Midnight in Paris (2011) - M6.4/E7

I was looking for a DVD to spend my free Valentine’s Day promo code from Redbox. It had to be something semi-romantic, just for tradition’s sake. The choice was between Midnight in Paris and Captain America. A Woody Allen flick is easily passable, but I have to say that Captain America had probably one of the best/most realistic movie relationships ever depicted (at least as well as can be depicted in an action flick). Midnight won out, and it was a well spent 90 minutes of our evening.

Don’t let the PG-13 rating fool you, this is as tame as any PG movie I’ve seen. The trailer was a little puzzling, it really didn’t go much beyond saying that something magical happens at midnight in Paris, and then flashes some images of women not seen earlier in the trailer...hinting at some sort of infidelity. While there is some sleeping around, it’s completely off screen, and not even really implied.

Gil is a writer in search for meaning in his life. He thinks he’ll be able to work things out by going to Paris with his fiance and future in-laws (very unlikeable characters). Out of desperation, boredom, and just getting plain lost, Gil somehow finds himself in 1920’s Paris with the likes of Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Salvador Dali, Gertrude Stein, Picasso, Cole Porter, and more. We see a common trend of people unhappy with living in the present, and it’s made clear that even if we were to live in the era of our dreams, that era would soon become the present and we would wish we were somewhere else again.

The only other Woody Allen film I’ve seen is The Purple Rose of Cairo, and it is very similar to this one; both are well worth watching. No strong moral message, but definitely not a negative one. It’s just a feel good story that depicts a lost character finding his true happiness by shedding the less important things in his life that keep him from it.

Calamity Jane (1953) - M7.8/E8

This a fun family film. This movie is probably the main reason I’ve never really enjoyed Doris Day in other movies; her character in this movie is just ingrained in my mind as who she must really be. The music is good and the comedy keeps coming. The relationships are believable and true, almost standard; yet at the same time fresh interpretations of love and friendship.

The majority of the movie takes place in a bar/gentleman’s club, which isn’t the best setting for a family film. I had to explain to my daughter what it was that every one kept drinking (is telling her that it’s juice bad? In reality I doubt they had real alcohol on the set...) She knows that drinking alcohol isn’t good for us, but at her age it doesn’t matter who the person is, that person is a bad person if they’re doing something that my daughter is told not to do. So for the sake of allowing her to enjoy the movie, we fibbed. She’ll figure it out soon enough.

The movie focuses a lot on the female image. Calamity is a rough, saloon-frequenting, stage-protecting woman who is often confused for a man. It isn’t until she begins to understand what it is men actually want to see in a woman (and her own growing gender-awareness) that she feels that it’s time for her to change if she ever hopes of winning the heart of her Danny.

To some, this idea of femininity may seem appalling. However, I think it’s important for women to focus on their own natural characteristics instead of trying to become and do everything that a man is and does. Men and women are different for a reason, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Sure, the world tends to paint the picture as man being “better” just because they tend to be stronger and bigger, but if you rely on the world for your definition of man and woman and don’t have a strong understanding of your own individual self-worth and identity, it’s easier to give in and clamor for equality.

At any rate, this is a great show for the whole family. Music, Indians chasing a stage, gun fire, drinking, dancing, you name it... Check it out while you still can on Netflix Instant.

State Fair (1945) - M7.0/E6

Entertainment Rating: 6 of 10

This was world’s better than Rodger and Hammerstein’s Carousel, though not terribly entertaining for kids under 5 or 6 - not enough goofiness (with exception to the pickle judging, which our kids loved) or action or dancing. If you’re in the mood for a nice musical, this one’s worth a watch.

Moral Rating: 7.0

Margy doesn’t get stuck with her nerdy admirer, but ends up with the ever more experienced and worldly news reporter, who has decided to stop all his gallivanting around because he’s actually fallen in love this time. I find this rather lame and if anything, morally degrading, because this is not how love or relationships really work out in the real world. Young women should avoid the likes of the journalist, no matter how much they swear the young woman has made them re-think their life. Marriage is too long a commitment to not have both people fully prepared for it, before saying “I do.”

