Flipped

I wanted to see a nice, pleasant movie so we picked Flipped, the new Rob Reiner coming-of-age film and it turned out to be exactly what I wanted. This is a story takes place in the early 60s and it is about a boy and girl  starting from when they met in second grade. It is done in a very interesting way so that you get both points of view of the same incidents. I was especially impressed with how the girl was portrayed. So often12 – 14 year old females are shown to be so shallow but not in this movie. I would like all young teens, both male and female, to see Flipped. The era was also shown much as I remember and I loved the music. It is funny and poignant and just a real joy to watch for all ages.

Get Low

This afternoon I went to see a movie that most people haven't heard of  - Get Low starring Robert Duvall, Sissy Specek and Bill Murray.  This is a story about an old hermit who decides he wants to throw a funeral party for himself before he dies.  It is a quiet movie that is absolutely wonderful. It is funny, touching, thoughtful and the acting is exceptional.  Watching Duvall is really watching a master at work.  He is spectacular. There are no chase scenes, no huge special effects, no blood and guts - just a great story. In LA, it is showing at the Laemmle Theaters.  In other areas, look for it at your small theaters and art houses.  If it isn't available and you have Netflix or a membership in a video club, put it on your list.  It is that good.

The Laemmle has a wonderful promotion for seniors - retired seniors.  Although they have raised the price, Wednesdays before 6:00 cost $4.50 for the movie.  Popcorn and a drink are always $4.00 for the combination.  True - the theaters are not as glitzy as many others.  There is usually no stadium seating and the screens are smaller and the sound doesn't blow out your eardrums but the movies are first rate and the price can't be beat.  The theater was packed today with all us old people.

Oh - there was one thing in the movie that, as far as I was concerned, could have been eliminated with no effect on the story.  At the very beginning, there was a scene where someone threw up.  So, be prepared for that right at the start.

Inception

The other day I saw "Inception," the sci-fi exciting and unusual movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio.  The story revolves around mind control through layers of dreams.  I found this absolutely amazing.  I couldn't relax for a minute because I thought I might miss something.  I had heard that it was hard to follow. I didn't find that to be the case. This reminded me of a previous action film that I recently saw because there were many car chases, special effects and shooting but little if any blood and no gore.  I highly recommend "Inception" to anyone who likes to think while watching a movie.