Ed's Review Dot Com

Altar Identity Studios,

Ashley Judd, Patrick Wilson, Whoopi Goldberg, John Benjamin Hickey, Jane Krakowski, Anthony LaPaglia, Jenna Elfman

Ave Maria Mulligan (Ashley Judd) is Big Stone Gaps official spinster, since she’s mid 30’s with no prospects. She’s a pharmacist in this small southern town full of characters. As Ave expands her horizons she finds she’s not as much of a plain Jane as she thought she is and soon she has suitors climbing out of the shadows as she plans a journey that may change her life forever.

This is a really heartwarming down home Southern charmer. The small town life is portrayed very kindly, and the actors in this movie are outstanding. It was a bit of a surprise, as with this many huge stars in one place, they really turned a little tale inside out and really brought home the charm of the South. There’s not so many laugh out loud, belly laughs as there are big smile moments as there is plenty of humor filled with lots of heart. Whoppi has a wonderful role as Ave’s supportive boss and owner of the pharmacy where Ave works. She’s excellent, as usual. But everyone else kicks in and does their part to make this a good feeling down home yarn like they used to make. This is not a big theater filling smash, for sure, but it’s a nice little diversion all the same, and I enjoyed watching it. I’m not saying to go out searching for it, but if you happen across it, be sure to give it a chance, as it was a very fun and warm visit to a place very few of us will get to experience in real life.

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Number 9 Films, Film4, Killer Films,

Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson, Jake Lacy, Kyle Chandler

Based on the novel “The Price of Salt” by Patricia Highsmith, this story takes place in 1950, a time that where women were not treated with much respect and were expected to marry and raise a family. Carol (Cate Blanchett) is very unhappily married in an unjustified sexless relationship with a small child Rindy. While shopping, Carol spies a shop girl in a department store and is instantly attracted to her. They two strike up a friendship that soon turns romantic. In a time where same sex relationships were not tolerated, things get bad for Carol as her whole world starts crashing down around her.

This film deservedly got a lot of attention over the awards season, probably most due to Cate Blanchett’s moving performance as Carol. She shows all the sides of this character, and we get to see a lot of emotions, from disgust and anger, to embarrassment, to love and tenderness. It truly is a mind blowing performance, and she certainly deserves all the praise she rightly received. But Rooney Mara as Therese, the shop girl, should also be praised for her role. She had a lot to do with the stunning performances here, and she is a wonderful actress. Her wide-eyed “Audrey Hepburn” look innocence at the beginning, growing into a strong and powerful woman by the end, gives us a chance to see all of her skills as a performer which are many. The story is a bit slow, and it replicates the 1950’s pretty well. It is also stark and very realistic which may chase away some people. This is not everyone’s cup of tea, as it’s is really a woman’s movie, heavy on the romantic relationship, and yet the fierce independence of strong women characters that will please the ladies. I can see why this movie got all the praise that it did, and I can also see a lot of people who will be unimpressed. So if you like romantic period pieces done like the romantic novels of old, this is certainly worth watching. If you like explosions and car chases, this is not the movie for you.

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Double Eagle,

Liev Schreiber, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Joelle Carter, Louise Fletcher, Katie Carr, Renée Soutendijk, Huub Stapel, Michael Pas

Nina (Jeanne Tripplehorn) and James (Liev Schreiber) are a couple who love each other, but Nina is afraid James is a serial cheater. After a birthday party she catches him out with another woman and decides to call him pretending to be someone else. The two build a friendship over the phone without James knowing he’s really talking to his wife. Nina is simply determined to find out why he would cheat on her in the first place, but the two build a friendship that is hard to get out of when he falls in love with the voice over the phone.

Liev and Jeanne are cast pretty well in this romance drama, and are relatively good together. The film is lacking some depth though and the relationships are not very complex, nor are the possibilities or characters really developed very deeply. This is the main flaw with this film. It’s interesting enough and not really bad, and it does have a few, not totally unexpected, twists in the plot a few times, but for the most part, it’s a little too simple for my tastes. Fans of a good romantic drama, especially with a cheating husband at the center who gets what he deserves will like this, for for me masses it’s probably more of a miss. But it’s able for streaming on NetFlix, so if you’re willing to give it a shot, go ahead.

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Gary Sanchez Productions, Good Universe, Paramount Pictures,

Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Linda Cardellini, Thomas Haden Church, Hannibal Buress

Brad Whittaker (Will Ferrell) is a happily married man, working at a smooth jazz station, and step-dad to his wife’s (Linda Cardellini) kids. But Brad has one concern. Due to a freak dentist accident he cannot have children of his own. When the children’s biological father, Dusty (Mark Wahlberg) shows up though, Brad feels threatened. As Dusty tried to weasel his way back into the family, the competition keeps escalating until everyone life is threatened by these two. This Will Ferrell/Mark Wahlberg family comedy is just what you’d expect from these two.

I must say this is one of the best Ferrell movies I’ve seen in a long time. I found this one really pretty funny. The whole concept is rather clever, and it shows Will at his finest. All 5 of the main characters (Brad, Dusty, Sara, and Thomas Haden Church as Brad’s boss Leo, along with Hannibal Buress as Griff, the handyman who also moves right into the family are classic together. These are a group of wonderful characters that all shine. The two kids are pretty good as well, and all in all it’s a perfect cast for this type of rip-roaring comedy. The jokes and slapstick moments keep on coming from start to end, and the time flew by. This was a very well done little film, and I enjoyed it very much. My wife and her sister had tickets for the LA Lakers – Golden State Warriors game at Staples Center, and, being the designated driver, I got to kill some time watching this film at the Regal Theater at L.A. Live, right underneath the Staples Center. I am really glad I chose this film, as it was a very enjoyable evening. That is a really nice theater, and that added a lot to the experience. Loved it.

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G4 Productions, Nutmeg Film Productions, Wonderland Sound and Vision,

Alan Cox, Mark Kassen, Elijah Moreland, Emma Fitzpatrick, Alice Eve, Daniel Spink, John Cullum, Chris Evans, Scott Evans

Nick Vaughan (Chris Evans) is a musician, hanging out in the station in Manhattan debating on whether to go to a party where his ex-girlfriend will be there, but with some other guy. Brooke Dalton (Alice Eve) shows up running to catch the last train to Boston but she’s seconds late and misses the train. Her purse has been stolen and so she has no money, just a train ticket to Boston, and their are no trains until tomorrow. Nick tries to help, but Brooke is unwilling to pay any attention to him until it appears that she’s not in a safe part of the city, she has no money, and nowhere to go until morning. So the two form a pair, trying to get Brooke on her way home, but neither is sure whether or not to trust the other.

This is an interesting Romantic-Comedy set in the heart of Manhattan at night. The chemistry between these two is pretty good, and they get in several pretty difficult scrapes. Bit by bit, piece by piece we get to see what’s really going on in the lives of this unusual pair, and why both are hiding from what they really want. As they work it out, we get a dose of voyeurism watching them work through their issues. In the end when the sun comes up, they both head out to face their demons but with a much greater understanding of what they really want. The setting is very interesting. The story itself is well crafted. The performances are pretty good. All in all, it’s not a bad little film, and is certainly out of the usual mold for rom-coms. I enjoyed the film, even though I wasn’t blown away by it, nor was I extremely excited about the experience. But it was an interesting distraction for a while, and well worth watching.

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