EAT, PRAY, LOVE

Drama

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Julia Roberts: playwright Elizabeth “Liz” Gilbert
Billy Crudup: her husband Stephen
James Franco: actor David Piccolo
Richard Jenkins: Richard from Texas
I. Gusti Ayu Puspawati: Nyomo
Hadi Subiyanto: Nyomo's husband Ketut, an old fortune teller
Javier Bardem: Brazilian importer/exporter Felipe

REVIEW
Following this woman’s journey means sitting through more than two hours of philosophical discussions about things like “the path to enlightenment” and “finding God within”.

It would be fine as a travelogue about Italy (eat), India (pray), and Indonesia (love) as it is beautifully shot but that comes at the expense of putting up with a lot of words pertaining to self-gratification, self-fulfillment, and self-discovery. Not everyone’s cup of tea.

CLASSIFICATION
for brief strong language, some sexual references and male rear nudity.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
While talking on the phone a big mosquito bite is much in evidence on Liz’s left hand but no sooner does she hang up do we see it has completely disappeared.

MAO’S LAST DANCER

Some dialogue in Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles

F.Y.I.
Mao Zedong (b. 1893) led the People’s Republic of China from it establishment in 1949 until his death in 1976. In China he is officially held in high regard as a great revolutionary, political strategist, military mastermind, and savior of the nation. In 1966 he was instrumental in creating the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution that resulted in social, political, and economic upheaval transforming the country from an agrarian society into a major world power. Only after the Chairman’s death did relations with the West begin to thaw.

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Wen Bin Huang: 11-year-old Li Cunxi
Joan Chen: Li’s mother
Bruce Greenwood: Ben Stevenson, Artistic Director of the Huston Ballet Company
Chi Cao: the 18-year-old Li
Amanda Schull: a fellow ballet student, Elizabeth Mackey
Camilla Vergotis: Mary McKendry, an Australian ballerina
Kyle MacLachlan: Texan lawyer Charles Foster

REVIEW
This true story of a young boy, one of seven children of a Chinese peasant family, who goes on to become a famous ballet dancer is told in chronological order with a few flashbacks.

Definitely a “must-see” for ballet fans but for those who are not, the ballet scenes are kept to a minimum so no one should become bored with the dance sequences and maybe even get to appreciate the fact that are all beautifully choreographed.

The stunning cinematography coupled with a delightful score serve as a wonderful backdrop to this enchanting tale.

CLASSIFICATION
for a brief violent image, some sensuality, language and incidental smoking.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
Ben gets some money out of an ATM but the American $20 bills he receives are the modern day ones only introduced some twenty years after this event took place.

THE ULTIMATE WAVE TAHITI

Documentary

PRINCIPAL PARTICIPANTS
Nine-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater
Tahitian surfer Raimana Van Bastolaer

REVIEW
While waiting for the ultimate wave to arrive off Tahiti's famed Teahupo'o beach there is a brief history of this Polynesian island and some of the local customs. Making good use of CGI we get an insight into the science of wave mechanics and the formation of volcanic islands.

But the best part are the sequences of actually surfing these monstrous waves. That makes for some spectacular images.

CLASSIFICATION

SOLITARY MAN

Drama

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Michael Douglas: former car salesman 60-year-old “Honest Ben Kalman”
Susan Sarandon: Ben’s ex-wife Nancy, a real estate agent
Mary Louise Parker: Ben’s current girlfriend rich socialite Jordan Karsch
Imogen Poots: Jordan’s 18-year-old daughter Allyson
Jenna Fischer: Ben’s married daughter Susan Porter
David Costabile: Susan’s husband Gary
Danny DeVito: Ben’s long time friend and restaurant owner Jimmy Marino
Jesse Eisenberg: college student Daniel Cheston

REVIEW
Perfectly typecast, this is one of Douglas’ finest performances (not that he has not had others) and one of the best by DeVito. These two polished professionals on their own make it worthwhile viewing. Although they have minor roles, the excellent acting by Sarandon and Eisenberg is a real bonus.

As a character study of Ben you don’t have to love him or what he stands for but you do begin to understand why he’s a solitary man.

