Inglorious Basterds

J: What would happen if you crossed “The Dirty Dozen” with “Kill Bill Parts 1 & 2”? Obviously, you would get “Inglorious Basterds”, a thoroughly entertaining, albeit very archetypal, Quentin Tarantino film.

I wasn’t a bit surprised to see the reviews for this film prior to opening – as with most of his work, you either love Tarantino or hate him. There simply isn’t a middle ground. You pretty much won’t ever see a Tarantino movie that gets two stars – as a reviewer you are either in or you’re out. I’m definitely an innie. Even if you didn’t know this was a Tarantino film when you walked in the theater you would know it for certain after the first ten minutes.

Inglorious Basterds is a pretty straight forward film with no particular twists, in keeping with traditional World War II movies – but with A LOT more violence which is most assuredly a QT trait. Particularly in the ways the Basterds come to be known by the Nazis – yes, what you heard is true so be prepared for the scalping scenes. I’ve never heard so many groans in a theater and believe me, I see a good many groan inducing movies. I have to say, my favorite scene in the whole movie is the opening scene that introduces Shoshanna, the Nazi Nemesis. What? You thought that was the leader of the Basterds, Lt. Aldo Raine (played by Brad Pitt)? Well, yes, he is the most obvious but Shoshanna (played by Melanie Laurent) is the most interesting as well as the most successful. But this opening scene is cleverly crafted and extremely heart wrenching in its drama. In fact, you might almost see the footprint of a Martin Scorsese film instead, proving that Tarantino is capable of as much pathos as anyone in the industry when he puts his mind to it. It is at the same time beautiful and horrible.

The film mainly concerns itself with the premier of a Nazi propaganda film about a young German war hero who slaughters several hundred Allied soldiers. When the hero, Frederick Zoller (played by Daniel Bruhl) becomes smitten (love that word and never get to use it enough) with Shoshanna, who is hiding in Paris under an assumed name and running a small theater, he presses propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels (Sylvester Groth) to bestow the “honor” of holding the premier in her theater. After she endures the surreal meeting with Goebbels, she realizes the opportunity of a lifetime has dropped in her lap and she begins her plot to bring down the Third Reich.

Enter the Basterds with the same goal. They will be working with a British agent who has been recruited by a classic Brit military officer played beautifully by Mike Myers in one of the two surprising cameos. What’s the other one, you ask? Well kids, prepare for your cinema lesson for today. During this meeting it is obvious Winston Churchill is sitting in but who is that actor playing him? A veteran actor, and one of my favorites, named Rod Taylor. Who is he? Want to see a really good movie? Watch the original “Time Machine” from 1960, not that horror that came out recently. Thanks to QT for the lovely homage! But I digress. The Basterds meet German actress and Allied sympathizer, Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kurger – ho hum) and Operation Kino is born. And the Nazis oblige both would-be saboteurs by loading the cinema with every luminary, including Der Fuhrer himself.

The fly in this exquisite ointment is German Colonel Hans Landa, played entertainingly by Christoph Waltz, who walked away with a well deserved Cannes Film Festival award. He is undoubtedly the most interesting character in the bunch and pulls the one small twist at the end of the movie. Be prepared for a little bit of revisionist history but go with it anyway. What is my one little complaint? Basterds drags just a tiny bit in some places but not so much that anyone would be tempted to howl about how it could have been much shorter. Bottom line, I enjoyed it immensely and will definitely put it in my Netflix queue when it gets released on video. Kudos Mr. Tarantino and please don’t make us wait so long until the next one!

K: Loved it! Loved it! Loved it! Tarantino is a genius and only he can get away with making a movie like this. It's such an original film about Nazis. And the revisionist history was highly entertaining. If you don't see it in the theater put it in your movie queue.

District 9

J: Only someone with the vision and creativity of Peter Jackson could conceive a science fiction film that brings together all of the qualities in “District 9”. This movie has all of the things one hopes for in a great sci-fi flick; action, an unsettling creature and body parts flying all over the place. But this movie goes a step farther; this one actually makes you think.

