Kim’s Movie Picks

Lady in the Water is a fairy tale for grownups, set in an apartment complex somewhere near
Philadelphia.  Starring the talented Paul Giamatti (Sideways, Cinderella Man) and Bryce Dallas Howard (daughter of director, Ron Howard), the story asks us – and its main characters – to suspend disbelief and believe that magical things are anchored in, and will improve, our every day life.

I found the film had an interesting plot with somewhat uneven performances, though Howard’s naïf (that’s a water nymph to you and I) is mesmerizing, as well as prophetic, channeling both a calm and yet vulnerable demeanor. You want to believe in her, and you root for her to succeed in her strange, and yet uplifting quest.

Giamatti is well cast as the bumbling, stuttering building manager of this apartment complex, peopled with the unusual eclectic mix of tenants, who all, eventually, reveal striking talents that will come together to solve the puzzle this movie presents.  Giamatti’s character will transform and step forward – as will other characters in the movie – to take on roles that, at first, seem outside of themselves.

An interesting aspect of this film is that its director – M. Night Shyamalan, who has often been compared to Alfred Hitchcock – is in the film.  And not as a cameo or bit player, which Hitchcock often did, showing up slyly here and there. In Lady, Shyamalan plays a small, but very pivotal, role.  And so I must admit that I found that a bit distracting, and hope he doesn’t continue down this Woody Allenesque path.  Not that he wasn’t convincing in the role of Vick, the blocked writer.  His performance was, in fact, very good.  I just worry because most directors cannot do both things well in the same movie, and Shyamalan is a talented director and risks getting distracted (as well as becoming partial to his own performances!)

Overall, I give this movie three out of four stars. Rated PG-13 for some frightening sequences. There was some plot and performance unevenness, but overall I was captivated by Shyamalan’s story telling and directorial style, as well as Giamatti’s and Howard’s performances.  This movie is a thriller of sorts – there are some special effect villains on hand to give it that spooky edge – but I think it is safe viewing for anyone over 11. If grandma is adventurous and likes fairy tales, take her.  This one is creative and fun.

The Matador – Two out of four stars.  This strange, twisted story of an aging hit man — played by Pierce Brosnan – and a desperate salesman – played by Greg Kinnear – who meet unexpectedly at a bar in
Mexico, is uneven and a bit slow in places.  While I enjoyed the plot twists, the performances seemed forced and overplayed.

Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang – Three out of four stars.  This quirky and entertaining mystery movie stars Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer, who become unlikely partners in solving a murder.  Downey’s character, who until most recently was a petty thief, thinks he is in Hollywood to be considered for a movie role; Kilmer knows why he is really there…as well as other hidden elements of this novel movie.  Catch this film; it’s clever and fun.

Aquamarine – No stars!   Horrible, shrieking teen movie with no originality and no real plot.  I usually adore any movie with mermaids in it; in this case I made an extreme exception. No more column inches wasted on this film; if you see it in your DVD player, run away!

Okay, we need to remember it’s summer, and sometimes it is better to be in an air-conditioned theatre than sweltering on the beach or in the office.  When it’s that kind of a day, this kind of movie – in the heat of a humid, overcast day — sits okay.

If you have paid full price and are expecting Shakespeare, or a movie that makes you think, this ain’t it.

You, Me and Dupree has its moments – most of them inhabited by the childlike, dippy, carefree character, Dupree, played by Owen Wilson – and when you are in them, they are cute and often funny.  But afterwards you don’t really remember them.

The multi-talented Kate Hudson is wasted in this film, playing the newly-wed wife of Matt Dillon, and over-indulged daughter of Michael Douglas (finally playing an age-appropriate role as not only the father-in-law but the evil employer of the husband).  Hudson has little to do other than cringe, whine and ultimately, succumb to the gentle and dopey ways of their unwelcome house guest, Dupree, her husband’s former best man, now a homeless adolescent trapped in man’s clothing and inhabiting (temporarily) his best friend’s house.

Typical shenanigans ensue with Dupree interrupting the newlyweds during intimate moments, providing the expected bathroom jokes and finding a slightly more creative way to almost wreck the house than most teenagers.  This is a buddy movie, of sorts, with a kind of workaholic/daddy’s girl moral thrown in for good measure.

If you’re trapped in the heat, by all means cool off with this farcical romance.  Two out of four stars. Rated PG-13 for sexual content, brief nudity, crude humor, language and a drug reference. (Yes, we have everything, including the kitchen sink, in this one!)  Don’t take grandma, or anyone under 15. 

Meryl Streep doesn’t just make being devilish look good, she makes being diabolical look like the straight road to success.  In the Devil Wears Prada, she takes totally ‘unsuitable’ assistant material in the persona of Andy Sachs, played by Anne Hathaway – and turns her into a fashion derring-do in less than a year. 

This comedic drama, directed by Dave Frankel, with a screenplay adapted from the wildly successful novel, gives as many mixed messages as it does fashion pointers.  For those of us who have worked in
Manhattan, not even necessarily in the fashion industry, but any industry, the shoe changing rituals of the working women in the film, as well as the designer bag envy will ring achingly familiar.  To those of you who haven’t worked in the City, trust me, a good percentage of what you see on the screen screeches achingly close to the truth.

There were homages (or copies of thematic elements, take your pick) in this script to so many movies, I gave up trying to ID them – but suffice it to say that you will recognize themes and whole scenes from Pretty Woman straight on thru to the language cadences from the Godfather.  Meryl Streep is delicious, delightful and yes, even a bit human, in the role of Miranda – the Czarina of the fashion magazine world.  Streep manages to keep her character just on the edge of being a caricature, and once again, manages to transform herself into something unbelievably believable.

The movie shows how easy it is to get caught up in a job – and an industry – that chews thru people like a tax accountant thru Maalox.  Andy thinks she has no choices, and realizes in the end, that we all have choices; it’s just that some are much harder than others. And sometimes the hardest ones are simpler than you think.

The day I saw this movie the house was packed with women – of all ages – and they loved this film.  They oohed and ahhed not only over the plot but also the clothes and yes, the shoes and the bags.  I do wonder if designer bags and their knockoffs will see an up tick in sales this summer. They certainly all got quite a bit of screen time, if you knew what to look for.

Overall, this movie was tre entertaining, sporting solid performances by Streep and Hathaway, along with a zesty supporting role by Stanley Tucci, who plays one of the major art directors on the mag, who ends up mentoring Andy thru her metamorphis and survival as Miranda’s assistant – only to find himself struggling to survive through a major career disappointment of his own.

A fun, summer flick, good for anyone, but most especially new grads looking to swim the shoals of entry level jobs this Fall. Rated PG-13 for some sensuality (a few shots of scantily clad models).  Safe for anyone over 11 years of age.  Probably not a good pick for very young boys, who will be bored.  A good date movie.  Three stars.