The Real Housewives of New York City sounds a little a tamer version of the Footballer's Wives. A spin-off of the Bravo series Real Housewives of Orange County, RHNYC tracks the lives of 5 women living in New York. Bethenny Frankel, LuAnn de Lesseps, Ramona Singer, Jill Zarin, and Alex McCord give us a sneak peek at the Bravo-ized version of their lives in the 23 minute Season Preview. Unlike The Real Housewives of Orange County, these 5 ladies seem to have much more hectic lives.

Bethenny Frankel is a health food chef with clients like Denis Leary and Susan Sarandon.

LuAnn de Lesseps is married to a French aristocrat, which helped her along in her budding TV career.

Alex McCord is a visual merchandiser for a major retailer.

Romona Singer buys leftover retail inventory, which she then resells to discount chains and boutiques in her "spare time".

Jill Zarin runs Zarin Fabrics and Home Furnishings on the lower East Side, which rounds out the list of "slacker moms". Zarin also has the distinction of being the primary talent scout who tracked down the other housewives on the list.

The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition has long been one of the brightest spots in the winter between the Super Bowl and the start of the baseball season. This year, you can download the entire hour long television show covering the 2008 shoot for free from AmazonUnbox. Go behind the scenes with host and model Brooklyn Decker as she takes you on a tour of the world with her swimsuit models Tori, Marisa, Oluchi, Daniella and many, many more! You'll see Bar in Israel, Irina in Russia and Selita in the Cayman Islands! And of course what SI Swimsuit show wouldn't be complete without body paint! Download the 2008 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Show for free today!

With the opening title credit "Quentin Tarantino Presents" one can just about bet on a project being a bit off center. Previous 'presents' include: 2006's "Hostel", and "Hero" (2004). Both of which had their unique edge that did make one want to see how it ends. "The Protector" has dual moments. Some when the production techniques were simply amateurish, and surprisingly in contrast, production techniques that are amazing. I know that sounds like a negation but true! The redeeming factor is the superior athletic martial art skills of the star Tony Jaa. One is reminded of Jackie Chan in his younger days...

First I'll start with the story, and then I'll pass along some outrageous observations that somehow all came together for a fun-ride. As with most martial arts films, the story is very basic. Kham (Tony Jaa) comes from a family with a long line of Thai descendants that raise elephants that are chosen by kings and are representative of power. These same descendants are also the guardians of the elephants and highly trained in multiple forms of martial art styles. When poachers steal a prize elephant and its calf and his father killed, Kham follows the trail. The poachers have arranged for the elephants to be shipped to Australia and Kham is in hot pursuit.

Once in Sydney, Australia, Kham following the leads, runs up against, here goes, gangsters, crooked cops, and the mobster's niece Madame Rose (in an absolutely ruthless performance by Xing Jing) who has the Sydney police department in her back pocket! Of course Kham has a multitude of bad guys to fight including a totally outrageous fight in a warehouse where a gang of bike-riding, roller skating, four wheel vehicle driving group, where Kham uses virtually every foot of warehouse space to kick butt! Kham with the physicality and style of Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, and Sonny Chiba all rolled into one, Kham not only sprints up walls in traditional form, but does ceilings as well! There's another scene where Kham, in the tradition of "The Bride", Uma Thurman in "Kill Bill" fights the famous "88 keys" (the men in black masks and suits), Kham's fight scene tops that. The camera starts in a medium shot as the bad guys come into frame and he battles them. During the scene the camera is doing a slow 360-degree turn around Kham. While turning, it's also widening. By the time the shot is at wide angle, there must be a couple of hundred bad guys in black laying about all around Kham!

There are quite a few thrilling sequences that really showcase the athletic skills of Tony Jaa. The one that stands out, and will likely become the marital arts scene to top in future martial arts films is what I call the "winding staircase sequence". Inside a brothel, run by Madame Rose, Tony Jaa, in one long take that had to be at least 5 minutes long, Jaa battles his way up what has to be a 6 story winding open-air staircase! The camera follows Jaa every step of the way as he fights his way to the top, without a single camera cut, where Jaa, clearly out of breath, just keeps on going! What a sequence!

Conversely, the inconsistent production items, in a strange off-the-wall way, added to the fantasy aspect of "The Protector". The look of film had the texture of being filmed in16mm film and being blown up to 35mm, which resulted in a highly grainy washed-out look. The sequences in the character's native land had an amber edge to it, which is fine. When the story shifts to Australia, the scenes have a blue hue to them. Not just a light tint like director Steven Sodenberg used for "Traffic" where the Mexico scenes where lightly tinted amber and the US scenes more color rich and crisp. The Sydney scenes were so blue that sometime the colors were almost completely washed out! Language was a major dichotomy. It starts off with the native tongue with English subtitles, goes to some English badly dubbed still with subtitles, and once in Sydney, which is an English speaking country, the dubbing totally broke down! The main factor that made it a fun movie to watch through all the flaws is the extraordinary skill of the star, Tony Jaa. With absolutely amazing athleticism, definitely look for more from this extremely talented martial artist!