District 9 is the name of the slum in which a huge group of aliens, stranded when their ship inexplicably stalls over Johannesburg, South Africa, are placed in a lame attempt at a humanitarian effort. When it becomes clear the Prawns, a derogatory name given the aliens based on their lobster-like appearance, aren’t going away anytime soon, a large conglomerate named MNU (any resemblance to Halliburton is probably very much intended) undertakes the task of “evicting” the aliens so as to move them to a shiny new future slum a very long way away from the city. You see, the good folks of Johannesburg, a group with a long history of “tolerance”, are fed up to here with all the crime and gang activity surrounding District 9 and want them gone. Providing the proof-point that even people with a long history of being discriminated against are more than happy to discriminate against someone lesser than themselves – ah, Human Nature at its finest. The “documentary” that is this movie follows the low-level manager, who has been given this plum assignment by his creepy father-in-law, Wikus Van De Merwe (played by Sharlto Copley) as he works to first get the Prawns to sign a paper saying they understand their eviction so the next step – the actual eviction – can lawfully take place. Quite a trick considering the alien language is difficult to understand and they haven’t got a clue what an eviction is. But he enthusiastically pushes ahead, until he gets a face-full of some strange alien brew in one of the shacks. This changes Wikus from a pocket protector and vest wearing nerd into, well into something even worse, hard though that might be to imagine.

And so enters MNU and their real dilemma – you see, the aliens have all manner of very dangerous looking weapons and MNU would just LOVE to reverse engineer those bad boys but have a slight problem. The weapons only work for someone with the alien DNA – gee, maybe old Wikus could help them out with that. Unfortunately, that just isn’t the cruise Wikus signed up for and he expresses his dismay with MNU’s idea about that even as their scientists continue to cattle prod him into going along with their zany idea. When it looks like Wikus is going to resemble the cat food the aliens have a drug like craving for, he decides he has had enough and affects a pretty cool escape. Once he blows out of the subterranean lab, he has nowhere to go except back to the Prawns he has just spent the entire day harassing. Bad luck, Chum!

The documentary filming style is just this side of jumping the shark these days but in this case it serves the film very well. Director South African Neill Blomkamp does a good job of making sure it’s not as jarring as some of the first attempts at a hand-held look, such as “Cloverfield”, have been and the background supplied by the “interviews” interspersed throughout the movie do a great job of moving the story along. The violence is shocking in its appearance and necessity, with a terrific convergence of CGI and real camera work. The largely unknown in the US cast gives the film an even deeper documentary feel – because you don’t recognize anyone it feels more like it’s happening in real-time. For that reason, it’s very easy to get absorbed in this film, but not so much that you miss the very evident underlying meaning. It is no accident this film takes place in Johannesburg. Intolerance and extreme social injustice are themes that loom very large in this film – particularly intolerance and human inability to relate to anyone or anything outside of a narrow frame of reference. The changes, both physically and psychically, that Wikus goes through turn on these points. In a very crucial moment Wikus has to come to terms with his position of having only the alien who helped brew the fluid he gets sprayed with to help him out. Luckily for the hapless Wikus, the Prawn he befriends is determined to get his ship back on its wheels and get him and his cute, bright, shrimpy little boy the heck out of this solar system from hell. And that’s where this movie gets its humor – from the irony of the situation Wikus and the Prawns find themselves in. There is nothing in this film that I have a particular problem with, except (you knew that was coming, didn’t you?) the lack of answers to many of the questions, but in true Hollywood fashion, we are witness to a franchise in the making. I’m sure all these questions will be answered in District 10 and the additional questions posed in District 10 will be answered…oh, you know the drill. Anyway, RUN, do not walk, to see District 9 – I guarantee you will enjoy it!

K: District 9 is an intelligent and fresh take on what would happen if aliens came to earth. I like that it happens in Johannesburg, South Africa (very symbolic, btw) as opposed to some typical US city. I also liked that they used all unknown actors, which played well with the documentary-style of storytelling. The only thing I didn't like is that almost all of it was filmed on hand-held cameras making for a lot of jittery shots. My eyes were getting sore after awhile so I kept looking down to focus on my stable and unmoving knee for a few moments. Excellent movie. I highly recommend it.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

J: To borrow from Harry and his friends, this movie is absolutely brilliant! Half Blood Prince is a very mature movie, much like the book that was my favorite of the series. It is evident from the very beginning this is a much darker and more serious movie than the rest. And sometimes not being a rabid Potter fan has its advantages, like when one gets to enjoy a terrific movie while not being bothered by the baggage of being pissed off about everything that has been left out. I would have liked a bit more of Voldemort’s back story, like the origins of the ring that becomes one of the Horcrux’s in the movie, but I understand the need for paring out so many of these details.

