel special. "You don't need a man to make you feel special" was Sam's reply to her. I sat on the sofa, astonished. What a deeply profound thing to say, even more so for the late 90s. And remember, with the exception of Al and Gooshie, all the people who worked on Project Quantum Leap were women.

NBC's Brandon Tartikoff, then president of NBC, took a chance on Quantum Leap and was fervent in keeping the show on the air. Once Tartikoff left NBC and Warren Littlefield took over, one of the first things Littlefield did was cancel Quantum Leap. Could it have gone on for another season two? We'll never know. All we got instead was the last episode -- where I will not share any spoilers -- which was an insult to fans, the actors and all those involved in such an endearing show. Has it aged a bit? Yes, but only in a few teeny places. But it has been such a joy to rewatch this series. Highly, highly recommend, for nothing else just to watch the acting and amazing chemistry of Scott Bakula -- a relative unknown at the time -- and the late Dean Stockwell.
Review Date: 4/18/2023

For the first half hour I could not understand a single word because of the thick accents. No subtitles. I clearly remember thinking: I'm going to give this another half hour and if I still can't understand what is being said I am going to turn it off. Magically, unbelievably, within the half hour I was able to understand.

To say this is a gritty and dark film is an understatement. You feel as with each passing moment you sink lower and lower into the dark earth and at the film's conclusion, you struggle to make your way to back to the light.

Stunning, absolutely stunning. Left me breathless. As the credits rolled, I could not move from the sofa. I realized that us Americans will never get it right; we cater too much to advertisers and make films/shows for 14 year old boys. You have to stay with it because it is quite the puzzle but it was written with the thought that the audience that does hang around and get it are the ones they were going after anyway. This is not a pretty film. There are no happy endings. Definitely not for the faint of heart. "Dark" does not even begin to describe it. I felt as if I were on a roller coaster, hurtling through the darkness, buckled in only by the slimmest of belts, and left never quite the same way again. Haunting. A cinematic masterpiece, in my opinion.
Review Date: 7/2/2015

Did not like this film at all. As a New Yorker, I was deeply offended by this film. Contrite, contrived, saccharin-soaked. Adam Chandler should stick to what he does best: the banal, lame-brain comedies. No more forays into the darkness, Adam.
Review Date: 3/16/2011

This film has haunted me for years.

I have grown, over time, to have such admiration and respect for the wonderful actor, Ellen Burstyn. When you look back over he career -- from the Oscar winning performance in "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore to her fairly recent nomination in the truly brilliant "Requiem for a Dream -- I have to remember the ground she broke as an actor. She could have received a Producer credit for "Alice" but chose not to. I have loved her in everything, but I digress.

I am fairly certain I did not see this one in the theatre. I am pretty sure I saw it on VHS, tucked away in the back of a video store. Or maybe late night on cable TV in the 80s. Never matter. Here she plays Edna, a woman living a carefree life when suddenly, in a horrific car accident, she loses her husband and has an afterlife experience. She realizes soon after that she has the ability to heal others through touch, and now must return home to live with her family as she can no longer care for herself.

Scenes of this film flash through my head as I write this review: the grief of loss when she learns that her husband has died, stopping along a desert gas station as she bitterly returns home to an indifferent, emotionally distant father, a kind gas station attendant, who sees her leg braces and reminds her to make "lemonade from the lemons" and the tears in her eyes, the way she holds a child in her lap who suffers from a nosebleed, the look on her face when she bends a fireplace poke. This is quite a startling film.

The film is steeped with wonderful character actors: Richard Farnsworth, Sam Shepard, Lois Smith and the luminous Eva La Gallienne, who plays the family matriarch. I adore this film. It is nuanced, well-written, well-thought out and lastly, well acted. It was filmed with a tiny budget and probably a very limited release and for the 12 people who were fortunate enough to see it in the theatre, I envy them. It's one of those hidden, undiscovered gems. If you can find it -- it's out of print -- it is well worth the two hours of your time. Ellen Burstyn reminds me again that she is the actor of her generation.
Review Date: 3/9/2014

I had no idea his eyes were so blue.