The Adjustment Bureau (2011)

Entertainment Rating: 5 of 5

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a while. It was every bit as good as Minority Report and quite a bit better than Blade Runner (all three based on stories by science fiction writer Phillip K. Dick). I was told this was more of a romance than a thriller/action movie, and so I was expecting a slower paced film that possibly wasn’t great. I was pleasantly surprised that it was much more than a romance, but a look at the value of our ability to choose our own destinies and exercise our free will.

Moral Rating: 4 of 5

[Spoiler Alert]

In contrast to Mao’s Last Dancer, the two main characters here actually decide to sacrifice their career goals because they really love the other person more than their careers. This love is what allows them to become more free and ultimately use their free will to the fullest.

Superman (1978)

Entertainment Rating: 3 of 5

I don’t think I had ever seen this movie. I’ve seen the second one. The movie was well done, but a little long for me. The 154 minutes totally could have been trimmed down - particularly the 5-10 minute scene of the destruction of Krypton, all you see is a bunch of nameless people in white falling all over the place to their deaths; and then there’s the 5-10 minutes of credits at the beginning. Gene Hackman really doesn’t fit my image of Lex Luthor. He plays a smart guy (a genius), but he sure doesn’t look or act the part well. Hopefully the second reboot next year gets something right (though I think Kevin Spacey was a step in the right direction).

Moral Rating: 2 of 5

Superman is the embodiment of truth, justice, and the American way. I know he’s supposed to fall for Lois Lane, but his swooning over her made this more of a romantic-comedy than a movie that shows a decent battle between good and evil. There isn’t much more to say here. The movie is a classic, so it’s good, but definitely not great.

The Great Buck Howard (2008)

Entertainment Rating: 3 of 5

This was a fun show, albeit a bit slow and not terribly interesting. Supposedly this show was based on the mentalist the Amazing Kreskin, who is one of the few magicians to have his own TV show for a while.

Moral Rating: 3 of 5

The romance between Troy and Valerie was typical Hollywood rubbish. They flirt, sleep together, and then try to decide if they want the relationship to last.

Buck Howard, as quirky and weird as he is, has the strongest moral character. He doesn’t try to be someone else. He knows who he is and doesn’t care what others think of him. The audience could be numerous or pitifully small, but Buck gave it his all.

While not an amazing movie, it’s a nice easy going film that will make you smile.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)

Entertainment Rating: 4 of 5

This musical had a fun story and great music. The two main actors did a great job, and you can’t go wrong with a classic.

Moral Rating: 4 of 5

It’s rather ridiculous for a man to go down from the country into town one day, get married, and move back out to the country, not expecting much to change except getting some home cooked meals and laundry done. It’s also a bit of a stretch that a girl thinks that a man can just whisk her away from all her troubles and that married life will be loads better than what she was dealing with.

This exaggeration makes it fun to see the compromises that come with being married. The selfishness we experience while being single (though not bad selfishness, but we don’t have to worry about others) needs to give in to selflessness in order for happiness to exist at home. Husband and wife have to learn to communicate their needs and expectations and at the same time have to be willing to listen to the others needs and concerns.

Even though one of our kids mentioned that it was a long movie only 20 minutes into it, I think the whole family enjoyed it.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)

Entertainment Rating: 4 of 5

This movie was awesome. There is a bit of language, a lot of gay/lesbian jokes, and one scene of sensuality (no sex occurs), so an edited version might best suit some people (we kicked Clearplay in about three-quarters of the way into the movie). Scott Pilgirm reminded us a lot of Napoleon Dynamite, only Scott didn’t appear to be mentally handicapped, just very dweebish. There was a great mix of action, drama, and humor through out the movie; and the music was pretty good too, though possibly a little loud.

Moral Rating: 3 of 5

For as funny as it was, it was also very well written and was more than just the sum of the jokes and action. In a very creative way we see that the amount of effort you put into a relationship determines your overall happiness and the amount of self respect you have.