David Yates returns as director and does an exceptional job with a film that relies more on character than it does on magic and special effects. However, the FX that are used are well done and not at all overwhelming. The core cast returns too, with a wonderful addition of James Broadbent as daffy Prof. Horace Slughorn, who has a secret that Harry and Prof. Dumbledore need to solve the puzzle of Lord Voldemort.

Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) returns to Hogwarts vindicated because the wizarding world now knows that Lord Voldemort (no Ralph Fiennes this go because we see him as the child, Tom Riddle, that is his origin) has returned and is killing wizards and Muggles alike. Prof. Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) enlists Harry’s help in gathering memories to piece together Voldemort’s past and discover his secrets so as to find a way to destroy him, with tragic consequences. This is the second movie in the series to end in a death and hints at what is ahead with the next installment, The Deathly Hallows, which is wisely being filmed in two parts.

In all, this movie is far more than a good Harry Potter movie, it is a great movie on its on merits. If this is any hint of what’s ahead, I have to admit I’m pretty excited. I just hope the movie gets made before these wonderful student wizards are ready to retire to the old wizards home!

K: I agree with my partner in crime that this was the best Harry Potter movie yet. I think much of it has to do with being able to dispense with the "ooh, look at that cool new spell Hermione can do" and the "oh no, a cave a troll in the girl's bathroom" type gimmicks and get down to the nitty gritty story that's been brewing for six books.

Even if you've never read the books and have only seen the movies, you know that a war is coming. It's always been leading to a showdown between Harry and Voldemort. Half Blood Prince is a great set-up for the ending of the series. I understand the need to cut out as much from the books as possible to get the movie down to a good running time, but the movie-only people (I feel) have been cheated out of the entire back story of Tom Riddle/Voldemort. While not entirely necessary, it seems like something everyone should know going into the Deathly Hallows. It only seems fair since we've been exposed to most of Harry's back story and this series ostensibly centers around those two and how and why they're bound together through Trelawney's prophecy (though we discover at the end of the last book that the series is really about two other characters, but I won't spoil that for those of you who haven't read the books).

And now I'm going to whine about other scenes missing from the movie because I'm a huge Potter dork. The most satisfying scene in the book, and possibly the whole series, was when Dumbledore came to pick up Harry from the Dursley's and gave them all the big old what for, Dumbledore-style of course. Those horrible people have had that coming for a long time and I would have loved to see them get what's coming to them on screen. I also would have liked to see the opening chapter, The Other Minister, where the Prime Minister (unwillingly) meets the Minister of Magic who has to explain that all the disasters occurring in England are actually caused by bad wizards. They even could have gotten Michael Sheen to play the Prime Minister (he plays Tony Blair in just about half the movies he's in). It's a funny chapter in the book and it would have brought a moment of levity to a dark movie. As would the scenes at the Weasley's in the beginning with Fleur Delacour, who the rest of the kids nickname Phlegm due to her overbearing personality. But at 2 1/2 hours I understand why these scenes were cut.

This is a fabulous must-see movie. The seasoned actors are great as you would expect (Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane). But this movie also highlights how good the kids have become. They've all done a little bit of work outside of the Potterverse and it's improved their acting in these movies. Emma Watson has always been the best actor of the main trio, but Daniel Radcliff's stage work on Equus has brought him up to the level of the adult actors in the movie. I think he now has the ability to believably pull off all the horrible and wonderful things that happen in Deathly Hallows. If only I had one of those darn time-turners I could speed myself ahead to watch the last two installments right now!

Terminator Salvation

J: Writing reviews has apparently created a terrible personality defect. I now go to movies and expect quality in addition to being entertained. While this may well work with most indie and Oscar worthy films, it does not work with films like “Terminator Salvation”. Now, don’t get me wrong, T-S is a perfectly entertaining film but as I sat through the first fifteen or so minutes waiting for the scintillating dialog and fine acting to kick in – and as I was getting ready to be disappointed – my PIC gently reminded me “this ain’t Slumdog, Dudette!” Ah yes, truer words were never spoken! So yes, I put aside the pretentious me and let the Slam Bang Action Flick me just sit back and enjoy! And enjoy we did.

