Movies 2011, Week 32

August 14-20, 2011
This was a great week for movie watching!  I tried to average a movie per day since I'm not working at the moment and yay!!!
131) The Lottery. Documentary film about parents trying to get their young children into one of Harlem's best charter schools via the lottery and the disappointments that come with that process.  It also encompassed the fight for and against charter schools.  So sad to think about how many children don't get into a great school and are saddled with poor education that can't be supplemented by their parents because they also had a poor education.  I don't know what I wanted from this film but I felt disappointed at the end.  4 stars
132) You Again. Kristen Bell, Jamie Lee Curtis star in this film about a woman who has to break up her brother's engagement to her h.s. nemesis.  Then her mom realizes HER h.s. nemesis is also resurfacing.  Very over the top acting and ridiculous story line.  Cameos from Betty White and Kristen Chenowith were amusing.  It was just okay.  2.9 stars
133) Gloria: In Her Own Words. Documentary on HBO about the face of the women's lib movement, Gloria Steinem.  Riveting from the start!  It's so easy to forget the types of things that were de rigeur for women just 30 to 40 years ago.  It had my mind racing.  I definitely identify more with my race than my gender.  It definitely addressed some of the reasons I balked at changing my name but couldn't articulate.  She'd probably hate that I say this but she looks AWESOME for 76!!  Awesome!  Great weaving of interview segments and archival footage at times.  Quotes were overused as a transition between scenes.  There were stories included that really added nothing to the narrative but overall, I really enjoyed it. 4 stars
134) Arthur.  Remake of the 1980s comedy, this one starring Russell Brand, Jennifer Garner & Helen Mirren.  Surprisingly funny.  I really came into this one with lowered expectations.  Definitely longer than it needed to be at 1 hour 50.  I stand by my belief that comedies should cap at 90 minutes.  There were at least 4 unnecessary montages.  3.7 stars
135) Man in the Moon. Reese Witherspoon stars as a little girl who falls in love for the first time and finds herself betrayed.  I'm pretty sure I would've liked this at another point in my life.  At this point, though?  Meh.  2.9 stars
136) Love Chronicles: Secrets Revealed.  Rashan saw fit to torture me with this bad black movie about dysfunctional relationships filled with misinterpretations of love.  It was terrible.  The script and the acting.  1.3 stars  (Don't ask about the .3... Usually it means something, today it does not.)
137) The Best and the Brightest. Neil Patrick Harris is the star of this film about a couple trying to get their daughter into an exclusive private school despite cutthroat competition.  Really quite awful with some funny moments that were way too few and far between.  2.8 stars
138) Tabloid. Errol Morris documentary about a woman accused of kidnappingAndRapingAM.ormon man.  Cuh.razy.  Because of the charges, she became a tabloid star.  I cannot say I really enjoyed this movie.  It seemed like the film started in the middle of the story and wanted us to just catch up and best of luck in that goal because there won't be enough clues for quite some time.  It didn't help that I was distracted by the chick laughing at inappropriate times in 10 second intervals for the first 20 minutes.  Seriously.  But back to the movie, after I recovered from my disorientation, I found myself repeatedly saying, "So what?"  I couldn't figure out why I was supposed to care about this woman.  The cinematography, graphics and music all fit.  There were great techniques but I just didn't care about this chick for the length of the film.  3 stars