For the first time in his life, Scott meets someone that he wants to be with and is OK, at first, with having to beat up a few of Ramona’s evil ex’s (not ex-boyfriends). But the evil ex’s get more difficult to face and Scott seems to doubt the worth of fighting for Ramona’s love.

Similarly in real-life relationships, everything is great during the honeymoon period, but when life starts to set in, the luster seems to get lost and the relationship isn’t new anymore. We tend to forget that love is only as good as the amount of effort we put into the relationship (providing the other person is also making an effort - Ramona had to fight her share of exes as well.) The ex’s in the film can easily be paralleled to “baggage” that we bring into relationships. We need to learn to accept the person for who they are and help each other put the past behind and work toward a better future together.

[Mild Spoiler Alert]
Another “deep-thinking” moment occurs when Scott uses his extra life to change his weapon at the end from love to self respect. While fighting for love sounds noble and is often a legitimate reason for fighting in many Romanticized tales, the greatest strength we can receive in combating evil or overcoming obstacles is the amount of respect or confidence we have in ourselves to overcome these trials. Self-respect and confidence don’t come by allowing ourselves to be overcome in thought by our love for someone else; it comes by knowing who we are, what our potential is, and what we want to do with our lives. This self-realization most assuredly comes with divine assistance and guidance, though this aspect of it wasn’t really shown in the movie (unless you consider the creators of the story the ones who bestowed these special powers on Scott, then it might be extrapolated).

When In Rome (2010)

Entertainment Rating: 3 of 5

A good romantic comedy, and for being PG-13 it had nothing compared to some other rom-com’s (sex-related humor, sleeping around, bad languange, etc.). I had a hard time liking many of the main characters in the film, with exception to Josh Duhamel (all the men chasing Beth around were hilarious, especially John Heder - Napoleon Dynamite). If you’re given the chance to watch it, it’s fun and worth it, but I wouldn’t go out of your way, unless you’d really like to see a brief reunion of Napoleon Dynamite (as a magician) and Pedro (as his filming assistant).

Knight and Day (2010)

Entertainment Rating: 4

This is one of the best action films I’ve seen in a while. Great action sequences that were kept on the light-side with the quick-witted humor provided by Tom Cruise. Easily one of my favorite Cruise movies. Check it out if you have a chance.

Moral Rating: 2

No real messages worth noting here. Pure entertainment.

African Queen (1951)

Entertainment Rating: A

Great romance movie with no sex (explicit or implied). A little slow at first, but seeing Charlie and Rosie's relationship grow is very rewarding. My wife particularly liked the film because Rosie wasn't your typical damsel in distress that Charlie came to save. She's the one who came up with the plan to blow up the Louiza, worked side by side with Charlie even though she knew nothing about boats or metallurgy or explosives.

Moral Rating: 4

This was a fun story with depictions of virtue and integrity. Rosie’s prayer when they got stuck in the reeds was particularly inspiring when she told the Lord that they had done everything they possibly could and now left everything up to Him. Her prayer of faith was answered and their mission miraculously gets accomplished.

Leap Year (2010)

Entertainment Value

Rating: B

This was a fun romantic comedy, but nothing out of the ordinary. The ending was predictable, but had a little bit more of a twist, making it a bit more believable.

Moral Value - Failure to Communicate?

Rating: 3

[Spoiler Alert] - I thought I'd be courteous, even if the plot is rather predictable...

The love story here was very similar to that in The House of Flying Daggers: the woman who's been in a long relationship runs into a man who provides some greatly needed help; she ends up forgoing the long-term relationship for this new relationship that lasted 2 days, and is infinitely happier. Why are short romances portrayed as if they will make the girl happy for ever after (Disney princess movies come to mind - Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Little Mermaid, Princess and the Frog etc.)? I guess they only got engaged within a few days, but it sounds like they didn't waste anytime getting in bed together (no "wall of Jericho" the second time around).