T-S puts us squarely in the fight between the machines who initiated Judgment Day (the picture takes place soon after) and the humans left over, but there are a few new plot twists, like the addition of the Death Row inmate Marcus Wright, played by Sam Worthington. Marcus is convinced by Dr. Serena Kogan, played brilliantly albeit quickly by Helena Bonham Carter, of Cyberdyne Systems to donate his body to science. She dangles the hope of humanity in front of him and he takes the bait, possibly to get the skeletal looking Bonham Carter out of his cell. It seems they both had death sentences, his for killing a couple people and hers for cancer. He unknowingly becomes the Terminator prototype but that doesn’t work out exactly as Cyberdyne had planned. Then, whoosh, we are dropped into the center of hell after Judgment Day with John Connor, played by Christian Bale, doing the anti-Terminator stuff we have all grown up with, which is very cool indeed. Because the rest of the movie is the fleshing out of all the loose ends and heretofore unexplained T1 and T2 stuff (don’t know about you but I simply can’t count T3, particularly because it was largely unwatchable) I won’t do any spoiling but get to the really good stuff.

McG is the director. Now before your head explodes like mine almost did, let me share the 411. Joseph “McG” McGinty Nichol (I guess when you have three or four names, you have to shorten it down to something workable) got his start in the music business and, yes he did music videos, which does not always bode well for moving into full-length films. In fact, theaters are littered with those misguided attempts. But happily McG has done a fine job with T-S and clearly has a taste for Terminators in general because he takes great pains to include several homage’s to the earlier pix, including allowing Mr. Bale to speak the legendary “I’ll be back” line and in his own way. There are other assorted and very obvious links to the original two movies but the true stand-out comes at the end with some exceptionally nifty CGI work to take the Terminator full circle – VERY nicely done. But that’s as much as I will tell you because I want you to whoop it up like we did when it gets to that part. Also, BONUS, McG is a Michiganian (no, I never use the goosey sounding term), he was born in Kalamazoo. Now what’s not to like about that? All of the other action variety explosions and such are plentiful and jump-cutty enough to keep your interest. No problems there at all.

But there’s always one, isn’t there? If this is the project Mr. Bale was working on during his infamous meltdown then I would have to say to the meltdownee – get over it! Mr. Bale has a range of two emotions; incredulousness and really pissed off! Obviously, the one that gets the most exercise in this film is the pissed off emo and boy, you just can’t walk off the set and leave that kind of thing behind. Was he a decent John Connor? Certainly. Is he one of the fine actors of our time? Ah, no. With his range of emotions, the obvious choice for his next costar would have to be Naomi Watts, what a dynamic pair THAT would be! Please God, before that happens, please take me!

K: I disagree with J about Mr. Bale's acting. I think he's a very good actor, but his character in this movie only had the two emotions of incredulousness and pissed off. I do agree with J about Naomi Watts, and would also like to add Drew Barrymore to that list. I recently saw her in a movie where her acting was akin to some teenager plucked off his high school stage. However, I am on Team Christian, so rock on Mr. Bale!

Angles & Demons

J: I am most happy to report that “Angels & Demons” does not suck. That speaks specifically to Ron Howard’s enormous skill as a film maker. Mr. Howard manages to take another one of Dan Brown’s misbegotten attempts at literature and produce a rather pleasing action film.

Tom Hanks reprises his role as linguist Robert Langdon, with much better hair this go around. The Vatican has requested his help in finding four cardinals who have been kidnapped on the eve of the conclave to elect a new pope, and they are the four favorites which stymies the process. In typical Vatican fashion, though, Langdon is forced to deal with obfuscation and reticence. To the point that he actually has to remind them that they called him to help. At this point, the usual code breaking, speeding to locations in attempts to prevent the murders of the cardinals, and getting there too late ensues. By the way, I am giving away nothing here; this is all revealed in the first half hour or so of the movie. This is all rendered beautifully with a clever combination of CGI and secretly filming parts of the chase scenes without calling much attention to the effort. All because the Vatican is so fearful of the truth they would not allowing any filming anywhere the desired location. Unbridled power is a frightful thing. Kudos to Mr. Howard for working around all that.

