more weekends, more movies

On Sunday, I took the walk of shame to 84th Street Loews to indulge in my love of Dwayne Rock Johnson in the Disney flick, THE GAME PLAN. Not as bad as I expected it to be, I enjoyed watching him gallivant around in a towel. He is quite dreamy. Moral of the story: fame and wealth isn't everything.

Final thoughts: If you like sports-like Disney films...see it. If not, don't worry, you're not missing much.

The weekend before last, a friend came to the city for a visit, and we went crazy. In the three days that she was here, we saw three movies (thoughts below), one Off-Broadway show (the hilarious Forbidden Broadway), visited the Natural History Museum (see photo), and went out to eat five times. Needless to say, I was (and still am) exhausted. It was a great weekend, and I am so sad that the visit ended.

On to the movies.

THE KINGDOM

THE KINGDOM was a well-done movie that made you think, even as it beat you over the head with its themes. Starring Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Garner, the movie follows a group of FBI agents as they go to the Middle East to investigate a terrorist attack on an American living compound. Faced with legislative red tape, security concerns, and heightened Government relations, the team finds itself fighting an uphill battle. Special kudos to Jason Bateman for injecting some much needed humor into the proceedings. (I love this man! ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT forever!) Although the film can feel a little preachy, and it sometimes gets a little superhero-ish....meaning the bad guys can feel cartoonish, it still manages to have organic and moving moments. Jennifer Garner does a fine job as always, and Chris Cooper is a welcome player. I enjoyed the movie, and found that it did a pretty good job of being an exciting mystery/action-adventure, while also dealing with the contemporary issue of Middle East relations.

Final thoughts: A good action flick that addresses some real issues. It's not life changing, but it might make you think in between cheering for the FBI guys to figure it out.

MY KID COULD PAINT THAT

The documentary, MY KID COULD PAINT THAT is honestly one of the saddest movies I have ever seen. It is also incredibly interesting. Unbeknownst to me, in 2004, there was a four year-old kid in upstate New York in the middle of an arts world firestorm. Marla is a four year-old who makes contemporary art. A local gallery takes notice, sets up a show, and she is suddenly selling her work for $25,000. The media catches wind, and she is suddenly a celebrity, with her mother and father in tow. 60 MINUTES does a piece about her alleging that perhaps she is not actually doing the painting, but instead her father is. The movie follows Marla and her family through this process. So, is Marla doing her own artwork? Does she have help? How does having a "prodigy" affect other people in the family? It is a really fascinating look at the rise and fall of a young girl.

Final thoughts: Moving, sad, and really makes you question. Interesting movie.

THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB

Needing a more quiet night, we took in TJABC, and it was just as good the second time around. I am happy to report that I have started reading EMMA.

Final thoughts: Lovely romantic comedy for a girl's night out.

photo credits: www.movieweb.com