House of Flying Daggers

Entertainment Value

Rating: A

Beautifully done (acting, music, and art), just like Hero. And also like Hero and many other Chinese flicks, it was rather sad. Not a very complex story, but the simplicity of the story adds to its beauty.

Moral Value - Failure to Communicate?

Rating: 3

Mei held her love for the one that she was promised to, but in the end sacrificed that love for someone she had fallen for in a 3-day period.

[Spoiler Alert]

You can take the message two ways: one, as if the bond between Mei and Leo signified marriage and so marital fidelity is most important and she should have stuck by Leo; and two, that Mei wasn't married and should have been free to make her own choice and Leo was at fault and couldn't control his jealousy and pride.

Either way presents an interesting predicament and overall the show shows how sensitive emotions/passions are if they are not bridled. 

Sleeping Beauty

Synopsis

Two kingdoms plan to unite when a daughter (Aurora) is born that can wed the son (Phillip) of the other kingdom. The plans are at risk when the evil Maleficent prophesies that on the girl's 16th birthday she will die. The girls father, in an attempt to foil Maleficent's plan, sends her to live with the fairies deep in the woods. Aurora is found and Phillip must fight the powers of Hell to save her.

Entertainment Value

Rating: A

This is probably one of my favorite Disney princess movies (right up there with Beauty and the Beast). Maleficent's character particularly intrigues me (probably one of Disney's most evil villains) and the prince's fight against her at the end is pretty intense. The whole falling in love after dancing together isn't much of a story, it's kind of a side story to the battle between good and evil in the film.  The musical score is excellent!

Moral Value - Failure to Communicate?

Rating: 4

Love really is the thing that Satan cannot understand (in the movie Maleficent = Satan), particularly the love God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ have for us. Just as Maleficent tried to ruin the life of the princess, Satan tried to ruin God's plan, but Jesus Christ stepped in and put enmity between Satan and man (just as the fairies stepped in and blessed the child that she would not die, but sleep).

Roxanne

Synopsis

An adaptation of the Edmund Rostand play Cyrano de Bergerac. Steve Martin plays the lead role as firefighter C.D. Bales who is beleaguered by his large nose. At the beautiful Roxanne's request, C.D. consents to help Chris (one of his firefighters) muster up the courage to meet her. Chris's debilitating nervousness causes him to resort to sending Roxanne letters which he asks C.D. to write for him due to his lack of skill with words. How long will C.D. be able to hide his true feelings for Roxanne behind the guise of being Chris's mentor? (taken from an IMDb Synopsis)

Entertainment Value - B

This was a fun romantic-comedy, but definitely not for young audiences. The PG rating came before a PG-13 was widely used, and so quite a bit of language and innuendo end up here. I thought that C.D. working at a fire department was a nice addition to the story (the play actually had a war going on, but the fire department added a nice comic element to the movie).

Moral Value - Failure to Communicate? - 3

This adaptation displayed a good message on looking past physical appearances when associating with people. The original play was a hundred times better for the following reasons:

1. In this version Christian was a shallow idiot who wanted nothing but to sleep with Roxanne and in the play he was actually a moral character who was going to tell Roxanne that the person writing the letters was really Cyrano De Bergerac (C.D.), but died before he got the chance.Steve Martin was the only true-to-script character.
   


2. In the original, Cyrano got Christian to get his first kiss, and in the movie C.D. actually got Roxanne to sleep with Chris! (A huge negative mark against the show). For someone who seemed to have high standards (well educated, somewhat resistant to letting her feelings get in the way with what's right, etc.), Roxanne sure let herself get seduced quite easily, even after being grossly offended (though the offense couldn't have hurt her that much).

The film shows that Roxanne acted too much by impulse on looks at first, but learned to love the inner person more than the outward appearances.

In The Good Old Summertime

Synopsis

Two bickering co-workers (Van Johnson and Judy Garland) have secret penpals, from whom they keep any personal details. The tables turn when the true identity of their penpals are discovered.

