It was embarrassing seeing Diane Keeton in Because I Said So. Every actress seems to have her bombs, but how could this even be the same person who did Annie Hall, Reds, The Godfather, Something’s Gotta Give, etc?

The story was also so unbelievable. No mother who was that controlling would have been so close to her daughters. They would have stopped speaking to her long ago! And would an architect and a musician, who were both good looking, really need to ‘apply’ to find a woman?

Now, is there anything good I can say about this movie? It would be good to save your money and time by not renting or buying it.

Guillermo del Toro not only wrote this story, but also directed it with crisscross patterns of creative fantasy and harsh reality. The animation is nothing like Disney. The sometimes crude and frightening fairies and faun serve his purpose well. His creatures are reminiscent of Return to Oz when they evolve from rocks and insects.

In this dark fairy tale, only for adults, the strength of women is uplifting. The young lady, Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), from her first meeting with Capitán Vidal (Sergi López), exhibits an unconquerable spirit. Her mother (Ariadna Gil) and Mercedes (Maribel Verdú) all show a shadowed optimism in this 1944 Franco Spain setting. All three exhibit outstanding performances that captivate the audience’s empathy.

The exact opposite is the Fascist Capitán Vidal. From the first words about his wife’s arrival being fifteen minutes late, you know he is evil. His handsome charm betrays his sinister obsession with cruelty. His military genius gives him many opportunities to exhibit this side. He exploits his wife and those who care for her only to gain a son, not for love but to extend his military heritage. López gives a performance that should be rated with the renowned villains of all time.

This historic fiction enriches the viewer’s knowledge of the emotions during WWII in Spain. The fantasy, like del Toro’s Book of Crossroads, gives the mind an imaginative blank book, ready to be filled with challenges. Watch it at least once.

Not often do I enjoy the movie more than the book, but this is one of the exceptions. My age says I’m an adult, but still enjoy movies aimed at children. This one should have an advisory that younger children should wait until they are older to see this classic.

The Disney animation, mixed with charismatic child actors, brings the viewer an escape from the predictable. You feel their frustrations as bullies rule their lives, and their joy as they build their fantasy in the woods. Family life is a strong force, but friendship is their salvation, only to come back to family bonding when tragedy strikes. Villains and heroes come in unexpected forms, and switch roles. An all too perfect world come crashing down.

Anna Sophia Robb is an actress to watch. She is refreshing as the misfit newcomer who refuses to conform. Her quirky charm grows on her two friends, as well as the viewers. No doubt she was captivating as the little girl who loved Winn-Dixie, and the perfect smart aleck Violet she was supposed to be in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. But as Leslie Burke she radiates in a role made for her. The fantasy all becomes believable. Can’t wait to see her next film!

You expect a lot from the film that wins the Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards. Lives of Others delivers. From the beginning with the interrogation scene the intrigue starts. Switching from audio, to classroom discussion, to the visual scene of the suspect is a powerful insight to the operation of the Stasi. The film grips you in this vise until the end.

One of the top operatives in East Germany in the ’80s is played by Ulrich Mühe. His performance is so moving as he evolves throughout the story. You experience every emotion as he struggles with his conflicting life. He becomes involved with his assignment to bug and listen to a writer and an actress. Bending rules turns to breaking rules as his metamorphous continues. How wonderful he was able to deliver such an award-winning performance before his death in July. How sad that it was to be his last.

It’s now out on DVD and well worth buying or renting. Since Mühe was an actor in East Germany under surveillance, how could the remake in the U.S. even come close?

