Brief Critiques

Took in two films this weekend which may or may not prove of any interest to readers of this blog. One featured the offspring of Mary Magdalene and one featured an angelic Virginia Madsen. One included French accents and one included Minnesota accents. One had a freaky albino and one had Lindsay Lohan, whom some may argue is just as scary.

First, The DaVinci Code. I thought it did not suck, which was surprising since critics seemed to pan it. While Hanks would not have been my first casting choice and the mullet was downright egregious, I otherwise felt that the movie unfolded exactly as it had in my mind while I read the Dan Brown book. Thanks to my short-term memory, I had forgotten many of the plot points (besides the final "ta-da") so all the revelations along the way made me "ooh" and "aah" all over again. I won't go into a thorough review as they are a dime a dozen. All I'll say is that I was entertained and did not feel as though I had been robbed of my $10 when all was said and done. If you were on the fence about seeing it, I'd give it the green light or at least sanction a rental when it's out on DVD. (Except for you, Meg, ye hater of "The Hanks.")

As for the second film, A Prairie Home Companion, it seemed like something I should have liked, especially since I saw it for free. Nevertheless, Robert Altman is hit-or-miss in my book: Dr. T and the Women = bad. Gosford Park = good. A Prairie Home Companion, in the end, equalled "eh." Granted, I wasn't too familiar with the long-running public radio program which the film lovingly depicts. The movie was basically a real-time (or almost) staging of the live, old-timey show, helmed by writer Garrison Keillor (who plays himself) and a host of colorful characters who take the stage and sing sweet ditties. The whole thing is charming and poignant, given that it's supposed to be the show's last night before the historic St. Paul theater is bought up -- and shut down -- by some corporate meanie played by Tommy Lee Jones. Woody Harrelson and William C. Reilly are great as the singing cowboys Lefty and Dusty, and Meryl Streep, as always, is quintessential Meryl Streep (that's a good thing). Lindsay Lohan broods as an angst-ridden teen and angel Virginia Madsen saunters around interacting with the stage hands in moments that are supposed to add a bit of gravity to the over-arching bungling and quirkiness of the show. There wasn't much of a plot beyond what was laid out between the many, MANY musical, Stephen-Fostereque interludes. And while my inner Girl Scout will always enjoy a rousing rendition of "Tavern In The Town," after two hours of it, I was starting to side with Tommy Lee Jones. The movie was a nice fat slice of Americana, but perhaps I only needed a sliver. That said, if you need an activity for grandma, this is is it. -- Amy

Parasol Pretty

Walkingdaydreams.com has some pics posted of Keira Knightley on the set of Silk in Rome. Based on Allesandro Baricco's novel, the film recently wrapped and is scheduled for release late next year. In January, Knightley will begin work on "The Best Time of Our Lives," playing the wife of Welsh poet, Dylan Thomas. Incidentally, the screenplay was written by Knightley's mother, Sharman, an award-winning playwright. -- Amy

Can Oprah Save Masterpiece Theater?

You know how you have certain groups of friends that you'd prefer to not introduce to other groups of friends? You like them both but feel that they just wouldn't hit it off with one another if you were to attempt to make an introduction? That's sort of the feeling that developed in the pit of my stomach when I stumbled across this blog posting from earlier this year in my attempts to find out if Masterpiece Theater has yet been taken off financial life support. Yes, I've been known to watch Oprah (although it's usually more of the train-wreck mentality than anything else...), and yes, it's cool that she loves books and all, but I REALLY don't want her hands mixed up in my Masterpiece Theater, even if she's willing to throw in some big bucks. I want to help save MT, but in the immortal works of Meatloaf, "I would do anything for love...but I won't do that." Is anyone with me? -- Amy

P.S. My biggest fear is that she will start mandating that John Travolta be cast in all leading male roles...

Which literary heroine are you?

Take this quiz to find out...

(Let's hope you're not a Becky Sharpe.) Turns out I'm a practical Elizabeth Bennet while Kim is an easily-swooning Marianne Dashwood. -- Amy

Disappointing news....

...coming out of Cannes. Apparently Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette not only didn't delight, it garnered boos.

http://film.guardian.co.uk/cannes2006/story/0,,1782628,00.html

Are the French just meanies, or should we be worried? Oh well, we'll still go see it for the eye candy, if nothing else. -- Amy

Enough, already...!

Why we might be subjected to the Hanks mullet for years to come. -- Amy

Loaded For Bear

Since A&E refuses to indulge us with any new installments in the Hornblower series, fans of those movies might enjoy tuning in to BBC America every Saturday night this summer (starting May 27 at 9 p.m.) for installments of "Sharpe's Rifles." Based on novels by Bernard Cornwell, these movies will fill your Brits-in-uniform quota, although actor Sean Bean is no Ioan Gruffud when comparing Napoleonic war heros. (FYI, Bean was Boramir in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.) Here's our review from last year of the first film in the Sharpe's series. -- Amy