Darjeeling Limited Movie Review

The Darjeeling Limited: Wes Anderson’s 5th feature film takes us on an unusual trip through India by train. We follow the 3 Whitman brothers - Francis (Owen Wilson), Peter (Adrian Brody), and Jack (Jason Schwartzman) as they take a spiritual journey that they hope will bring them closer together. After the death of their father, the brothers drifted apart. Each of them is still dealing with the death in their own unique way. As with Wes Anderson’s other films (The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic), the humor lies in the characters which are so well written. In fact his characters and their characteristics are so defined that his movies take a couple of viewings to be fully appreciated. Intense detail is given to the train the brothers are traveling on and the luggage they carry with them making them central characters in the story. Being a huge fan of Wes Anderson, my expectations are extremely high which leads to my only complaint. The film is funny, clever, and even a little moving, but I did not feel Wes pushed his creativity level high enough. This film is in line with his other works, but does not stand out from them. However, I am saying all of this after one viewing and I know I will enjoy this movie more the next time I visit it. Additionally, I am sure the film will offer even more laughs after I see the short film Hotel Chevalier that is meant to be a prologue to Darjeeling, but was not shown in theaters. This is a welcomed addition to the Wes Anderson filmography, I just wish I could say it was near the top.

* * * or Grade: B

If this movie had parents they would be: The Man Who Would be King & The Life Aquatic

With a running Time of 91 minutes

This film is rated R

Kite Runner Movie Review

The Kite Runner opened the 43rd Chicago International Film Festival – in my opinion, a perfect film to open such a fest

The Kite Runner: How often can you come out of a movie and be emotionally moved, learn something about the country of Afghanistan, and have a hankering to run outside and fly a kite? Such is the case with this beautiful and controversial film. The movie is based on the 2003 novel by Khaled Hosseini published under the same name. The story begins in Afghanistan during the 1970s. We meet 2 young boys, Amir and Hassan. Their friendship endures throughout their youth even though they are not a part of the same social class. A horrific event occurs to one of the boys that neither can deal with nor understand the ramifications of….thus the friendship dissolves. We jump ahead 21 years, the Soviets have invaded Afghanistan and left the country in shambles allowing the Taliban to take control. Amir and Hassan’s lives take two completely different paths during this time, but these paths will cross once again. Marc Forster directs this emotional tale and does an outstanding job with the material. I suspect this was not the easiest book to translate onto the big screen. I loved how the kite flying was filmed and depicted in the movie reminding us of the simple beauties in life. I also felt that the kites symbolized freedom and innocence before one is corrupted with all of the superfluous ideologies of the modern world. This is a multifaceted story that will stay with you for some time. Ahhh, I love the taste of the Fall Movie Season!
* * * and ½ or Grade B +

If this movie had parents they would be: Babel and Fox & The Hound

To Learn more about the controversy click here - "Kite Runner release push back"

With a runtime of 120 minutes
This film is rated R

The Bourne Ultimatum Review

The Bourne Ultimatum: This is the 3rd and hopefully the last Bourne movie. I say “hopefully the last” because I feel the people behind these movies have made a PERFECT trilogy. Let the story and character live on in cinema lore, not to be disturbed by greedy studio execs. This third installment picks up right where the 2nd chapter left off. Jason Bourne is in Moscow running from and eluding the local police and other CIA agents…….and nobody “runs and eludes” better than Jason Bourne. His objective in this movie is to get back to New York where the treadstone project began, and to meet his makers. The action and the pace of this movie can best be described as - unyielding adrenaline. We are treated to some hand-to-hand combat, car chases, rooftop chases, motorcycle chases, assassinations, and some good old spy-expertise. Being a Paul Greengrass film you can expect a lot of handheld camera work that is close to all the action. Some may not like the unsteady, in your face style, I myself feel it is great for these movies. I think it makes it feel all that much more real. Along side all the great action is a well told, thinking man’s plot. There is just enough information given to keep you guessing what will come next, but nothing that confused me at any point. I also wanted to say that I thought the end of the movie/story could not have been better – just perfect. In a time when Hollywood loves to suck every cent from a franchise, it is rare to get 3 movies with this high of caliber both in story and action. Hands down it is the best “summer blockbuster” movie of the season. Thus making it one of the best trilogies of all time for this reviewer - Let us hope it stays just that way…a Trilogy!

* * * and 1/2 or Grade A-

If this movie had parents they would be: Casino Royal & The Bourne Supremacy

With a run time of 111 minutes

This film is rated PG-13

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: The 5th installment from Hogwarts has made its way to the big screen, this time a little darker and more complex. The story continues with Harry and his old friends and some new ones as well. The Ministry of Magic refuses to believe Harry and Dumbledore's claim that the evil lord Voldemort has returned influencing the opinion of much of the wizarding community and those at Hogwarts. In addition, Hogwarts has hired a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher – Dolores Umbridge (played masterfully by Imelda Staunton). Instead of teaching the young wizards helpful spells to defend themselves, Umbridge limits her teachings to a text book – which alarms Harry and his crew. Who is to teach the kids the proper way to defend themselves in case Lord Voldemort attacks? Step in…. Harry Potter. As with the other Potter films, almost all of the major action takes place in the last 20 minutes. The rest of the movie is full of discovery, the development of the evil plot, and the on goings at Hogwarts. To me, so much of the fun has been watching the characters grow up and mature. I find Harry’s character has become more complex with each chapter in the story. The ending of this film is probably the most emotional of the 5 so far. I was very impressed with the final wizard battle, my only complaint being I wish it would have lasted a little longer – just felt too short. This was not my favorite Potter film (still #3 for this guy), but I found it to be a very strong link in this magical chain of movies……

If this movie had parents they would be: “Just look back at the Potter Tree”

* * * or grade B

With a running time of 138 minutes
This film is rated PG-13