I first saw this Live on Broadway on HBO when it aired in 2002. I live in NYC, and have for most of my life. Years ago, I had the privilege of watching Robin Williams live at the Metropolitan Opera House in 1986. I think back to 1986 and watching him pounce around the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House -- of all the places!! -- and think, did I really see that? Was I really there or was it all just a dream? It was not. I have the ticket stub to prove it.

Last night, I sat down to watch Robin's live performance on Broadway five months after his death. We are all still reeling from the death of Robin Williams. This is a fact I find still so very, very hard to believe. And watching him on my tv last night had me pausing many a time throughout the performance, to cover my eyes and grieve the loss of this brilliant, tortured man. Robin Williams.

What a stupendous performance. What I am reminded of again is Robin's comedic brilliance, and most importantly, his incredible gift of language and linguistics and dialect. How this man could so effortlessly go from Russian to Parisian to Indian to Scottish to British to Noo Yawk to a southern drawl is unparalleled genius. No one is spared and he slices through the lunacy of George Bush II, to Dick Cheney, Margaret Thatcher, terrorists, how the Scots created golf to the perils of viagra. This comedy is not for the faint of heart. But for me, I laughed so hard and so long that many times I could not breathe. Tears running down my face, into my ears.

His loss is a palpable thing. For the life of me I will never understand why he chose to leave us in the way he did. As the credits rolled and my now sorrowful tears rolled down my cheeks, I had to put my head down and say a prayer for Robin: I hope he has found peace. Perhaps we were only to have him for as long as we did. Perhaps we were only to have him to witness his comic genius for the time that we did. Perhaps we were to have him for as long as we did to bring joy and laughter into our lives. And we are better because he did.
Review Date: 1/18/2015

Is it worth the hype? Good question. I enjoyed the limited episode first season, and looked forward to Season 2. I had the pleasure of watching the entire second season in one weekend, and I have come to realize that this is the way to watch a tv series. But I digress.

Again: is it worth all the hype? Maybe. Is it definitely worth checking out? Yes. For network television, hour-long dramas have just about perished from the earth, but Scandal is a nice romp, moving at a light-speed pace, with everyone talking really really fast and wearing really, really nice clothes, all showcasing the hijinks that go on in our nation's capital. Washington is a cesspool, at least portrayed in Shonda Rhimes' world.

Kerry Washington in breathtakingly beautiful, but it's a good thing this is an ensemble cast. I honestly don't know if she has the acting cajones to pull this off alone. The best thing, the absolute best thing, IMHO, is the smoldering, off-the-chain chemistry between Kerry Washington and Tony Goldwyn, best known for "Ghost" but here is playing President Fitzgerald Grant, known to those who know him well, as Fitz. Against every contrite and ridiculous storyline, I found myself rooting for these two. In the metaphysical, parallel universe of network drama, Olivia and Fitz need to be together. They are able to convey that desperate, longing desire and breathless passion.

But the real stars of Scandal? Guillermo Diaz, who plays the haunted and tortured Huck, a former Black Ops character that has a past as long as my arm who Olivia rescued, and Jeff Perry, who plays Cyrus Beene, President Grant's Chief of Staff. They are treasures and all the scenes you witness with them remind you that this is what network television could be about if they weren't such gutless, soulless, pu***s, eager for a quick buck and the mind-numbing drivel of reality television.

So no, Scandal will not go down in the annals of time as great television (think MASH, think Hill Street Blues, think All in the Family) but it is wildly entertaining and that's all that really counts.
Review Date: 10/1/2013

You cannot compare a book adaptation of a film to the original source.

You cannot compare originals to their remakes.

You can try, but you will utterly and miserably fail. Books and films are different mediums. I have rarely since a film based on a book that I had read that was as good as the book (To Kill A Mockingbird; Sophie's Choice) or in even the rarest of occasions, surpassed the book it was based on (Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Shawshank Redemption, The Dead Zone). You'll just end up like one of those Twilight/Harry Potter crazies, who often were heard aloud in the theater, "That's not what happened on Page 102!"

I had not read the Mitty short story and can't recall seeing the original but let me tell you, I was really looking forward to this Ben Stiller remake and my goodness gracious, did it not disappoint.