Grade: C

Actor George Reeves, who starred as Superman in the television series The Adventures of Superman (1952-58), died on June 16, 1959. His death was officially ruled a suicide by the Los Angeles Police Department. Reasons surfaced, and was said at the time, that he was very despondent, for quite some time, over his life as an actor. His time as Superman didn’t help. He felt, as some say, he wasn’t taken seriously during and after Superman. Its said that George Reeves’ mother, Helen Bessolo, emphatically insisted that she knew her son and that he would never, ever, commit suicide, no matter how he felt...

"Hollywoodland" reminded of one of my favorite films "Chinatown" (1974) with the period look, set design, photography, even down to the haunting music score. And, the down-and-out private detective who took on the case of the death of actor George Reeves for money and notoriety, and found a lot more than he bargained for as he dug deeper and deeper into the death of the man known as Superman...

It's 1959, actor George Reeves (Ben Affleck) is found dead in his bedroom. Friends, including his fiancée Leonore Lemmon (Robin Tunney), are being questioned by the Los Angeles Police Department, who rule the death a suicide. When George Reeves’ mother Helen Bessolo (Lois Smith) arrives, she has serious reservations and doubts surrounding her son’s death. In an effort to get Bessolo out of their hair, a detective on the case steers her to Louis Simo (Adrian Brody), a private detective who is barely getting by, doing the low end work that befalls a lot of struggling private eyes, divorce cases, insurance claims, and the like. To make matters worse, he’s divorced with a strained relationship with his son. Simo takes the case for $50.00 a day, with the intent of making some easy money.

As Simo starts to dig into the case, he begins to find a lot of loose ends that don’t quite match up. As Simo starts to get a feel for the case we get into the life of George Reeves through flashbacks. We meet a milieu of persons who have a connection to Reeves. There’s Toni Mannix (Diane Lane), the wife of MGM studio head Eddie Mannix (Bob Hoskins), who runs the studio and the lives around him with an iron fist. The couple has an open relationship and we learn of the long-time affair between Toni and George. There’s Howard Strickling (Joe Spano), Eddie Mannix’s right hand man who fixes what ever Eddie wants fixed. And there’s Leonore Lemmon (Robin Tunney) who becomes Reeves’ fiancée after his breakup with Toni. The deeper Simo digs the more loose ends he uncovers and is forcibly demonstrated in no uncertain terms to let it go. In the tradition of the movie "Chinatown", Simo suffers beatings, treats, and non-cooperation at every turn. Simo is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, which is a 180-degree turnaround from where he started, to make some easy money.

"Hollywoodland" gives us a look at a time when Hollywood was young, actors were ambitious, and the powerful were above the law. mysteries were the closest guarded secrets, and some, were never meant to be solved, then or now...

Grade: B

As anyone who has pursued a career in any of the arts knows, it can and will be tough. The old saying that if it was easy, everyone would be doing it, certainly holds true. I was reminded of my aspirations and pursuit of a career in film production. If it wasn't for the fact that I was young and full of ambition and not knowing what I know now, I might have been detoured from the pursuit of a dream that seemed totally stacked against succeeding.

Charles Bukowski published in 1976 bases "Factotum" on the 2nd novel, and it is widely said that the character of Henry Chinaski is his alter ego. If that's the case, how much is conjecture and how much is real...

It's said that Charles Bukowski was all of the things that Henry Chinaski is in "Factotum", which means "somebody employed to do a variety of jobs for somebody else". Henry (Matt Dillon) is a heavy drinker, has casual sex whenever he can, a gambler, and takes on low-level jobs when he needs money to buy his next alcoholic binge. The one thing that Henry is, is truly committed to writing. Above all else Henry believes in himself as a writer and nothing else takes precedence. He uses his good looks and charm to get what he needs and what he wants.

Henry meets Jan (Lili Taylor in a stellar performance) who is almost a mirror image of Henry in that she has a fondness for alcohol, loves sex, and has the same attitude for working as Henry. Henry and Jan hit it off, and Henry moves in with Jan. And it works, for a while. His being a struggling writer enamors her. There are many days and nights of drunken sex and lofty ambitions. As time goes on, what starts out as camaraderie turns into antagonistic confrontations. All the while Henry is writing and mailing his writings to publishers. Henry finally calls it quits with Jan and moves out of her apartment. As is Henry's way, he finds another low-level job to make enough money to get a cheap place. As usual, Henry goes to his local bar and picks out his next sexual encounter.