Unusual for most movies is the soundtrack, or absence of one: apart from the title song during the opening credits there is not a lot of music. Instead we hear ambient sounds and often just silence.

Another aspect of filmmaking that does not follow the norm are the many long takes rather than the short snippets and quick scene changes so often employed. How refreshing to see and hear something different for a change.

CLASSIFICATION
for language and some sexual content.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
Ben tosses a table napkin casually over his shoulder while talking outside the restaurant. From one scene to the next it changes from neatly folded to more spread out.

GET LOW

Drama, mystery

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Robert Duvall: Felix Bush, a reclusive carpenter
Lucas Black: Buddy Robinson, Quinn’s only employee
Gerald McRaney: Reverend Gus Horton, Felix’s long time friend
Bill Murray: Frank Quinn, proprietor of Quinn Funeral Home
Sissy Spacek: the widow Mattie Darrow

REVIEW
Right from the get-go it is apparent that Felix harbours a secret. And he hangs on to it until almost the very end.

Along the way there are more than a few humorous moments with excellent acting by both Duvall and Murray. With great attention to detail (except for a few things noted below) it looks good. A most enjoyable film.

CLASSIFICATION
for mature thematic material and brief violent content.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
• While driving to Felix’s house the car windows are closed but when Buddy steps out he puts his left hand around the window frame that is now conveniently open.
• Felix gives Frank a sheet of paper with the top right hand corner folded over but when viewed from Frank’s point of view it is perfectly flat.

P.S.
In the parlance of the backwoods “to get low” means to get down to business.

THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE

Fansty, adventure

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Jake Cherry: 10-year-old David "Dave" Stutler
Nicolas Cage: Balthazar Blake, a thousand year old sorcerer
Jay Baruchel: 20-year-old Dave Stutler, a physics student at New York University
Alfred Molina: Maxim Horvath, an evil sorcerer and Blakes’ arch-nemesis
Teresa Palmer: college student Rebecca “Becky” Barnes
Nicole Ehinger: Abigail Williams, a witch “in the last layer around the Grimhold”
Toby Kebbell: Drake Stone, a celebrated illusionist
and others no doubt

REVIEW
The target audience (children and young teenagers) seemed to enjoy it but I did not. Chances are they never saw the original Walt Disney version of Fantasia with Mickey Mouse as the Sorcerer’s Apprentice which is too bad because that was delightful whereas this modern day version is anything but.

To start with it is far too complicated to be taken seriously: just keeping track of the characters takes more effort than it is worth. Also it is too loud with lots of banging and crashing and general mayhem. In fact it is nothing but a series of computer generated effects popping up constantly. Hey too much is too much!

I left before losing all my hearing unable to take any more of it.

CLASSIFICATION
for fantasy action violence, some mild rude humor and brief language.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
• A title screen at the beginning of the movie says the year is 2000 but when the camera zooms in on the New York skyline the World Trade Center twin towers are not there.
• When Balthazar comes out of the urn he is not wearing a hat but in the very next scene one has magically appeared.

SALT

Action, thriller

PRINCIPAL CAST MEMBERS
Angelina Jolie: C.I.A. officer Evelyn Salt
Liev Schreiber: Salt’s colleague and friend Ted Winter
August Diehl: Salt's husband Michael "Mike" Krause, a German arachnologist
Daniel Olbrychski: Orlov, a Russian defector
Chiwetel Ejiofor: C.I.A. Internal Affairs operative, Agent Peabody
Hunt Block: United States President Lewis

REVIEW
Once it gets going, the action never lets up with more chase scenes than any other movie currently in release. Salt proves she is a “one-woman” saviour to the world and capable of almost anything. And she pulls it off without too much assistance from the CGI wizards. How refreshing.

As with most films of this sort the plot is purposely convoluted and full of surprises. If nothing else, this labyrinthine spy thriller keeps you guessing.

CLASSIFICATION
for intense sequences of violence and action.

FOR NITPICKERS ONLY
• Following a flashback a title screen indicates we are back to present day. Some time later we see the tombstone of the U.S. Vice President with the year of his death shown incorrectly as 2011.
• Salt gets a scratch on her cheek, just below her left ear. It changes position from one scene to the next.