Entertainment Value - A

This movie didn't seem to have a whole lot to do with the summer time, in fact the only scenes in the summer time were the opening few minutes and the ending few minutes (the setting for the title song). Maybe it had to do with the fact that good things happen in the summer time and we need to wade patiently through the autumns and winters of life.

A lot of the scenes were identical to the Shop Around the Corner. The main difference is that the setting is a music store instead of a department store, and because of the setting a few songs are inserted into the story (or vice versa). There are also less mature themes presented in this version, making it a little more appropriate for young children (no suicide attempts or extramarital affairs). I may like the Shop Around the Corner better just because I really like Jimmy Stewart, though In the Good Old Summertime did a better job at developing the relationship between the two pen-pals. My all time favorite version, though, is You've Got Mail.

Moral Value - Failure to Communicate? - 3

The moral themes from Shop Around the Corner are pretty much repeated here. Because of the fewer serious themes, we're given an entertaining show with a happy ending, and not a whole lot to discuss.

Benny and Joon

Synopsis

Benny is the caretaker for his mentally handicapped sister. He's forced to realize that she is capable of making some of her own decisions, and must learn to let her go as an excuse for himself to be more involved in life.

Entertainment Value - A

Great lighthearted, romantic-dramedy. Johnny Depp really made the movie.

Moral Value - Failure to Communicate? - 3

The film produced a good message on the importance of making life happy. Life's too short to look for excuses to not be involved. We need to have the courage to make decisions that will increase our happiness. Benny used taking care of his sister as an excuse to not have a normal life. Surely it was done out of love at first, but if he really loved Joon he could have helped her get out on her own sooner. In the end they both end up breaking free, resulting in an increase of their happiness.

There is an implied sex scene that totally could have been done without; for some reason Hollywood (and as a result the world) thinks that sex is the only way to show a mature relationship between two lovers prior to marriage. Comedies have to have jokes about sex in them. It's almost as if the world revolves around sex. In a sense it does, at least that's how we all exist; but at the same time it's also how lives are torn apart. Satan can twist godly things in such a way that they destroy us instead of making us more holy.

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You've Got Mail

Synopsis

This is the second remake of The Shop Around the Corner (at least that I'm aware of). A small bookstore owner, Kathleen Kelly, and a multimillion dollar discount bookstore chain owner, Joe Fox, are in love online (choosing to keep personal information unknown to each other), but enemies in the professional world. When, through email, they decide to meet, Joe discovers who his pen-pal is without her knowing. While Joe's first impulse is to throw in the towel and give up on her, he ultimately realizes that he had fallen in love with the person who wrote the emails to him, and that he needs to try and win Kathleen's affection, getting her to look past her prejudices and see him for who he really is.

Entertainment Value - A

This is my favorite version of this story and also one of my all time favorite films. Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks are perfect together in their roles. I love the soundtrack.

Moral Value - Failure to Communicate? - 4

At first sight, it might seem that displaying two relationships where neither couple is married but still live together can't be constructive. Similar to the play The Importance of Being Earnest where marriage is made light of and food is taken seriously, I think this is a commentary on the importance of marriage. We see both live-in relationships as unhappy, neither couple is in love with their significant other. As Joe and Kathleen's relationship matures (without any sexual encounters!), we see that the ultimate goal will be marriage. You don't see a marriage take place, but Joe mentions that had the issue of their professional differences not existed he would have asked her out..."for as long we both shall live", a direct reference to marriage.

Other elements that support this are that Joe's family is completely dysfunctional and is even mocked as being an "American family". Joe has a brother who is probably 30 years his junior and and an Aunt that isn't much older than his brother. Joe's father's fiancee (probably no older than Joe) hits on Joe and ends up running off with another woman, which is what his own father has done in his previous 2 or 3 relationships. These extreme relationships are exaggerated to emphasize the importance of a solid marriage between a man and a woman, the only union that can bring true happiness to the human family.