This time, Henry picks up Laura (Marisa Tomei) who's different from Jan. Laura is more upscale and introduces Henry to a more glamorous world. And of course, Henry is Henry and the relationship with Laura just doesn't work. A chance meeting with Jan happens and they try it again, to no avail. The fire doesn't ignite as brightly as the first time, and they both know it. And Henry, being Henry, goes looking for that next job that takes no commitment that will let him continue to write, to continue to be Henry.

"Factotum" is an engaging film with a top-notch performance by Matt Dillon that takes one into the world of a struggling writer who, above all else, believes in himself as a writer. Does Henry succeed? Well, if Henry is Charles Bukowski's alter ego, we know the answer to that question...

Grade: B

A key factor for a movie reviewer is to try one's best to view a movie through the eyes of the target audience. "Crossover", with its cache of cliché messages (and there's plenty!), is clearly not aimed at adults! I'm reminded of a scene when one of the two friends realizes that the relationship he's in, is not what it seems, or, he hopes it is. I saw it coming. The young audience at the screening didn't, as evidenced by the groans of surprise. But I'm getting ahead of myself. With its music video style editing and pacing, suffice it to say that if a movie seems simplistic or heavy message handed to the adult viewers, it could be right on target for the intended audience. Such is the case with "Crossover"...

Two long time friends, Noah Cruise (Wesley Jonathan), a naturally talented basketball player is determined to become a doctor by using his basketball scholarship to UCLA as a pre-med student. Cruise, as he's called by his friends, is also being pressured by Vaughn (Wayne Brady from the Dave Chappelle Show), a former sports agent who wants him to go the pro route into the NBA with the lure of money and fame. Cruise's best friend is Tech (Anthony Makie). Tech is also a very good basketball player with less ambitious future plans. Also, Tech took the fall for his friend Cruise on an assault charge some time ago which resulted in his missing his senior year of high school. Tech wants to pass the GED test, beat his egotistical arch rival, Jewelz (Philip Champion), in the underground basketball games, which, are highly profitable. Through it all, they remain true loyal friends. Both friends play on the "Enemy of the State" underground basketball team that challenges Jewelz team, at the games that Vaughn sponsors with payments of $2000.00 each to the winners, and $1000.00 each to the losers.

Cruise and Tech meet two best friends Vanessa (Eva Pigford) and Eboni (Alecia Fears). There seams to be instant chemistry between Cruise and Vanessa, and Tech pairs with Eboni. Cruise has a scholarship tour set for UCLA and invites Tech and their new lady friends to go with them. The 'bright lights and neon nights' of LA provides quite a setting for the couples and they fall in love. When the couples return from LA, things start to unravel as Vaughn leans on Cruise to let him represent him with the enticement of money and success to give Vanessa what she deserves in life. And Tech, wanting, in fact needing, to beat his arch rival Jewelz's underground basketball team, makes for a tough time between the two friends because if Cruise plays the underground game, he'll be in violation of the scholarship rules.

"Crossover" has the MTV style look and pacing. Yes, the music is for the "now" generation. And yes, it is full of heavy-handed messages on relationships, aiming for one's goals, stay in school because an education always wins out above sports, and so on. We as adults have heard all before. The kids probably have too. Seeing it played out in a story that they can relate to, situations they have or are dealing with now, and, the possible outcome of their actions, just might be what's needed. A movie with their music, characters, and a story they can relate to. A movie just for them...

Grade: B

The age-old production question comes to mind. It's said that a good film starts with the words on the page. The question becomes, if the words on the page have the basics of a good story, is it the director's skill that turns it into a viable presentation? In "The Quiet", the lines are so trite at times that a serious moment that should have had dramatic impact, comes across with humorous edge to it. Working in production and being on a lot of sets the past 22 years, I've observed that quite often a veteran cast will interpret a scene and be allowed to play the scene with "natural dialogue" and the scene works.

The current "Little Miss Sunshine" is an example of a family with multiple issues, which are woven nicely, with believable edges, into a stimulating film. The family in "The Quiet" has multiple issues as well. The casts of veteran actors give some very interesting profiles of the family members. The veteran cast includes Elisha Cuthbet (Kim Bauer, Jack Bauer's [Keifer Sutherland] daughter in the hit TV series "24"), Camilla Belle (this years remake of the classic "When a Stranger Calls"), Edie Falco (HBO's "Sopranos"), Martin Donavan (this years "The Sentinel"), and Shawn Ashmore ("Iceman" in this years hit "X-Men: The Last Stand").

The story centers on Nina Deer (Cuthbert) and her family. Nina is a cheerleader at high school and on the surface seems to have the perfect upscale suburban life. Her parents Paul (Donavan) and Olivia (Falco) have serious issues. Olivia is heavily dependent on prescription drugs, and is half-in / half-out of the real world. Paul seems simply dissatisfied with his life and where it's taken him. When Paul and Olivia's goddaughter Dot (Belle), whose deaf and doesn't speak, losses her parents, Paul and Olivia take her in. The first family dinner scene reveals just how seriously strained the family relationship is. And, Dot, unwillingly much to her dismay, is thrust into their fractured lives. Because Dot's deaf and doesn't speak, she becomes the sounding board and sometimes the brunt of the aggressions of the family.