Full disclaimer: I can recall only two films that I have seen Ben Stiller in: Keeping the Faith and Reality Bites. I somehow think that all the sophomoric comedies he did up to this point (think "Along Came Polly" or "Zoolander") was to get him to this place: a thoughtful, searing film about choices, journeys and being present in your own life. I read some of the reviews here and folks went on and on about how slow it was (really? As opposed to some frenetic, breathless, incomprehensible pace) but I'm glad it was. This film needed TIME to tell the STORY, and I am grateful that it did.

I loved all the eccentric characters (Adrian Martinez as Hernando, Patton Oswalt as Todd, and of course, the wondrous Sean Penn, who I have adored since...forever) but the story is what captured me. Live and be in the present. Walter had dreams that he stuffed into a backpack when he had to step up and be a responsible adult at a fairly young age. Don't forget who you are or where you have come from, or the people that have helped you get there or the ones that can help you stay there.

Life-affirming, joyous. I watched this one to the last credits beaming from ear to ear. Embrace your maturity, your spirit and your soul, Ben and keep making them just like this for the ones that get it and f**k the ones that don't. One of the best films of 2013, IMHO.
Review Date: 7/8/2014

My find of the year. I have never seen Joanna Lumley in anything save for the hilarious AbFab so this caught me completely off-guard. I was only going to watch a few episodes and ended up watching the entire series until 1:00 in the morning and was sorry when it ended. Funny and heartbreaking, all in the same breath. Such nuanced characters and a storyline that was laugh-out-loud funny at times and then open-mouth-in-horror. Like life, I guess. Characters who found themselves in the winters of their lives and finally recognized what was important, what mattered. Things kind of came full circle. "Here I Am" on a sign at the end, followed by "Me, Too." Kind of a metaphor for all of who find ourselves in the middle of our lives, wondering what is left. I loved every moment of it.
Review Date: 7/27/2012

Craptastic, pointless, meandering. Anything with Jennifer Lopez should be avoided at all costs. Watch the original Japanese version this film was based upon. Beautiful, poignant, hilarious. This is 90 minutes of your life you will never get back.
Review Date: 12/7/2010

I'm surprised (but not really) to see the snarky reviews of Slumdog Millionaire. Did it deserve to win the Academy Award for Best Picture -- absolutely!

I sat down with my teenage son to watch this one night on HBO and within the first twenty minutes I quickly realized this was not what I thought it was going to be -- this is a harrowing, unflinching look into the lives of young people in the slums of India. It was not pretty. Some parts were nearly unwatchable. But at the same time, it is a life-affirming, beautiful film. Kudos to Danny Boyle and the cast of relative unknowns (at least to most of us here in the US). Politics, schmolitics -- watch it for the story, and the immeasurable value of the human spirit.
Review Date: 12/23/2012

Keith: "I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Watts: "Well, you're stupid. I always knew you were stupid."

Keith: "Why didn't you tell me?"

Watts: "You never asked."

[they both look at each other and laugh. He hands her the earrings.]

Watts: "I wanted these. I really wanted them." She says, putting the earrings into her ears.

Keith: "They're yours."

Keith: "You knew you were going to get them", as they walk away together.

Watts: "No, I didn't. But I hoped."

Takes you right back to being 18 and hopeful. Probably the most understated of all the John Hughes teen films of the 80s. If the Breakfast Club is the best, Some Kind of Wonderful is a very close second.
Review Date: 7/26/2018

I cannot watch this film without crying; it's nearly impossible. Beautifully filmed and directed by Jeannot Szwarc, who is probably best known for directing episodic television series ranging from Baretta to The Rockford Files to Fringe and Scandal, gives us a, yes I will admit it -- classic.

Many have dismissed this film as a typical "chick flick", a phrase I find to be disparaging. What I did not know is this film was written by Richard Matheson, who is probably best known as the author of "Psycho" and "He is Legend". Richard Matheson wrote the screenplay based upon his novel, "Bid Time Return". A frequent collaborator with the Twilight Zone's iconic writer and host, Rod Serling. Yes, it does involve time travel but please do not lump this film in the lot with other sci-fi time travel films.