Mr. Howard has again assembled an impressive supporting cast, including Ewan McGregor, a priest with a secret (somehow that doesn’t shock me much), Armin Mueller-Stahl (X-File-ophiles with recognize him,) as Cardinal Strauss, the head of the conclave and Stellan Skarsgard (a personal favorite for the depth of his acting choices), as Commander Richter, head of the Swiss Guard. All of these characters are given a turn as the possible suspect in what is revealed to be an inside job even though this crime is laid at the feet of the Illuminati. Again, Mr. Brown brings to bear his considerable misunderstanding of history and a penchant for misguided conspiracy theories. As a veteran conspiracy theorist, I ask any fledgling conspiracy theorist to ignore anything he has to say on any of these subjects. Get the idea I don’t have much respect for Mr. Brown? Very perceptive!

At this point, however, the plot becomes a bit muddled so I would suggest that anyone seeing this movie just let it go and enjoy the ride. Thankfully, this movie has a satisfying, if strange, conclusion so I walked out pleased and not desiring to get those two hours of my life back!

I have one concern and it’s a small one – just for Mr. Brown, who if he even reads this has left it long before this. What the hell is wrong with American women? Apparently its only French women who are smart enough to be code-breakers, carriers of the bloodline of Christ and theoretical physicists. To that I say Au Contraire! We are perfectly capable of doing all three and more. Just something to think about.

K: I thought this was a good adaptation of the book, which itself is an action/adventure tale. It translates well to the screen primarily because we actually get to see all the historic sculptures and churches that hold all the secrets of this story. It's a lot of fun and I definitely recommend it to everyone.

Star Trek

J: I am so very depressed! No, not because I didn’t like “Star Trek”, silly, because the glorious anticipation is over. Once in awhile a movie really does live up to the hype and we should all savor those moments. This is without question one of those moments!

Let me briefly cover the things I did NOT like about this movie because the list is extremely short! I understand this is pretty picky but the science in this film is just awful! I don’t think it honors the memory of Gene Roddenberry and that somewhere the poor guy is spinning in his grave. As I said, this is picky and probably won’t bother too many people; I just happen to be one of them. Now, my PIC might view this as being a spoiler but I prefer to think of it as a warning to others. J.J. Abrams, most likely due to his involvement in that curse of an “art form” known as network television, has decided this movie needed sex – IT DOES NOT! This is particularly disgusting because he seems to think that Spock lip-locking Uhura at every turn is just what the public was craving – IT WAS NOT! Even in the original series, when the plot allowed Spock a little nooky it was creepy and that hasn’t changed!

Well, now THAT’S over, I will jump up on the highest roof and shout to the world that EVERYONE, Trekkie or not, should see this movie! It had everything anyone could want. My PIC and I were actually crying within the first 15 minutes. Pathos, check! The storyline was extremely entertaining and well written, props to Mr. Abrams indeed. Plot, check! There wasn’t a single moment that made you want to check your watch. I think this movie could have been four hours long and no one would have noticed. Compelling action, check! Now, here’s my favorite part, the back-story on each of the original characters was flawless. Character development, Double check!!

I usually avoid reading about a new movie prior to seeing it because I like to be surprised, but I admit to reading a bit about this one, only because I am a dyed in the wool Trekkie and damned proud of it, too. I even suffered through “The Undiscovered Country” because I could never live with myself if I missed an episode of Star Trek. As I read about some of the actors who had been chosen to play the original characters, I started to worry. Silly me! Each actor truly embraced, and paid proper homage to, the character they brought to life. Each relationship was carefully developed, some were even a surprise, and eventually each character got to speak a tagline that has always been married to that character. Trekkies, you will know what I mean; everyone else, just enjoy the fun. My personal favorites were Karl Urban as Bones, because I was a little leery about that one, and Simon Pegg as Scotty, who was introduced WAY too late. He was perfect, absolutely spot-on and hilarious! My true shock was Eric Bana as the captain of the Romulan bird of prey (BIG props to Mr. Abrams for getting that one right! Trekkies, again you know what I mean!). I honestly did not know it was him until I finally listened to his voice! Very cool, indeed! However, my real joy in this film was getting to see Kirk actually cheating on the Kobayashi Moru scenario – I guess I have to forgive Mr. Abrams predilection for lip-locks after all!

The inherent danger in prequels is in the possible, and sometimes probable, disappointment to loyal fans if anything screws up their fond memories of the original franchise. That is not the case here, Dear Trekkie, so please Boldly Go to your local theater as quickly as possible, because the Mission Is truly Ongoing! Live Long and Prosper, Mr. Abrams and thanks!