At school, the same fate befalls Dot. Even the school basketball star Connor (Ashmore) develops an odd fascination for Dot after being paired with her as a lab partner and starts sharing some of his biggest secrets with Dot. And Dot is harboring perhaps the biggest secret of her own.

Although the actors seem to be doing the best they can with the disjointed and sometimes erratic sequences, the technical look of "The Quiet" is very good. Its all shot in HD (High Definition digital as opposed to film). Previously director Michael Mann had the most extensive use of HD for "Collateral" (Tom Cruise/Jamie Foxx) which took place all in one night and allowed him to use a lot of natural light, as well as the night scenes in "Miami Vice". "The Quiet" did have enough basic substance to make you want to see how it turns out in the end. The last 30 munutes of "The Quiet" made sitting through the first 60 minuets worth the time. It was just a rough ride trying to get there...

Grade: C-

Most Americans remember the 1943 MGM movie titled "Lassie Come Home" starring Roddy McDowall and Elizabeth Taylor. Following in the 50's is the TV series "Lassie" (1954-74) starring Tommy Retting (played Jeff Miller) and June Lockhart. In syndication such titles appeared as "Jeff's Collie" and "Timmy & Lassie". When Tommy Retting died, he was replaced by Jon Provost (who played Timmy) in 1957, with 591, 30-minute episodes being filmed between the two stars.

Both the movie and the TV series are based on Eric Knight's 1940 novel called "Lassie Come Home" with its roots in Britain's onset to World War II as the back drop. This version takes us back to the beginning in Britain, in the 30's...

The story opens with a foxhunt through the narrow streets of a small town in near Yorkshire in northern England, led by the Duke of Rudling (Peter O'Toole). The fox runs through town, being chased by the foxhounds, into the mines where the majority of the men in town work. The men help the fox escape, and, we're introduced to Sam John Lynch). Sam and his wife Sarah, have a 9 year old son, Joe (Jonathan mason) who's pet is a Collie named Lassie. Joe is a lonely boy whose dog is his best friend. Lassie, who knows when she hears the church bell ring, its time for Joe to leave school, makes her way through the streets to meet Joe each day after school. The residents of the town know Lassie and nod as she makes her daily trek through the streets. The Duke sees Lassie and makes an offer to Sam for Lassie. The Duke wants Lassie for a present to his granddaughter Cilla (Hester Odgers). Sam refuses to sell, but as times get really tough when the mine is closed and out of work, Sam reluctantly agrees to sell Lassie, which breaks his son's heart.

Lassie is shipped off to Scotland, 500 miles away, where the Duke's granddaughter is staying and comes under the care of kennelman Hynes (Steve Pemberton) who is quiet abusive to Lassie as he tries break her spirit. After a few unsuccessful attempts at escape, with the subtle help of Cilla, Lassie makes her escape from the estate kennel and starts her journey from Scotland back to Joe. Along the way, Lassie meets a hosts of people, some nice and some, not so nice. Lassie crosses mountains, swamps, grasslands, and forestlands, sometimes almost starving to death, but pushes on to get home.

Solid performances, along with beautiful scenery, make this version of the Lassie classic very watchable. Interesting characters Lassie meets include two Loch Ness monster seekers, and a puppeteer named Rowlie (affectionately played by Peter Dinklage) who saves Lassie's life. Samantha Morton and John Lynch as Joe's parents are solid, and Jonathan Mason as Joe comes across as an average 9 year old and not an actor, who refuses to let go of his best friend. Peter O'Toole demonstrates why he's an icon with a sometimes funny and serious side to the Duke. Other notable English actors include Edward Fox and Robert Hardy who are British staples in English films. This version of "Lassie", under the direction of Charles Sturridge, is solid and unpretentious without getting too melodramatic with just the right balance between humor, action, and drama for an entertaining family film, for the whole family...

In 1976 I was 30 years old, times where tight because of the recession, and those of us who were, and still are, into sports, remember that time when a winning college coach took his first job coaching in the NFL (National Football League) and the one in a million chance that one man had to go after a dream.

In 1976, in Philadelphia, PA, we only got glimpses of the two central characters through the news coverage of the event, in "Invincible" we are drawn into the lives of the two men with a high public profile and the personal battles they each had to conquer.

Based on the true story of Vince Papale, a 30-year-old school teacher, has been reduced to substitute teaching status because of school board cuts and works evenings in the local neighborhood bar as a bartender. Things are tense for Vince and the rest of his neighborhood friends because of the recession.

