Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day - REVIEW

We're barely three full months into 2008, and yet once again I find myself asking (to no one in particular), "How is Amy Adams so friggin' adorable?" Seriously, she cannot be stopped. Just like she did with "Enchanted", "Charlie Wilson's War", and "Junebug", she makes a movie totally worth watching. Not to ding her costars however; Frances McDormand makes a perfect foil for her and Lee Pace, Ciaran Hinds (is there any movie that he ISN'T in these days?), and Shirley Henderson, brilliantly support her in this breezy and delightful comedy/drama/romance. Story centers on McDormand's Miss Pettigrew, an out of work governess in pre WW2 London who can't seem to hold a job. On impulse, she steals a job that leads her to the home (sort of) of club singer and aspiring actress Delysia Lafosse (Adams). Over the course of the day Miss Pettigrew helps sort out various problems, including Delysia's relationships with three different men, each of whom hold a very different future for her. It's all pretty predictable, but for the most part it's enjoyable fluff bolstered by nicely done performances from the full ensemble. In the first half of the film, the film suffers from occasionally odd pauses of nothingness between funny one liners, and in the latter half director Bharat Nalluri tries too hard to justify his charming fluff by adding in foreshadowing of WW2, along with low key references to WW1. Production and costume design are all lovely and match the era perfectly, while Paul Englishby's jazzy score helps things feel faster than the slightly lax editing does. As contradictory as it sounds, the best way to sum up "Miss Pettigrew" is: Forgettable is rarely this charming and memorable.

Grade: B-

Current Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director - Bharat Nalluri, Best Actress - Amy Adams(#1), Best Actress - Frances McDormand(#2), Best Supporting Actress - Shirley Henderson(#1), Best Supporting Actor - Lee Pace(#3), Best Adapted Screeplay, Best Costume Design, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Makeup, Best Original Score - Paul Englishby(#2).

Number of 2008 films seen: 3

Final US Poster for "The Fall"

Simply stunning. Critics could call this the worst movie of the year, but I'm seeing it no matter what. This looks like the type of film that needs to be seen on the BIG screen...
The Fall hits theaters in limited release on May 9th (hopefully that includes Houston)

click on the picture to see a larger version.

First pictures of Keira Knightley from "The Edge of Love" (2008) --Article below..

Keira Knightley snuck into a recording studio to lay down the tracks she sings in a new movie and the result is an album featuring the young Oscar-nominated star.

Keira stars with Sienna Miller (almost unrecognisable), Matthew Rhys and Cillian Murphy in John Maybury's film The Edge Of Love.

It's about two women in Dylan Thomas's life - his childhood friend Vera Phillips and his wife Caitlin MacNamara - and their Bohemian romping during World War II.

Keira Knightley sings in her new movie, The Edge Of Love

The movie, which was written by Keira's mum Sharman Macdonald, opens with Keira, who plays Vera, singing Blue Tahitian Moon to people sheltering in an Underground station during the Blitz.

When I visited the set last year, Keira admitted to me she wasn't sure she could carry a tune. "I can't really sing," she said. "I had to have a few lessons, but once I started doing it, a sound emerged that wasn't too disagreeable!"

Well, she's always downplaying her talent - I suspect because of those who, for some reason I can't fathom, sneer at her. She should start believing in herself and get used to the fact that she's emerging as a damn good actress. And her singing, which has a mournful edge to it, is far from "disagreeable".

The album, which is being released later this year on Universal's Classics and Jazz label, also has Keira singing two other numbers featured in the movie: Irving Berlin's Maybe It's Because I Love You Too Much and Drifting And Dreaming.

The soundtrack also has Suggs from Madness crooning Hang Out The Stars In Indiana and numbers written by Maybury and Angelo Badalamenti, sung by Siouxsie Sioux, Beth Rowley and Patrick Wolf.

I saw a completed version of The Edge Of Love and, as I revealed in previous columns, Keira and Sienna (who portrays Caitlin) give sublime performances that delve deeper when Maybury moves the story from London to windswept Wales.

There, the two women essentially co-habit with the poet. Indeed, all four leads are brilliant when the story darkens in Wales.

I'm sure it's going to be a contender at Cannes and other film festivals this year.

Both movie and album will probably come out in the summer.

Trailer for "The Fall" WOWOWOWOWOWOWOW!!!!! WATCH IT!!

I must see this......I mean......WOW! And it comes out in May so I don't have to wait very long. Sorry Indiana Jones, but this just jumped to the top of my Must See List.

Also, check out the equally intriguing poster:

Back from spring break

expect pictures soon...

WHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?

I knew this was a rumor...but I never thought in a million years it would really happen....

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows film to be split into TWO PARTS!"

I can't wait that long! I'll be a SOPHOMORE IN COLLEGE!!

2 Days in Paris (2007) - REVIEW

seeing as I have a huge headache., I'll keep this simple:

- wonderfully captures the culture clash between the French and Americans

- Julie Delpy's screenplay is a gem for the reason mentioned above; the results are hysterical

- Adam Goldberg is absolutely fantastic

- Julie Delpy kind of over acts in some scenes....but it's only like..2...so nothing terrible.

- I really wish I had seen this before I made my nominees for 2007 (THIS is why they were called "almost final"...)

- this film is further proof that 2007 is the best year for film in this decade.

Grade: A-

Nominations: Best Actor - Adam Goldberg(#5), Best Original Screenplay - Julie Delpy(#3)

Number of 2007 Films seen: 59