I have always loved this film. The chemistry between its stars, Jane Seymour and Christopher Reeve, is apparent. Their performances, including Christopher Plummer, are believable and poignant. What carries this film into the realm of classic is John Barry's touching score. What I never knew was that John Barry's father and mother died within a few months of each other while he was working on the score. He noted that he did not typically score this type of music but the emotions surrounding the loss of his parents is interwoven in the score. It is haunting. To this day, I cannot hear the score without thinking of this film, which leaves with me with the loss of Christopher Reeve and why I cry each time I view this film.

Is it more poignant to me since the death of Christopher Reeve? Absolutely. The final scene -- which I will not give away here -- is beautiful, and I am always viewing it through tear-filled eyes, as I watch the healthy and oh-so-gorgeous Christopher Reeve, knowing what fate had in store for him, and how his own journey unfolded. Cruel, truly. So settle down with your box of kleenex, turn off your phone and give yourself over to this timeless classic.
Review Date: 1/18/2015

Blistering, brilliant series from BBC. Started watching it at midnight thinking, I'll just watch the first twenty minutes and at 2:30 in the morning, I had to tear myself away because I had to get up in four hours to go to work.

Brilliant all around -- acting, writing, directing. You have to stay with it as the story takes so many leaps and turns that I found it hard to follow at times. Bill Nighy is sublime as the slick newspaper editor and a tour-de-force for James MacAvoy and David Morrissey. Do not confuse this one with the American remake with Ben Affleck -- this is the original it was based on. Utterly and absolutely brilliant.
Review Date: 3/21/2014

If imitation is the best form of flattery, than Abrams nailed it. What he nailed, unfortunately, is not an original film, rather a homage to Steven Spielberg, who he clearly idolizes. Not a good film, IMHO -- kind of like The Goonies meets Raiders of the Lost Ark meets Close Encounters of the Third Kind. It starts off well, and then about a half hour into it you realize, horribly, where it's going. I watched it to the end just to watch the entire film but had my head in my hands most of the time. Stereotypical characters, and again, a story airbrushed from about 10 others -- that, quite frankly, were done much better. I love J.J. Abrams (the re-booted Star Trek, Fringe, Cloverfield) but this was disappointing.
Review Date: 6/30/2012

This is the movie that is credited with killing present-day adult dramas. Recent GQ article:

http://www.gq.com/entertainment/movies-and-tv/201102/the-day-the-movies-died-mark-harris

"At their most basic, their movies weren't movies; they were pure product—stitched-together amalgams of amphetamine action beats, star casting, music videos, and a diamond-hard laminate of technological adrenaline all designed to distract you from their lack of internal coherence, narrative credibility, or recognizable human qualities. They were rails of celluloid cocaine with only one goal: the transient heightening of sensation."


Review Date: 2/23/2011

My first paid-for-in-the-theatre Tyler Perry movie. Good News: He's not wearing a dress. Bad News: He's not wearing a dress. Plot holes you can drive a truck through (the widow of a vet but but no $$$; she can get him access to a Harley but can't pay her rent? She drives a mini-van and has an iPod but no cell phone?) but that's me being persnickety. Tyler's foray into credible drama was a miss: contrived, manipulative, embarrasingly amateurish, and an oft-told tale that has been better told elsewhere. Cringe-worthy is the word that comes to mind. He means well, he really does. But by the time the Richard Marx song came on at the end I already had my head in my hands. This was a movie (oops, I almost typed "film") for his fans. I so wanted to be one but as much as I admire Tyler Perry the person, I realized that I am not a fan of his movies.
Review Date: 7/1/2012

This is a guilty pleasure of mine for sure. I find myself watching it when it comes on television, which it seems to magically appear on cable several times a year.

I attempted to read the source novel the film is based on and here's a warning as others have pointed out: the book is absolutely nothing like the film. This isn't even a question of taking artistic license; the film is almost a prequel to the book. They chose to start the film at the time the Diane Lane character was divorcing whereas the book took place much later. And we, the viewer, are much better for it. I found the book to be dry and nearly unreadable (I gave up after a few chapters) but I loved this film. Kudos to the screenwriters for seeing the real story.

The lovely and luminous Diane Lane embraced this role with aplomb, and the supporting cast of Sandra Oh, Lindsay Duncan and the sweet actors who portrayed Frances' rag-tag team of villa renovators, raise the level of this sweet story of new chances, taking chances, friendship and family.