The relationship with his wife is quite strained. Vince (Mark Wahlberg) is finally laid of as a substitute teacher. After a terrible day Vince comes home to find his apartment empty, his wife has left him, taking everything and leaving behind a note that says he's nothing, and always will be nothing. Vince finds solace with his friends at the bar. These same group of friends are avid Philadelphia Eagles fan. These same friends play what I call sand lot football (and played with my friends in Chicago, well into adulthood!). Although he never played in school, Vince can play football. He plays it better than anyone in his neighborhood. When Vince shows up in the muddy lot where he and his friends play, his team always wins. With the rest of his life in a mess, it's the pick up games that and his friends have to release the tensions of their lives, and, they have their beloved Philadelphia Eagles.

At the same time, the Philadelphia Eagles owner (Michael Nouri) wants to take the team in a different direction and hires Dick Vermeil (Greg Kinnear) as head coach, who has an outstanding record as a college coach. Realizing that there are loyal die-hard Eagles fans, and as a way of generating excitement in the city, at a press conference Vermeil announces an open tryout, purely as hype. With his life in shambles and after a lot of prodding from his friends Vince, who has never even played college ball, decides to give it a shot. The Eagles' open tryouts turn out to be a joke. The head coach puts the rag-tag assortment of pudgy, beer swilling Eagles super fans that show up through the paces anyway. After watching fat guys run the 40-yard dash for the better part of a day, Vince catches the coach's eye. He's fast. He's impressive. Vince, assuming he won't make the cut, finishes his workout and walks out to his car. Vermeil follows him and suddenly, a nobody from the neighborhood is on the squad. With NFL teams starting training camp, it's also the elimination process until the final team members are selected to play for the season. Vince has a chance to stay on the team, but to do it he'll have to beat out dozens of professionals in training camp. Vermeil, the other players, and even the press covering training camp give him no chance at of making the team.

Wahlberg is very convincing as Papale, and has firmly established himself as a consistent performer . Also notable is Elizabeth Banks ("40 Year old Virgin"), as Vince's new love interest, brings a lot of heart to her role and the perfect counter balance to all the Eagles' fans because her character is from New York, moves to Philly, and is a Giants Fan!

"Invincible" is more than just the average sports movie, or 'feel good' film because unlike Rocky, Rudy, or any of the other classic sports movies, because it's the true story of a real person who, during one magical of 1976, made his dream come true. It doesn't get more real than that...

One of the hardest films to direct is the musical/drama movie. In modern times the multiple Oscar winner "Chicago" (2002) starring Richard Gere and Renee Zellwegger made it work. The challenge with "Idlewild" is to bring what's commonly referred to as "old school" style music of the past, and merge with the "Gen X'ers of today. Bryan Barber, the writer and director, is OutKast's music video director and has a good eye for interesting visuals, creating a stylish film that seamlessly mixes live action with animation, including the way he brings old photographs to life for the opening titles, and weaving the nicely staged musical numbers to tell his story. "Idlewild" is not going to win any Oscars. It is a fun ride with music, drama, and a lot of heart.

The story's two main characters are Percival (Andre Benjamin) and Rooster (Antwan A.Patton), who are members of the music group OutKast. They meet as youngsters and are as different as night and day. Rooster, being very good with numbers, takes an early interest in his uncle's alcohol moonshine-running business. Percival is being groomed by his father to take over the mortuary family business. Years later as adults, they both perform at a local speakeasy called "The Church", which is as far away from religion as one can get! Rooster has to deal with the conniving second in command Trumpy (Terrence Howard from last years Oscar winner "Crash" in another chilling and intuitive performance) who wants to take over the liquor running business after the untimely death of his mentor Spats (Ving Rhames, from "Mission Impossible 3"). In the course of dealing with Trumpy and his takeover plans, Angela Davenport (Paula Patton from the movie "Hitch" starring Will Smith) comes to Idlewild, GA with a contract to perform at the "Church". Angela is big city 'torch' singer who, with her style and charm, suddenly wakes up feelings in Percival that he has long since buried.

The story moves right along as Rooster tries to outwit Trumpy for control of "The Church", stay on his wife's Zora (Malinda Williams) good side, and try not to meet the same fate as Spats. Percival tries to deal with his feelings for Angela and help her get over her stage fright while dealing with the overbearing demands of his father (Ben Vereen). Both friends are trying to stay alive. After all, it s the 1930's, in Georgia, during prohibition, Rooster runs a speakeasy which means alcohol, fast women, faster men, and gangsters who want their cut of the action!

There's a good cast of veteran musicians and actors including Cicely Tyson, Macy Gray, and Patti LaBelle. The musical dance numbers are nicely staged, thanks to the music video directing skills of Bryan Barber. "Idlewild" also has stylishly recurring moments like Rooster's interacting with a talking rooster on a flask he inherited from his uncle, and Percival' s ticking clock sequences are very Dahli- esquely staged. There are tender moments like Percival writing a song for Angela to sing for her speakeasy debut has a lot of feeling. Paula Patton as Angela is the movie's one true breakthrough, showing up as a demanding diva, but coming down with stage fright until Percival eases her through it as she performs the song "Moving Cool" he wrote for her. It's one of the movie's high points, because Paula's natural on-screen charisma. Paula Patton is an actress who will be featured in upcoming movies, so keep an eye out.