K: Wow. All my expectations were surpassed. The movie had jam-packed action and a script full of plot and character development and many, many 'Easter eggs.' I think this is possibly the best movie ever. 'Nuff said.

Adventureland

K: Adventureland is a coming of age story set in 1987 as James graduates from undergrad, then faces the harsh realization that his parents can't afford to finance his summer trip to Europe or his graduate school even though he was accepted to Columbia. As a journalism major he's unqualified to do anything except work in a dumpy amusement park. Here he learns more life lessons than he ever learned in college, and he falls in love.

This is more of a 'dramedy' (sorry to use this word - I'm not a big fan of it) than a comedy. Much of the humor is in the horrible clothes, hair, make up, and music throughout the movie. The main 'soundtrack' is comprised of bands like The Cure, Husker Du, The Replacements, and, for some gawdawful reason, Lou Reed. But the film also gives a nod to the other genres of 80s music. For example, Rock Me Amadeus plays incessantly at the amusement park driving everyone crazy. (Feel free to admit to yourself that you owned the '45 back in the day - you know you did). And one of my favorite scenes was James running for his life from a dumb thug who wanted to beat him up while Breaking The Law by Judas Priest played in the background.

It was a good film that had more of an indy feel to it. It's worth seeing, especially if you grew up in the 80s, but it's not necessary to catch it in the theaters.

J: Ok! Enough already! I have had it up to there with adolescent male coming of age BS humor!

I have successfully managed to avoid cinematic dreck like “Superbad” and “Knocked Up” in much the same way as I avoid reality television, by treating it like an especially virulent version of bird flu! But this one kind of snuck up on me. My PIC suggested it as a comedy & it sounded like a great idea at the time. But even she was forced to use the dreaded sobriquet of “dramedy” & I agree with her assessment of that word.

This movie is the perfect reflection of what is arguably the most shameful & dimwitted decade to date. Everyone is screwed up in some way or another – exactly like the 80’s. Self-absorption is the byword & shooting down dreams is the favorite spectator sport. The adolescent coming of age guy in this movie, James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg), has his dreams of going to Europe for the summer & then entering graduate school at Columbia upon his return crushed by the sad upper-middle class suburban hell of his parent’s circumstances; that being his alcoholic father’s demotion at work. With nothing as far as concrete experience & a REALLY useless degree in comparative literature (yet another hallmark of the 80’s) James is forced to work at the local amusement park, Adventureland – where great dreams go to die! Here he meets the requisite misfits & regularly gets the crap kicked out of him by someone who is allegedly a friend (you guessed it – the 80’s personified). Also, as required in this genre, he falls in love with an equally misfit female, Em played by a very surprising Kristen Stewart, who proves in this movie that she can do more than oogle handsome vampires.

At this point, I must give my props to the only thing that propels this movie beyond the horror of the sad comedies mentioned above. The characters in this movie really do have something to say & they say very well. The pathetic attachment that Em has to a married man, Connell (Ryan Reynolds – is he ever going to try his chops out on a really good movie? I bet he could do it if he tried!) gets in the way of a possible real relationship with someone who might be a sensitive good guy. Again, pure 80’s, Man! Been there, done that & threw away the T shirt! Sadly, Connell strikes me as the most accurate representation of the 80’s – not a sensitive rat on the sinking ship! Do I sound a little bitter? Well, how did you come through the 80’s? Yeah, that’s what I thought!

I do agree with my PIC about the indy feel of the movie. I wouldn’t have enjoyed it at all if it looked even remotely as slick & stupid as the other movies in this pseudo-genre. It does try very hard to have a heart & make a point. However, I have to disagree with her take on Lou Reed – one on my favorite artists. The misunderstanding of his music by Connell as he tries to impress the young girls with his claim that, as a part-time musician he has jammed with Lou is the ultimate nod to the 80’s – it doesn’t matter what you did, just lie about it. Just to prove the point, he misspeaks the name of one of Lou Reed’s best songs “Satellite of Love”. Here I must make a confession. I have (don’t we all?) a guilty pleasure – the music of the 80’s in all its trashy glamour. I would have loved to put together the sound track for this movie & so there is my shot down dream! Oh yeah – I LOVE “Rock Me Amadeus” – just ask my PIC how embarrassed she was as I sang along – out loud & proud!

I wonder when the female coming of age genre will start producing a new crop of movies. Oh, I forgot – women come out of the womb having already come of age – no assembly required!