"Never lose your childish innocence. It is the most important thing." Indeed.
Review Date: 5/1/2022

Reese Witherspoon is not one of my favorite actors, but I have to say: nearly every time this film appeared on my local cable station, I watched it, regardless of where in the film I happened to catch it. I found it that compelling.

The film starts with her in the hotel room, the day before she is about to start her journey across the Pacific Crest Trail. She has done her homework about what to bring -- and boy, did she ever, as her backpack of stuff weighs 70 pounds. She attempts to get to her feet with the 70 pounds on her back, and ends up in a turtle-like position, having to use a table as a brace as she slowly gets to her feet. There, ladies and gentlemen, is the story: the weight you have to carry as you traverse through life.

The film goes back and forth in Cheryl Strayed's life, from her as a little girl, healing her mother's bruises after yet another knock-down by her father, as a young woman, struggling to find her space, as a drug addict, and then, as a little older, making the decision to walk the Pacific Crest Trail. What prompts her to take this on as a novice hiker with no money, no cell phone and no credit card? Well, you'll have to watch this film to visit Cheryl's journey.

Good for Reese for taking this on. And for Cheryl Strayed, for sharing her story.
Review Date: 2/5/2025

It's really, really hard to not compare this remake to the original 1939 George Cukor film. Different eras, different time -- I get that. But on many levels, I was more able to relate to the original whereas this remake what a long, shrill ride. Overly dramatic, almost cartoonish-like characters. The women portrayed in this version seemed so patently unrealistic they almost came off like caricatures of real women. They certainly are not like any women I know. Wonderful actors -- Annette Benning, Meg Ryan, Debra Messing -- wasted in this vapid mess. Jada Pinkett-Smith thrown in for what? The superficiality of an ethnically diverse cast? Aside from a wonderfully cast Candice Bergen and a great scene in which Annette Benning's character has a frank discussion about sex with Meg Ryan's daughter, it reminded me of the epically downward spiral of women's film roles, and a shame to what once was the upward trajectory of Meg Ryan's film career.
Review Date: 4/23/2014

Beautiful, sweet film. Second chances, new chances, forgiveness. You start out thinking, whoah, what the heck is going on -- but give it a chance. You'll have to suspend belief a bit, but stay with it. Wonderfully nuanced performances. A beautiful story and acted by professionals who know what they're doing. Two Academy Award winners in William Hurt and Eddie Redmayne. I was shocked by how much I was touched by this film. A gentle and slow pacing. The film took its time telling the story, and we are the better for it.
Review Date: 3/31/2021

***GENTLE SPOILER AHEAD***

It's always sad to read member reviews on this and other sites because so often so many get it completely wrong.

I loved that Bigelow took her time with this. She wove a brilliant film, born out of a scorching screenplay, that is nuanced, multi-layered and exquisite. No, we don't know that much about Maya but that's the whole point. What did we need to know about her to move the story along? My favorite part was the end, the long, sorrowful look at her face, on that empty, cavernous plane, when the pilot asks her where she wants to go and she has no answer. That should tell you a lot, folks.

And yes, there are a dizzying array of names, places and dates to keep track of. It's kind of a testament to the films of old, that took their time to tell stories and believed that the audience would stay with it and get it.

And yes, it was dark at the end -- we were watching it from the POV of the Navy Seal 6 team wearing their infrared. Of course it would be dark. It added to the tension and the drama. We all knew how it would end so the challenge was to keep us watching.

Jennifer Ehle -- her face was familiar to me but I didn't recognize who she was until watching the credits. This is the same woman who played Elizabeth Bennett in what many feel is the penultimate version of Pride and Prejudice.

I had never seen Jessica Chastain in anything prior to Zero Dark Thirty so her grittiness, her obsessiveness and REALness was nearly mesmerizing. Again, that scene at the end will haunt me, as will the beginning. I live in NYC, and will always remember 9/11. Hearing the voices of what I quickly realized were of those trapped inside the towers cast a pallor on the film that was deliberate, conscious and reminded you starkly of the horror of that day, and the mission of those who took on the call to find and destroy Bin Laden. A captivating film. Bravo, Bigelow.
Review Date: 9/21/2013

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