"Idlewild" is a movie with some good music, nicely staged song & dance numbers, a good period look, some not so nice gangsters, and an underlying dramatic story that tugs at your heart, "Idlewild" has it all...

Grade: B

As a reviewer, the opportunity to see a movie more than once often presents itself. The question becomes do I want to. The films that I have viewed more than once is, for me, an indication that is has passed that secondary stage of being a lot better than above average. "The Illusionist", which has my record of 3 screenings, is at the top of my list of favorite films of 2006! What are the others so far? "V for Vendetta", "An Inconvenient Truth", and "Thank You For Smoking" have had multiple screenings by this reviewer. Readers of my reviews have asked me, what is that a special criterion that sets certain films apart from the others. A few quick items come to mind, like the look. Does it fell like the period or time frame it represents? Plausibility relating to reality, cinematic style, story coherency, is each cast member equally convincing in their roles for the ensemble flavor of the total, and how deeply, good or bad, did the film stir my emotional psyche. "The Illusionist" has it all, a good love story that spans 20 years, mysterious plot twists, stunning scenic design that captures the 1900's lifestyle, a "Hercule Pirot" (Agatha Christi's sleuth) style chief detective caught between wanting to do the right thing and holding on to his job, and, the polished yet despicable nemesis who will stop at absolutely nothing to achieve his goal. "The Illusionist" has them all, nicely packaged into 109 minutes that held me mesmerized from beginning to end, for all three screenings...

As regular readers know, it is my custom not to give away vital clues, plot twists or endings so that, should you choose to see a film, you'll have virtually the same first time view of events that I did. "The Illusionist" falls into the category that "The Sixth Sense" or "The Crying Game" did, with clues and an ending that stirs one's emotions. I will say that there was applause the end, which is a rarity these days...

The setting is 1900's Vienna. A carpenter's son, (Aaron Johnson) about 15 years old, happens upon a traveling magician. So moved by what he experienced for that brief moment, decides to learn & practice slight-of-hand tricks, relentlessly, as he goes about his daily errands. While on one of those errands, he meets the young princess Sophie (Eleanor Tomlinson). Clandestine meetings ensue, and of course, they are discovered. More importantly, he is of the working class, she is royalty, and that just isn't proper, or allowed. The young couple ignore the warnings until the young carpenter is driven from the city.

For the next fifteen years the young carpenter traveled the world gathering and practicing the secrets of magic and illusions. Under the performing name of Eisenheim, The Illusionist (Edward Norton in a mesmerizing performance!) arrives in Vienna. Attending a performance at the grand auditorium is the Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell at his despicable nemesis best!) and, Sophie (Jessica Beil). When Eisenheim asks the audience for a volunteer for one of his illusions, the Crown Prince offers Sophie. When Sophie takes the stage, Eisenheim immediately recognizes her as his childhood sweetheart. Sophie not recognizing him performs the illusion. The Crown Prince, forever the pompous aristocrat invites Eisenheim to give a performance at the royal estate and a challenge to unmask the secrets. Eisenheim accepts and at the performance Sophie recognizes Eisenheim, the Crown Prince is highly embarrassed by one of Eisenheim' s illusions, and commissions Chief Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti in an excellent portrayal comparable to Agatha Christi's "Hercule Pirot") to shut Eisenheim down. What ensues is a cat-and-mouse tour-de-force battle of the seen and unseen with Sophie caught in the middle.

As is my custom of not giving away clues, plot twists or the ending, "The Illusionist" provides 109 minutes of great movie making, excellent ensemble cast performances, and a story that has one trying to decipher the subtle clues, and, taking a deep breath of exhilaration at the end. I can hardly wait to see it, again...

Grade: A

The husband/wife directing team of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris has an extensive production background in producing and directing commercials, music videos, and documentary films dating back to the early 80's. With their story telling skills in fine tuned form, and a screenplay full of engaging characters, Jonathan and Valerie skillfully present a film with multi-layers about persons dealing with issues, both family and personal. Just enough time is spent cinematically and directorially on the actors' performances to set a pace that is slow and deliberate, and brings one into the world of the Hoover family...