In addition to advocating marriage, the same message exists here as in it's two predecessors (Shop Around the Corner and In the Good Old Summer Time): you can't judge a book by it's cover. Judging too quickly can prevent good relationships from forming, and is ultimately breaking a commandment; Jesus commanded that we judge not unrighteous judgment.

Did You Hear About the Morgan's?

Synopsis

The Morgan's lead very busy lives. They are separated due to an illicit affair Paul Morgan had while away on a business trip. Though Paul is very repentant and wanting to give their marriage a second shot, Meryl is not too sure. After witnessing a murder, they are forced to become a part of a witness relocation program and must spend the first week together until separate living quarters can be worked out. Will Paul get the chance to prove to Meryl that he is honest? Or will they just be driven further apart? (You might get a hint if you remember the movie For Richer or Poorer.)

Entertainment Value - B

Great acting. I enjoy Hugh Grant, though some of his shows can be a little inappropriate (as are some of Sarah Jessica Parker's). Pretty good story line. Not sure why it got a PG-13 rating. There was some language and sexual intimacy (though all off screen and between husband and wife). My only guess is that they were trying to market it to an older crowd. You've Got Mail, Pride and Prejudice, Sleepless in Seattle, and many others all worked wonderfully with a simple PG rating.

Moral Value - Failure to Communicate? - 4

This was a great story of learning how to work through problems in marriage. Maybe the situations that caused their separation and frustrations were a little extreme (though maybe not as uncommon as I think). The fact that you need to expect everything from one another is very important in keeping you both (husband and wife) working towards sticking together.

[Spoiler Alert]

The moral credence of the film started to unravel when it's revealed that she cheated on him as well, especially when you find out that it was after Paul had already cheated on her. Up until that point you really believe she was hurt by his infidelity and had thought the world of him; but all that turns into a lie when you find out she was unfaithful too.. They both end up making the right decision and deciding to stick it out together and even adopt a child (their difficulty of having kids was one of the main causes of stress in their relationship, in addition to their extremely busy lives.)

Twilight: New Moon

Synopsis

This is the sequel to the movie/book Twilight. Edward is convinced that he is no good for Bella and leaves her in hopes of giving her a normal life to live. His absence causes Bella to enter into a deep depression. Her only way out is Jacob, who seems to be just what she needed, and almost gets pulled out of her slump, until he leaves her too. After Bella miraculously saves Edward's life (a self-imposed death sentence) she must choose between Jacob and Edward who turn out to be mortal/immortal enemies.

Entertainment Value - B

This sequel is a lot better than the original (I'm sure a new director helped), though the storyline in the first was more interesting. I would have liked to understand a little bit more about the werewolves and seen more interaction with the vampires (the scene in Rome was pretty cool). My wife (who's read the book) explained a little bit more to me and that helped.

Moral Value - Failure to Communicate? - 3

I don't think either Jacob or Edward are good for Bella. Both of them put Bella into a situation where she is forced to lie to her dad, who really loves her and should be most important in her life (at least until she moves out of the house to go to college, but she's still in high school!). Any relationship that endangers her family is probably an unwise one; not to mention the fact that Bella's obsession takes her so far as to almost kill herself various times only to catch a fleeting glimpse of her beloved.

Granted, Edward's influence over Bella is paranormal, however, the emotions this story pulls out of people who watch/read it are real and and unhealthy (particularly young girls/women).  Specifically with the novel, some of the people I know that have followed the story have expressed the emotions and thoughts that it draws out of them and how they have a hard time putting them aside. I wouldn't call these people unprincipled, I just think Stephanie Meyer is a talented writer that could probably write something with a little more moral fiber.

I failed to mention it in the earlier post on Twilight, but I made some comparisons to the chemistry between Edward and Bella and aggressive mimicry on my other blog. I still think this applies to this second installation.

Stepping down from my soap box, the story's a fun one to follow (though I'd recommend keeping your emotionally charged teenagers away from the books for as long as you can), so if you have a buck it's worth checking out at RedBox.