On 9/7/07, Lionsgate is releasing 3:10 To Yuma starring Russell Crowe and Christian Bale. Directed by Cathy Konrad and James Mangold, the same team who directed Walk The Line, 3:10 To Yuma is a screen adaptation of Elmore Leonard’s take on the classic western from his 1953 short story of the same name. In 1957 Delmer Daves directed Glenn Ford in the first adaptation to critical and commerical success. 3:10 follows the capture of Ben Wade (Crowe), a notorious railroad robber, and the journey on horseback to catch the 3:10 train to Yuma where he’ll face justice. Bale plays Dan Evans, a Civil War vet who owes money on his ranch and decides to take the offer to make some quick money by escorting Wade on the dangerous mission. Along the way tension builds as Wades men track the group in an attempt to free Wade. Also starring with Crowe and Bale are Peter Fonda and Ben Foster.

Early reviews from those who have seen the film are very positive, and as a western fan I’m excited to see the return of an old school eastwood-esque movie to screens. It’s been several years since Open Range, directed by Kevin Costner, and Hollywood has been tepid towards westerns over concern about the genre’s draw. 3:10 may prove to be a benchmark that will affect how many westerns are greenlighted in the coming years. If you’re a western fan like me, make sure you support 3:10 To Yuma and let studios know that this genre is far from dead.

Check out the 3:10 To Yuma trailer at the official site.

I almost didn’t publish this post because it’s really not surprising, but Advertising Age is reporting that Michael Moore’s forthcoming documentary, ‘Sicko’, is already showing up on peer-to-peer networks. Scheduled for a June 29^th release, the film is a scathing attack on the U.S. health care system and the difficulty so many people have affording the high cost of coverage. Of course, it’s nearly impossible to determine how this will affect box office receipts since its difficult to determine if downloaders would have payed to see the film if it wasn’t available on the net. My personal feeling is that it won’t affect the film’s gross since Moore’s audience largely consists of educated, upper middle class thirty-somethings who have already decided to see the film in theaters. But either way this isn’t good news for The Weinstein Company or Moore. After poor showings from their last couple of productions, the Weinstein brothers are hoping for a big return on their investment, ala Moore’s record-holding ‘Fahrenheit 9/11’. As for himself, Moore is under investigation by the U.S. government for a trip to Cuba he took with 9/11 survivors shown in the film. Many speculate the investigation is politically motivated, fueled by anger over the drubbing the current administration received in ‘Fahrenheit’.

We’ve got an image from Entertainment Weekly of Christian Bale in the newly redesigned Batman suit from ‘The Dark Knight’. Coming to theaters on July 18 of next year, the biggest feature of the new suit is the cowling which, for the first time, is a separate piece from the main suit. According to designer Lindy Hemming, previous suits were constructed with the head and body connected in one single mold. Unlike other actors who have worn the cape crusader costume, Christian has full movement of his head and can now look from side to side and nod up and down. Directed by Christopher Nolan, ‘The Dark Knight’ follows Batman and Lt. James Gordon (Gary Oldman) as they try to stop a psychopathic killer only known as ‘The Joker’ (Heath Ledger).

Scheduled to hit screens in December 2007, Warner Bros. is releasing ‘I Am Legend’, directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Will Smith. Sounding very much like ‘28 Days Later’, Smith stars as ‘Neville’, the last uninfected human being alive in a near–future New York City after the world is attacked by a plague that transforms humans into vampires. I don’t blame you if you’re not excited by that short synopsis, but the movie is based on a novella by the same name published in 1954 by science fiction writer Richard Matheson. This is the third treatment of Matheson’s book, first filmed as ‘The Last Man on Earth’ in 1964 with Vincent Price, and then a second time in 1971 as ‘The Omega Man’, starring Charlton Heston. Helming this latest adaptation, Francis Lawrence is probably most known for directing the Keanu Reeves vehicle ‘Constantine’ in 2005. Warner Bros. just released a trailer for the film in quicktime/HD format. Though its only two minutes long, the special effects of a deserted, run down New York look particularly realistic. This genre’s old hat for Smith who’s starred in several sci-fi and apocalyptic thrillers like ‘Independence Day’, ‘Men in Black’, and ‘I, Robot’. We’ve all been fooled by trailers before, but this did it’s job of getting my attention. Check out the trailer for ‘I Am Legend’ here.