The Hoover family is firmly established at a dinner meal at the end of a particularly rough day for all family members. The Hoover's live in Albuquerque, NM, not as upscale as they would like but with dreams of a better life to come. Richard (Greg Kinnear) is the dad. He's a motivational speaker, although not as successful as he'd like, has a deal in the process for a book that could take his motivational platform to the next level. Sheryl (Toni Collette) is his wife. She's the glue and the leveling anchor for the family. Their teen son Dwayne (Paul Dano) is a withdrawn unfulfilled youth who spends his time immerse in Nietzsche, is in to the ninth month of a vow of silence with aspirations of being an Air Force pilot. Sheryl's brother Frank (Steve Carell) is a high profile academic wiz who failed an attempt at suicide after a break up with his male lover and is now in the custody of his sister during the final phase of rehabilitation. There's Grandpa (Alan Arkin) and Richard's father, with a vocabulary equal to a cussing sailor, regularly snorts his drug of choice in the bathroom, has been kicked out of the nursing home, and is coaching his young granddaughter Olive (Abigail Breslin) who's the optimist with dream of winning beauty pageants to become a beauty queen.

The all important phone call comes letting the Hoover's know that Olive has made the finals for the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant in Redondo Beach, California. After heated discussions, disagreements, and capitulations, it's agreed that all family members should go and plan the drive to the pageant. The Hoover's take off in their 60's 'flower children' style VW bus (minus the painted flowers & peace symbols of the 60's). It's a two day journey and one gets a sense of what the trip will be like when the bus develops a clutch problem early on and has to be pushed by the family to get it started each time they park it!

Directors Jonathan and Valerie balance the unconventional behavior, sometimes dark humor, and off-the-wall events with soul searching moments and don't become overtly preachy with their ultimate message that each of us might have issues, the question is how far will we each go to understand and work them out. "Little Miss Sunshine" is a road movie, both literally and figuratively, that shows us that we all have to find our way in this erratic, out-of-our control world, to simply just live life. And, by the way, to never let go of our dreams...

Grade: B

Filmmaker Oliver Stone, certainly undeservedly, has the reputation of conspiracy theorist woven into his work. A careful examination of his work, in my opinion, reveals that other side of the coin that a lot of us might think about, but dare not say out loud. A lot of his films fall into the "realist" realm more than conspiracy. One of my favorites of Oliver Stone's is his sports film "Any Given Sunday" (Al Pacino). In that film he brought the viewer right up close and personal to the world of professional football, with a view of although it's entertainment and sport, the driving force behind it all is big business. It's the layers to his work that often times sparks the "conspiracy" premises that people tend to look for, once his name is attached. There are two parts to filmmaking that always dictates the impact of ones work, cinematic style and story. On that level, Oliver Stone, as his body of work shows, is a master of both.

If one takes away the emotional tie of the World Trade Center and its 9/11 impact, Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center" is a drama of two dedicated New York Port Authority Police Officers, who, in the course of a workday that starts out fairly routine, and find themselves putting their lives on the line to rescue others and become trapped themselves.

Just as on TV, there are also reality movies and this is as real as it gets. The screenplay by Andrea Berloff, based on the true story of John McLoughlin (in a very moving performance by Oscar® winner Nicholas Cage), captures the total lives (including the families) of the central characters of John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno (Michael Pena's poignant performance) of the New York Port Authority Police Department.

In the cinematic style of Oliver Stone, the story opens with the city of New York waking up on the morning of September 11, 2001. With the blue sky over New York, McLoughlin and Jimeno travel in the early morning traffic from their homes in Orange County, N.Y., and New Jersey, to start the routine of their daily jobs. As the 1st tower is hit, their squad is called, as first responders, to the twin towers. Director Oliver Stone effectively puts us in the World Trade Center alongside John and Will and cuts back and forth between their concerned and increasingly panicked families, while rescue attempts from above are in progress. Some sequences of John and Will are also flashbacks on points in their family lives that are memorable moments for them, as they cling to life and each other, and the hope that they will live.

The filmmaking aspects are heightened by director Stone's expertise. The sounds of the imploding towers from the perspective of the two trapped men is haunting and deadening, as millions of tons of debris comes crashing down around them. Nicholas Cage and Michael Pena, doing most of their acting lying on their backs and in almost total darkness, are very compelling as men trying to help each other stay awake and stay alive, coupled with the inter-cuts to the anxieties and hysteria of their wives is mesmerizing with Maria Bello as Donna McLoughlin and Maggie Gyllenhaal as Allison Jimeno.

"World Trade Center", is perhaps one of Oliver Stone's most poignant films to date. The last scene is a staged reunion two years after 9/11. A close look shows the actors meeting their real life counterparts. And that is as real as real gets...

Grade: A

I'm a boomer and grew up with a lot of the actors in "Boynton Beach Club" and I have to admit, a lot of them look very good! The original title of "Boynton Beach Bereavement Club" was shortened with the dropping of the word 'bereavement' which I think was a good idea. The movie addresses so much more than just the loss of a loved one. It covers a milieu of situations and circumstances that can be major issues when one becomes a senior.

