Knowing (2009)

★★½

It was fun to see the names of places I know as settings in the movie, even though it was obvious that indoor scenes were not shot on site, and it was weird that events in the movie depended on a fictional geography of MA. It started out good, more like a straight-up drama/thriller; it wasn't until the end that you were hit with a sci-fi whopper. Lots of scenes seemed contrived for dramatic effect. I don't like horror movies, and at least a minute or two of this movie felt like one.

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)

★★½

Certainly visually entertaining, but some of the plot elements seemed random. Even taking into consideration the fantasy realm, a couple points confused me, leaving me with questions like, "How can it be that...?".

The International (2009)

★★½

The plot was decent, but the movie just wasn't there. Clive Owen was one-dimensional and unconvincing. Naomi Watts was good, but her character was peripheral. The whole movie seemed like it belonged in the middle of a series, picking up in the middle of an investigation, and without a satisfying ending. The use of the Guggenheim Museum, however, was pretty cool.

The Pongal - Billerica, MA

★★


Limited lunch buffet selection that offers interesting choices, but lacks the comfort of familiar dishes. A couple dishes looked better than they tasted, but the lamb and chicken were both cooked well - tender, not at all dry.

Creation (2009)

★★★½

It's a given that Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species would have created a huge public debate on science vs. religion, but I had no idea that he suffered inner turmoil just trying to write the book and decide whether or not to publish it. The movie is based on a book, and I don't know how much of it is true to fact, but it does provide a humanizing portrayal of Charles Darwin as husband and father. It has a number of touching scenes.

The Book of Eli (2010)

★★★★

Very slow beginning. Gary Oldman is in usual form, overacting. Early on, I thought for sure I wouldn't rate this movie higher than 3 stars. Just a few minutes in, Ken - a big fan of this type of movie - predicted the ending correctly. At times it's basically a post-apocalyptic western, though I'll admit that the world degenerating into a lawless wild west after a nuclear holocaust isn't too unbelievable. Anyway, there were definitely some unexpected and satisfying twists, and it leaves you with stuff to think about. Plus, a lot of cool details and cinematography.

A Prophet (Un Prophète) (2009)

★★★½

Kind of long. A disturbing, sometimes confusing, peek inside a French prison ruled by Corsican mafia.

Atonement by Ian McEwan

★★★★★

I was torn between rating this book 4 1/2 stars or 5 stars. Had the book ended after Part Three, I would have had no qualms giving it 5 stars. Unfortunately, there followed an afterward, and I wasn't crazy about the content; when I put down the book, I didn't have that final sense of satisfaction that I would expect from a 5-star book. That said, I can appreciate the inventiveness of the ending, and as a piece of writing - as opposed to entertainment - I can see its value.

In my opinion, Ian McEwan is easily one of the most talented modern writers of fiction I have read. He writes beautifully. His prose is clever, at times humorous, always full of imagery. Sentences are well-constructed around carefully chosen words, and I frequently found myself re-reading excerpts just to appreciate the full effect of his writing.

McEwan creates interesting, well-developed, complex characters. I was impressed with his convincing ability to get inside the head of his characters, and his keen insight into the different perspectives of a young girl, a middle-aged mother, or a grown man, even as they all experienced the same events.

Early on, I thought I would certainly not give the book 5 stars because of the constant anxiety I felt for an impending doom. While a bit of "Oh! I wonder what will happen next!" type of suspense is desirable in a good read, this book instead gave me a "Oh, no! Something terrible is going to happen! I can't stand it!" feeling of dread. Ultimately, when unfortunate events finally did unfold, I forgave the author the uneasy tension he caused in me - after all, the fact that he could elicit such strong emotion, pleasant or not, while keeping me thoroughly enthralled in the story is surely a sign of good writing.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010)

★★★

Very Harry Potter-esque. Highly derivative, but maybe that's a function of the fantasy genre. I half-expected the closing line to be, "Every time a bell rings, a Satyr gets his horns!" That said, the premise is good, and so is the story. Maybe I'll even read the books. And any movie that gets kids motivated to learn about Greek mythology can't be all bad.

Green Zone (2010)

★★★★

I think this movie would be hard to take if you in any way agreed with the way the Bush administration handled the Iraq war. If you opposed the war, and believe that the war was unjustified in part because of the lack of evidence of any WMDs, then this movie is for you. At times, I heard lines I used myself while debating the war echoed in the script. It's "inspired" by a non-fiction book, but I think the events in the movie were fictional. Action happens at a good pace, events and conversations are easy to follow, and nothing distracts from the plot.

The Kids Are All Right (2010)

★★★★

I liked the ending. And I liked that the family was portrayed as normal; the fact that the parents were lesbians - aside from being central to the plot - was not a factor in the family dynamics. I also liked that Annette Bening and Julianne Moore actually looked the age of parents of high schoolers, and their performances were great. Mark Ruffalo's character was a bit too much of a caricature, and I think the movie would have had enough dramatic tension without the additional complications involving his character.

Invictus (2009)

★★★★★

Finally! It feels great to see a good movie again. Even though I was in college during Nelson Mandela's presidency, I'm embarrassed that I know so little about him. Ken says he remembers talking about South Africa a lot in school, but I can hardly recall any conversations at all - in or out of the classroom. This movie was not only inspiring - at times, I got goosebumps and/or tears in my eyes - but educational to boot. Makes me want to go out and find a good book about Nelson Mandela. Rugby players grunting in slow motion was a little weird, but the musical soundtrack made up for it.