The story takes place at a Boynton Beach (Florida) retirement community, and introduces us to six characters as they make new friends and, in some cases, strike up romances. The central characters are members of the "Boynton Beach Bereavement Club," which is a support group for those who have recently lost a loved one, usually a spouse. The latest members are Jack (Len Cariou), who has just lost his wife after being married for over forty years, and Marilyn (Brenda Vaccaro), whose husband, while out for his usual 'speed walk', is run over. While at the club for their first meeting, they meet members Lois (Dyan Cannon), who lost both her husband and a child during the last ten years. And Harry (Joseph Bologna), a widower who's back in the dating game. There's also Sandy (Sally Kellerman), whose loss we learn, isn't the death loss that a member usually suffers and is working on coping with it. And, there's Donald (Michael Nouri), (and not giving away a vital plot twist) isn't a member of the bereavement club, but is connected to both Lois and Marilyn.

Boynton Beach Club, sometimes loosely and sometimes very directly, deals with a lot of the social and real issues of aging. Viagra is dealt with briefly, and the loss of loved ones is handled with humor and a lot of dignity. We get a keen insight into how the characters put their lives back together, and how other family members like sons and daughters and grandchildren handle the changes to the lives of the their elders. There's one scene that deals with how a daughter, who's shocked that her father is dating after her mother's death.

"Boynton Beach Club" has six strong performances from the veteran actors. Brenda Vaccaro as Marilyn is convincing with her character's loss as the central theme of the movie. Joseph Bologna, who makes us care about Lothario who is more harmless than he seems. Len Cariou's character of Jack has a lot of heart and we want good things to happen for him. Michael Nouri, at 60 still has the charm of a leading man. Dyan Cannon, looks down right sexy as Lois! And Sally Kellerman, in her late 60's, proves how gutsy and sexy she is with a topless scene! Without the thought that "Boynton Beach Club" is about boomers, its a romantic comedy about people who come together, go through a few changes, and find love, which, after all, is what living life is really all about, no matter how old you are. I'm a boomer, and I'm having the time of my life!

Grade: B

"Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" works because the characters surrounding the star, and co-writer Will Farrell are interesting, likable, and funny without overtly trying too hard to be. Being a moderate Will Farrell fan, I welcomed the very good cast who rounded out the ensemble who seemed to be having a lot of fun with their characters. The highpoint is the thrilling Nascar racing sequences that put you right up front from the high speed laps around racetracks to the organized chaos of the racing pits!

The story opens with young Ricky Bobby and how he was born in the back of a speeding Chevy, with his first words as a toddler being: "I wanna go fast." As Ricky (Will Farrell) reaches manhood his passion for speed is still there and is working as part of a pit crew on the Nascar circuit. As luck would have it, Ricky gets a big break when their regular team driver (with a real attitude about his job as a driver) decides to take an extended break during a pit stop. Ricky drives the car and with his unorthodox style of driving wins the race! Ricky Bobby keeps on winning and the sponsors are flocking to be a part of his success. Ricky has it all, winning records, countless corporate sponsors and endorsement deals, a big house, a driveway full of cars and boats, a very hot wife Carley (Leslie Bibb), two trash-talking young sons named Walker and Texas Ranger (Houston Tumlin and Grayson Russell), and his loyal best friend Cal Naughton, Jr. (the always brilliant John C. Reilly). It's plain to us that the winning team of Ricky and Cal is the reason why Ricky wins. Cal and Ricky Bobby nickname each other "Shake" and "Bake," to emphasize their partnership (Cal positions his car to help his team's star driver slingshot to victory). The catch phrase is also the irritant to their closest competitor, a gay French nemesis Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen). Girad is a real hoot! He's a Gitanes-smoking, Camus-reading racer in the Perrier car, while Cal's car is Wonder Bread, and Ricky's is Old Spice. Running out of places to put sponsor logos, Ricky Bobby even sells his windshield to Fig Newtons. To add to the chaos world of Ricky Bobby, enter his long missing, beer-drinkin', pot-smokin' dad Reese Bobby (Gary Cole)!

Additional cast with standout performances include Amy Adams, who is delightfully sexy as Ricky Bobby's assistant, Susan. And the young actors who play Ricky's two sons, Houston Tumlin as Walker and Grayson Russell as Texas Ranger (hilarious names for kids!) are inspired! Other smaller standout performance are Molly Shannon as the team owner's always buzzed wife, and Michael Clark Duncan as the pit-crew chief add a nice flavor to the movie!

Director Adam McKay (who co-wrote the script with Will Farrell) has a firm control on the big cast and the exciting Nascar racing sequences to deliver an entertaining, funny, and insightful look at the world of Ricky Bobby and the Nascar circuit! The racing scenes are convincingly photographed by Oliver Wood, who filmed both the "Bourne Conspiracy" and the "Bourne Supremacy" movies, is good at shooting action with automobiles. The CGI-assisted camera movements that take you from above the track down into the car, is what one would see in an action/drama movie makes them eerily funny in "Talladega Nights"! I laughed out loud a lot more than I expected, which is what comedy is really all about!

Grade: C+